Learn the social etiquette of asking for business in the new social media world.
As you are meeting new people online, having conversations, posting, building exposure and handling new opportunities daily via social media, you are going to have to draw the line at some point with the back and forth, also known as time wasters.
If someone is continually asking for your advice, free product, tips and so forth, respond no more than three times, spending a maximum of three minutes each time, before you ask for the business. If the contact does not respond or decides to not do business with you, there is no need to offer additional expert advice and/or tips and guidance for free. People will respect you if you respect yourself and the value of your experience and advice by adhering to this 3/3 boundary formula. If you spend even a few hours every week going back and forth with the same person who is never going to do business with you, then you might need to keep your day job.
If your business revenue has either leveled off or declined, it’s worth looking into whether your sales team is asking or has stopped asking for the business. If you find they are doing constant back and forth, crossing their fingers in the hope they will eventually get the buy from a customer, cut to the chase and send an email, note or even make a phone call to ask for the business, mentioning your previous contacts and guidance you have provided.
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