Social selling, reaching out to prospective customers on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social channels, is proving to be a successful strategy for sales teams. In fact, 78.6% of salespeople who leverage social media to sell out-performed those who don’t.

But before you run headlong into the social media landscape, before you develop a social selling strategy or put together a social playbook, you need to take a hard look at your current social presence.

Your social profiles are an extension of you and your personal brand. A sloppy social profile is the equivalent of showing up to a sales meeting in sweatpants and flip flops. No one is going to take that person seriously. So, let’s outfit you with a tailor-made social media suit.

We’ve created a simple checklist of things you should update before reaching out to prospects.

Take a sharp profile picture

Your profile picture should be you. Not the logo of your favorite team, or the product you sell, not
your child, however adorable, but you. You, as you would like others to perceive you. That can
be a friendly, posed headshot, or a flattering photo of you in your natural element.

Your posts will appear alongside this photo--make sure followers are reading your words
through the voice of an avatar that will represent you as authentic and intelligent.

Write a knowledgeable and succinct bio

Imagine this as your own, personal elevator pitch. How do you introduce yourself when meeting
people for the first time? Your key goal here is to position yourself as an intelligent resource as
much as it is to come off as a likable person.

Keep conversation neutral and controversy-free

Social media is not the place to discuss controversial topics, primarily politics and religion. And
depending on the nature of your business, this also may not be the place to discuss intensely
personal matters (family issues, health trouble, relationship woes). Consider managing a second
account, that is not client facing, if you want to discuss such topics.

Review what your tweets say about you

Take a look at your feed and review the content that you push out to the world. Is it all about
work? Is it all about your personal life? The key is to strike a balance. Certainly share details
about who you are, (keeping the previous tip in mind). And when discussing work, focus on
topics around the product you sell--be a knowledgeable resource--not just how amazing the
product is.

Make sure LinkedIn is more than just a resume

Make a point of mentioning personal accomplishments and updating your skill sets. However,
don’t think of it as just a resume and chronologically list where you’ve worked. Highlight notable
accomplishments, get recommendations, and share articles to help paint the picture that you are
a knowledgeable resource.

Double-check your public Facebook persona

Chances are, you won’t actively connect with clients on Facebook, but that doesn’t mean they
won’t find your public profile. It’s worth doing a quick test to see what your public profile looks like
to someone who isn’t a friend. And, if you do choose to accept a friend request from a client,
create and use lists so you can control what posts they see.

Armed with this checklist, you’re ready tailor a social presence that let’s you be yourself, while also being ready to sell.

Learn more winning social sales tips with the free e-book below: