Direct Messages or DMs are a great tool to build personal relationships with your social media audience and increase revenue. For this reason, you should check and engage with messages in the two areas where you can receive DMs: your main Inbox and your Message Requests.
Message Requests come from people who do not follow you – so, they are placed in a separate folder in the DM area of your account. Don’t neglect communicating there; it could result in a loyal customer.
DM Dos & Don’ts
As a business owner, you know dealing with individuals can get messy fast – especially because many times, DMs come with customer complaints. With that in mind, I compiled this list for managing your DMs so you can stay on track.
Direct Messages or DMs are a great tool to build personal relationships with your social media audience and increase revenue.
Resist small talk.
It is important to build rapport with prospective customers, but don’t spend too much time on the weather and kids. People have short attention spans and will appreciate your directness.
Control the conversation.
The one who asks and gets answers to their questions is the one in control. In addition to posing fact-finding questions, make sure to get answers. Ask again if needed.
Ensure they feel heard.
No one likes feeling ignored. While it is important to control the dialogue, don’t brush past what the person says. Acknowledge, address and handle their concerns.
Don’t oversell.
I believe that pressure is a good thing, and there is definitely a time and place for it in sales. However, don’t get pushy in DMs. You are early in the sales cycle, at best.
Book calls for high-ticket deals.
It’s almost impossible to get a buyer to part with big money with a click of a button. Therefore, transition DMs about expensive products and services to a sales call. It is easier to showcase features, advantages and benefits that way, as well as for the customer to “make sense” of the price.
When you’re engaging in DMs, you should follow a script. Of course, every industry has nuances that need to be considered when communicating with potential customers and included in your individual scripts. Nonetheless, this basic road map will help you keep the conversation moving in the right direction. This is the flow a DM conversation should follow:
Build rapport.
The first step in reaching out or responding to a message is to ask a question based on their profile – something short and sweet to let them know they have your attention.
Find out their goals.
Next, transition into uncovering what they are trying to accomplish with your product or service. This will also aid in the selection process.
Discover their challenges.
Why haven’t they reached their goal already? What obstacles or objections do they have to purchasing a solution? Get the answers at this point of the conversation.
Make an appointment.
A connection can only go so far when you’re typing back and forth. Whether you arrange a phone call or an in-person meeting, get something on the calendar.
Obtain their phone number and email address. You should always wrap up an Instagram chat with one or both of these pieces of info.
Build a DM script around this framework, and you’ll be golden!
