What are some tips for a Twitter beginner to leverage the platform for sales?

Twitter will never be confused with a direct response channel, but it’s still a proven & measurable tool for finding, engaging and closing more prospects. That goes for small business and enterprise sales, as well as a broad spectrum of industries.

Below are five specific tips to start finding more sales via Twitter. You don’t need thousands of followers. And if you’re just getting started today, every one of these tips still apply.

1. Follow your prospects
Create private lists of your prospects in Twitter, and follow them via segmented columns in HootSuite. You can actually add prospects to a Twitter list without actually following them, if you want to stay more “stealth” until you're ready to reach out and engage. But knowing what your prospects are thinking and saying will help you get to know them better, learn quickly what their priorities are, and give you plenty of opportunities to engage at the beginning of their buying cycle.

2. Follow your partners
I’ve found that fellow service providers and complimentary businesses working with the same target audience often share needs, questions, look for help with existing projects and more directly via Twitter. And even if they aren’t, they’re working with your prospective customers every day. The more these partners see and interact with you on Twitter, the more likely they’ll remember you when those customers and prospects have a need you can fill.

3. Curate customer-centric content
One of the quickest way to attract prospects to you via Twitter is to read everything they wish they had time to read, and filter the best content into your Twitter feed. You don’t have to originate content to attract a following on the social web – it’s good enough (and sometimes better) to curate the best content from a variety of sources so that your prospects begin to trust that you’re, effectively, doing their reading for them.

4. Listen for buying signals
What are some of the things your prospective customers experience before they need what you’re selling? These buying signals are from people who aren’t yet ready to buy, but are about ready to start looking for solutions to a problem or pain. If you know your customer targets well enough, you can specifically search for those keywords and phrases from prospects on Twitter and other social channels. HootSuite, Twithawk and a variety of online (and usually free) tools can help you with that.

5. Watch & use hashtags
Hashtags, especially those tied to associations or events, are a great way to follow conversations and find prospects who already self-associate with a group, a cause, an interest or a need. It’s a great way to engage in those real-time conversations and help your message reach new prospects directly. It’s particularly important when using hashtags to add value, and don’t directly sell. But if you engage in the conversation naturally, new prospects will be drawn in to learn more.