Want to boost your internet presence while improving customer relations at the same time? Look no further than social media. Seems like Dwight, that lovable, neurotic nerd from NBC’s The Office — and Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s top salesman — has a few thoughts on it, as well. So let’s see what Dwight says about how you can use social media to market your business.
Get Personal, Get Trust
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“People tell me things. I guess I have a face you can trust. I think it’s because of my low cheekbones.”
Dwight may be a hard-working, no-nonsense salesperson, but he’s trustworthy, and a listener. Moreover, the relationships that Dunder Mifflinites like Dwight have with their clients is sacred: They pride themselves on direct, personalized interaction, giving them an edge over bigger, perhaps sleeker, corporate enterprises. Social media is the most useful, extensive customer service tool in your company’s inventory — so use it well. Tone down the jargon and learn to speak like a fellow human being with your customers (i.e., no spamming twitter feeds with offers, no mass Facebook messages with thinly-veiled sales agendas). Jump into conversations with your followers and fans on all of your social media accounts and be as genuine as possible. Share personal items with your online community — links to news you’re reading, thoughts you’re having, etc. Be authentic, and the rest will follow.
Be Savvy and Tuned Into Your Market
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“I did so well last February that Corporate gave me two plaques in lieu of a pay raise.”
It might seem obvious, but Dwight’s position as the number one salesperson at Dunder Mufflin is a direct result of his business savvy. When “Princess Unicorn” toys were all the rage during Christmas time, Dwight bought out their stock, then sold them all at a higher price (making an insane amount of money in the process) to people he knew would pay big bucks for them: frustrated, tired suburban parents.
It would be similarly wise to be “tuned” into your social media market, and use that knowledge to your company’s advantage — without diminishing your clients’ trust. Follow trends on the internet, and keep up with the latest technological innovations in the news (you never know what new gadget or service might catch your clientele’s interest next.)
Keep Your Enemies Close
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“Jim is my enemy. But it turns out that Jim is also his own worst enemy. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So Jim, is actually my friend. But, because he is his own worst enemy, the enemy of my friend is my enemy so actually Jim is my enemy. But-”
Dwight’s arch-enemy, prankster and rival Jim Halpert, is also his closest ally at times. The two leveraged their strengths for a highly successful sales call in which Jim used his “nice-guy” talents to engage the customer, while Dwight used more aggressive means. On another occasion, Dwight attacked Jim’s romantic rival Roy with pepper spray after he attempted to punch Jim in the face. Later on, Jim comforted Dwight after his break-up with co-worker Angela Martin. Seems counter-intuitive, but occasionally teaming up with your competitors is a good idea, especially when they might have access to information that your company doesn’t. If a competitor with a similar mission has a promotional campaign that won’t interfere with your sales, then it may make sense to collaborate (and then reap the benefits when they reciprocate the favor.) Of course, always use your best judgment — you don’t want to inadvertently give them a leg up, after all.
Be Loyal
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“Michael is like Mozart, and I’m like Butch Cassidy. You mess with Mozart and you’re gonna get a bullet in your head, courtesy of Butch Cassidy.”
Dwight’s loyalty to his boss, Michael Scott, is almost unparalleled in its strength. Perfect example: When Michael’s depression about his relationship with former boss Jan Levinson inexplicably led him to take a “wilderness” trip, he instructed Dwight to drop him off and leave — but Dwight secretly stayed, knowing that Michael did not have the necessary survival skills. After witnessing Michael almost eat poisonous mushrooms, he sprang on top of him, saving him (albeit almost injuring him in the process). Dwight also does as many small tasks around the office as possible, and makes sure to keep the office in order when Michael is out (with varying degrees of success.)
Your loyalty to your followers should be similarly strong. Keep your brand consistent, your content polished, and your product updated and you’ll be amazed at their level of devotion. Remember that people will defend and advocate for your business to the bitter end if you just show them that you value their patronage.
Be Prepared — And Ready for Battle
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“When I die I want to be frozen, and if they have to freeze me in pieces, so be it. I will wake up stronger than ever because I will have used that time to figure out exactly why I died and what moves I could have used to defend myself better now that I know what hold he had me in.”
Dwight is always battle-ready, even when it means slightly obsessive over-preparation. He keeps weaponry hidden all around the office — nunchucks, throwing stars, pepper spray, handcuffs, a boomerang, Chinese sword, etc. — just in case an impromptu match occurs (or a grizzly bear walks into the office.) Like Dwight, your company’s social media team should be constantly strategizing. Keep on the offense and you’ll never have to use defense (or at least, you’ll only need to use it rarely.) The best way to do this? Monitor conversations/comments regarding your company. Google alerts will keep you abreast of news and popular blog activity, and google analytics will tell you which sites are sending traffic to your own. Similarly, Backtype is a real-time search engine that indexes online blog conversations — you can monitor keywords, and click on the link to the comments section in which they appear. There. You can manage a PR crisis directly from your computer. It’s just like owning a word. Almost.
Stay Involved In Your Community
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“Volunteerism is important. Every weekend I volunteer at the local animal shelter, they need a lot of help down there. Last Sunday I had to put down 150 pets by myself.”
Dwight knows the importance of staying involved in his community; he’s a former Lackawanna County volunteer sheriff, and a senpai at his local dojo. You should value your community, too: Once you exert all that energy into building a fan/client base, don’t forget to follow up, and continually engage. Customers’ wishes and desires change quite frequently, and ignoring trends among your selected demographic could be detrimental to your company. Example: Dwight, along with boss Michael Scott, went out on a sales trip, presented flower baskets to each and every former client, and asked them to return in exchange for improved customer service. That interaction served a useful purpose: the clients told the pair that they would not return to Dunder Mifflin unless the company updated their technology, which they eventually did. So — ask your clients questions periodically. And allow them to give as much feedback as possible, when appropriate — else risk being left behind in competition.
Use Everything You’ve Got
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“I believe in hunting, but only if you use the entire animal. For instance, instead of a comb I use the rib cage of a squirrel.”
The Schrutes are farm-folk down to the marrow, and “waste” is a not an operative word in their vocabulary. In other words, if you’ve got the resources, use them! Fire on all cylinders, if you must: that is, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare. Get a multi-platform managing system (like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite) in order to fire off content all at once and avoid content “jams” that might annoy potential new fans/customers. Don’t forget to add “follow me” buttons to your blogs, connect Twitter to your Facebook, and maintain active Flickr and YouTube accounts for more multimedia-centric advertising.
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