I’ve overseen, here’s what I know works best: create a list of people who are closest to purchasing from you and start following up with them. And, if they’re contemplating buying but haven’t, contact them with a bonus. It’s the fastest path to real cash (and if you use it daily, you’ll be amazed how much money you amass).

I’ve asked my team of experts for their best tips, too, and I think you’ll enjoy their unexpected ideas! If you have other tips, please add them at the bottom. I’d love to hear from you.

ps ~ My future child is almost here. Thank goodness I took my own advice!

Here are 5 effective ways to make more sales this holiday season.

1. Tell their husband that Santa sent you (or wife, or the Three Kings…please substitute freely in this post!). If someone has been dreaming of buying your coaching package all year, you can probably see who they’re married to on Facebook. Most of us would like to buy our spouse the perfect gift, so if you send a sweet email to them letting them know that they’re longing for what your offering (and even offer them a special bonus or discount), you’re providing a great service!

2. Use Facebook events to let people know about a sale, or do and distribute a daily video that highlights something you sell, or …the options are limitless. Technology can be your friend. Use what it does to support you. Here’s a horrible analogy, but technology can be like a wild horse. You get to decide if you use it to help you or if you stay afraid of it.

3. Get creative! Tweet a different discount for each day of Chanukah, Kwanza, or a Special Solstice Sale.

4. Be generous! Give part of your proceeds to a charity and share that in social media. Those who buy from you will feel even better.

5. Let folks know if you are increasing your prices for 2012. Give them one last chance to buy at your current prices before you do!

There are a multitude of ways to make more this holiday season. The key to social media sales is always knowing what your financial goal is, and keeping your finger on the pulse of what you’re doing to make sure people are buying. The brilliance of social media is that you can try a multitude of things and easily discard what doesn’t work.

I love brainstorming new ideas, so if you’re stuck on this one, let me know at http://www.facebook.com/ilikelindsay.

You’ll want to begin by polling your prospective buyers. In this economy the way to know what to sell is by finding out how you can serve people. Ask them what their biggest challenge is with the topic you serve and they’ll tell you. Ask open ended questions. Don’t give them choices that you think they’ll answer – otherwise you’re not really finding out what they want from you. Their answers will often surprise you!

Next, you’ll want to give them some of what they need – for free. Posting your content on your site and connecting it with social media works beautifully. Let people “like” and “tweet” your link so they spread the word! (Another tip: if your audience can get fast results from anything you teach them during this part, they’ll be hungry for more.)

Third, you need to engage. You always want to be conversing in social media. It’s a two way street. Comment on your target market’s posts and prepare to do a web show (or a teleseminar, or event…). People need to know you in order to buy from you. This is the point when you want them to experience you.Most seasoned entrepreneurs have this next part down, but I’m amazed by how difficult this is for many early entrepreneurs. You must provide an opportunity to purchase. If you don’t give them the chance to purchase, they won’t. And don’t just send emails, strategically use social media for this too. (If this part feels baffling to you, check out my recent article on how to sell through social media here.)

The next step is you’ll want to let people see that what you do works. You need to show social proof. You can ask your clients to post testimonials on your wall. You can post a “Congrats!” on your wall to a client who has had great results (make sure to link to their page). Social proof is easy – and key – in a social media world.Now, keep selling. This is where many people fail. Simply because you’ve started selling doesn’t mean you’re done. After purchasing, people will post, comment or respond about how excited they are. Continue to allow people to purchase. You’ve just begun to get the results that social media sales will give you.Finally, if your launch was successful…re-launch! I’ve had people launch the same thing three times and sell like hotcakes. The first group of purchasers will encourage the second group to purchase, etc, on social media. People truly want to spread good news about you and if you only launch once, you cap their enthusiasm.If you think this list is long, and would like the 5 fastest ways to sell through social media, simply sign up at socialmediaheaven.com!

