Popular with both Millennials and Gen Z, sliding into the DMs is a colloquial term coined in the last 6 years. Essentially, it refers to the action of sending someone a private, or ‘Direct Message‘ (DM).

Sliding into a person’s DMs is the act of initiating contact with someone over a social media platform. The phrase is most commonly connected with romantic interests, however, it is not just reserved for match-making. In recent years, direct messaging on social media platforms such as LinkedIn has become a very valuable way to introduce yourself to a prospective client for its potential to turn a cold lead into a relationship.

So, are there any similarities in sending a business direct message to sending a romantic one?

We’re taking a look at what we can learn from the faux pas of ‘Sliding into the DMs’ romantically.

Anyone familiar with Social Media Messaging or dating sites such as Tinder or Bumble will know that being on the receiving end of a tired cliché, misjudged joke or an arrogant assumption is, at best, off-putting and, at worst, downright offensive.

Perhaps even worse is the dreaded ‘double text’ where, even after showing zero interest, you still get bombarded with unwanted contact. In today’s digital age we’re all too aware of the ease of copy and paste and we know that the generic message we have just received has probably landed into a whole host of other inboxes with no effort to build a real connection at all.

Well, the same theory applies to business DMs too.

Before taking the leap and connecting with every single person on LinkedIn to click send on your sales pitch, stop.

Yes connecting on social is a great way to sell, with 84 % of VPs saying social networks play a vital role in the purchase process but generic, widespread DMs rarely work to build real connections. Take time to actually look into the connections you want to make.

 Do some research on your client.

 What are they interested in? What sorts of articles have they been re-sharing, reading or writing? By putting in the work beforehand to understand their interests you can get yourself a real conversation starter that will actually land.

Why should we bother with social selling at all?

Well, the pros of making contact on social platforms stack up pretty highly:

• 57% of sellers gained a higher ROI from social selling 
• More than 70% of sales professionals utilise platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook as a space for selling 
• Many industries have reported a 50 % revenue increase with social media selling 
• 79 % of salespeople achieve their quota by using social selling techniques. 
• 84 % of people say social networks play a vital role in the purchase process 
• 49% of B2B buyers rely on content to inform their business decisions.

So, what are the Dos and Don’ts of Sliding into your prospects DMs?

 Do's

• Help first, sell last – provide value with interesting insight and content to build rapport. 
• Connect with people you’ve networked with and start with a genuine introduction with them.
• Time it right – (avoid Monday mornings or Friday afternoons as a general rule).
• Speak as you would in a natural conversation – don’t be 'salesy' or too formal as this is the space for an email instead.
• Be prepared for rejection on social media. If you get ignored, get ready to work hard. Like their posts, comment with meaningful insights and network with them online.  

 Don’ts

• Don’t send generic messages - it comes over as disingenuous.
• Don’t speak in sales jargon. Remember your prospect is a human being!
• Don’t get your greeting wrong. Never send bulk ‘Dear trusted connection’ or worse, get their name wrong. (This is a sure way to get put straight in their ignore list).
• Don’t get your information wrong and misread something from their profile about their industry or position. It will come across as lazy and let your prospect know you’re not genuinely interested in connecting with them.
• Don’t start your message with ‘I need’. E.g. ‘I’m looking for a new…’ remember you need to provide value to them first.

If you want help perfecting your social selling techniques then Pareto can help. 
Our renowned sales training will fast track your ROI by helping to address any areas of weakness in your sales team. Pareto's digitally-savvy graduates are all equipped with the confidence and the industry know-how to sell successfully over the phone, face-to-face and across social media.

Get in touch today to learn about how Pareto can boost sales in your business.

 Alternatively, you can call us on 0330 057 9285