Some things in life are so obvious, we just can’t see them. And it shocks me how few people understand what the important part of ‘social media’ or ‘social networking’ actually is.

The exciting aspect of the boom in social technologies is not the technology at all, (Sorry geeks). It’s the ‘social’ part.

And the core rules of socialising online are the same as socialising face-to-face.

Pandering flattery offline can be easily detected, and only works with the shallowest of egotists. But subtle, positive reinforcement and public endorsement is the most powerful way to engage with any human being.

Ask any skilled ‘pick-up artist’.

And so it is with using social networking to win clients. Start by endorsing your target clients ‘social persona’. Here is how.

• Target your prospect client by following that person on Twitter, connecting on LinkedIn, ‘liking’ their Facebook page, or adding them on Google+. If your own social media platforms are compelling enough, a healthy percentage will reciprocate. Mostly, they follow you back after reviewing your profile. How about that? Your prospect is researching you!

• Track what your prospect tweets carefully, and when they tweet something interesting or topical, that is in your domain, Retweet it. There is little more satisfying for a Tweeter than to have their content or ideas Retweeted. It’s an endorsement, and I guarantee you they will click on your bio and see “who is this smart person who recognises quality”. Bingo! You are noticed!

• Sometimes that prospect will thank you for the RT. Imagine that huh? This ‘impossible to contact prospect’ is now thanking you. If that happens, you tweet them back, building on the original Tweet. “Pleasure Dave, I agree mobile technology will change the face of recruitment”. You could even point them to more material on the same topic, and so a conversation begins. Welcome to the highly clichéd nirvana of social media…. engagement!

• Track down your client’s blog, if they have one. Read it religiously. Find a good reason to make compelling comments on their blog. You don’t have to be sycophantic, or agree with their point of view. Just push the debate forward. Bloggers love comments. Trust me, I know. (See “comments” section below this post ☺).

• If your client is quoted in the press or online, or has an article published, spread it far and wide on your own social media channels. They will know, and they will like it, and by extension, they will start to like you.

Imagine if you did all or even a few of the things I suggest above with a key prospect. How easy would it be to start an online conversation do you think? How easily could you convert that conversation to a meeting, and eventually to business?

Oh yes, everyone has an ego. We know that. And everyone online has a “social ego”.

So, for a happy ending to your business development efforts, get massaging!

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