It’s often overlooked: business relationships, especially virtual ones, can seem so transactional. And that’s because by definition, they are.

But the buyer-seller relationship doesn’t have to be just about the transaction. Online sales can and should have an element of personality– a meaningful interaction between two humans.

But, in the fast-paced, expedient world of selling via social media, conversation and genuine relationships frequently take the backseat.

Not long ago, the process of researching, contacting and converting leads was slow and depended upon solid communication between buyer and potential seller.

The advent of social networking has streamlined this process. Now, lead research is readily available through browsing a company website. Contacting leads is as simple as knowing their social handle or connecting on LinkedIn. And converting leads can literally be done with a few clicks.

This development has been largely beneficial for companies, or anyone trying to sell anything online. But, it would be irresponsible to say that this new medium is without its drawbacks.

And the meaningful interactions mentioned earlier are sorely lacking in the vast majority of online conversation, particularly in the sales space.

Take your LinkedIn inbox as an example. How often do you receive messages from connections you barely know, pitching you a product that has little to no benefit for you?

This sort of selling isn’t effective, and yet it prevails not just on LinkedIn, but every major social platform. So what’s the alternative to the impersonal, spammy approach to sales?

Show that you care about your prospects, leads, and customers.

It’s really that simple. Getting to know people’s interests and their professional needs means a great deal more to them than immediately offering a solution to a problem you’re not sure they even have.

We’re not saying that you need to become lifelong friends with each and every lead, but creating a relationship where you understand their interests and needs is mutually beneficial.

For one, you get a customer who is more loyal and invested in your product or service because of the relationship you’ve built. Secondly, the customer gets the benefit of a seller who is attentive and understands their business needs.

This balance is much more healthy and sustainable than a buyer-seller relationship where there is no personal interaction. In a Clevertrap article on customer retention, conversation is cited as one of the crucial pillars of gaining and maintaining a client base:

“Remember that communication is a two-way street (as relationship experts like to say). And conversations imply a back-and-forth. So don’t expect to keep hold of your users if you’re only blasting messages at them and not listening to their feedback or acknowledging that you heard them.”

This is mainly meant for current customers, but it is still applicable in the acquisition process: the more you listen to their interests and needs, the easier it becomes for you to meet those needs, and then some.

There are plenty of tools out there that can help with lead conversion, but not many that help with generating lead conversation. That’s where Soundboard can help.

Soundboard is an online service that provides features to keep you informed and in conversation with leads and current customers. You can use our Chrome and Edge extension to personalize your approach on social media. And our features like Conversation Trends track industry-relevant data to deliver the top 60 trending phrases each day, in each major industry.

For a free trial of Trends, click here and select the Pro plan.

No matter what tool you choose to use, strive for meaningful online interactions. Technology is wonderful, but humans talking to humans still makes the most impact, both in business and beyond.