1. The first step to any sale is bonding. (When someone hands over a credit card is simply the end of a process that starts here.) So, share meaningful things and converse with those you want to sell to. It is what separates you from a used car salesman!
2. Don’t hide your business (see #5). One of the biggest challenges I see is that people don’t want to appear “too salesy” – so then they never mention that they are a coach, sell kids clothes, or are in business. The aren’t door-to-door customers for a reason. You have to let people know you have something to sell in order for them to buy.
3. Know when to take the conversation off of social media. At a certain point, you can tell when the relationship is warming up (it’s that moment when if you were meeting someone you know the moment is NOW to ask them for the number). Most often, the feeling of intimacy that social media creates does not replace real human interaction. Ask for their phone number.
4. Use Facebook events, Twitter hashtags and Ustream shows to promote your business. Put up an event to highlight a sale. Add a hashtag to your posts to create buzz. And, video shows are hands down the way I see people selling the most using new media. You always want to have a social media sales plan that incorporates these.
5. Follow up with those who have yet to buy and those who have already bought. If you go to someone’s page and thank them for their business, they will often comment on what a great service or product you provided. Then, all of their friends see that, along with their glowing recommendation. This is one of the most effective ways to sell through social media.

Soon Facebook hopes that you will not leave them to shop – that it will replace most websites and that you will buy things directly from there, so selling on these sites is a strategy you’ll want to learn.

Got questions? Please ask at facebook.com/ilikelindsay! I’m happy to help.

1. Video and photos (for photos, use them as illustrations for your posts) in your status update carry a large weight when Facebook weighs what to put in the Top News feed.
2. Links will also rank you highly. So, don’t simply write a status update. Attach a link that’s relevant to your posts and you will outrank those who don’t.
3. Write questions and invite interaction. Getting a lot of comments – not likes – but comments will pull your ranking high.
4. Be connected and topical. Facebook weights how connected the people are who are commenting when ranking how high your post shows up in the Top News feed. So, keep adding friends. It’s amazing that some people will never show up as “Top News” simply because they are not well connected and/or interacting.
5. Post only once a day in the morning. This will give you more ability to get comments that will crawl you up the algorithm (it is also based on time, so if you only have comments in the morning you will not be in the Top News feed by the end of the day).

A lot of ineffective time can be spent as a business on Facebook, and with the Top News feed’s recent change in the algorithm that’s even more true. Following the steps above is a game changer. Let me know how this worked for you on my page at www.facebook.com/ilikelindsay. The benefit, too, is that me and my tribe will then comment on your post ~ pulling you up the algorithm. If you’d like info on how to make six figures through social media make sure to sign up in the upper left hand corner here, too!

1. Post on FB daily, in the morning, with a message that is the essence of your company. If you are an Olympic athlete trainer, you can post about anything that has to do with the winning spirit, overcoming great difficulty, and striving to be the best (i.e., “My daughter just won the National spelling bee. I’m so proud…and glad I made it there on time after a full day of coaching.”)
2. Automate to fill in the gaps. If you won’t be around to post on weekends, use a program that allows you to be consistent with your clients by posting for you. If you haven’t found your tribe on Twitter yet, use the Twitter application on FB so your FB posts get put up there – perhaps your tribe will start to find you. Don’t automate everything – no one I know who does that is bringing in a lot of new business via social media. It actually makes more sense to go play golf, I think. The key here is to not waste time.
3. Find your Target Market and engage with them. It’s not enough to simply post. “Social” media is social. It will also get you higher on the Top News feed which gets more new eyes on you. (People don’t need to be your friend to see your posts.)
4. Write nice things about your clients on their FB walls. Don’t be spammy, but do say, “You rock! The world is going to adore what you’re getting ready to launch.” They will most likely say something complimentary in return, and then all of their connections will not only have their eyes on you, but also have heard a testimonial about you from a third party. That’s priceless.
5. Do web shows. The intimacy and ability of those watching to create group buying is key. You can check out an example at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15978440. Do you feel the difference vs a tele-seminar? Intimacy and transparency are key, and web shows posses these in spades – for free.
6. Put the clients that you’re really wanting to work with into a list on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and follow up with them closely.
7. Recognize that time spent – with no clarity about exactly how it will help your business – doesn’t count as business time. For instance, you need large numbers of “likers” on FB business pages if you are looking to get a publisher or sponsors but it does nothing to guarantee sales. It’s a nice theory that a high number of people on your page will bring you business, but social media is not a numbers game. It’s about real, human connection. And that’s why it works so well for business.

There’s no need to waste time on social media. You shouldn’t really do anything for your business that you have no plan behind, and no idea of how it’s impacting things. There are people out there who need you and being ineffective doesn’t do that. And, if you’re doing something that you’re unsure is yielding any results, feel free to ask me your questions at http://www.facebook.com/ilikelindsay. I’ll tell you!