Readers of this blog know that it is all about “making what you say pay” in a variety of business/sales situations, but if you need more contacts before whom you can employ that principal, then you will find today’s tip amazingly helpful. It will save you time, accelerate your prospecting activity, and increase the chances for building your business.
Do you love LinkedIn for its ability to research people, groups, and companies? But, do you also hate the time it takes to go through all the connections of your contacts?
Be Frustrated No More!
LinkedIn has created a way for you to search through your contacts’ list of connections to find exactly who
you might want to talk to. Let’s say you want to crack a new market for 2014, or find untapped business to make your Q4 numbers, but prospects have dried up and you are suddenly drifting. Do the following:
- Visit the profiles of people who are raving fans of you and your work, services, or products.
- Mouse over the place on their profile where you see the number of their connections. A box with several, but not all, of their connections will open.
- Click on the little magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of that box. A search box will open next to it.
- Type in the title or function of your best prospects, e.g., Human Resources Director, IT Director, CEO, etc. All the people that person knows with that title will populate the box.
- Look to the left side of the box. and click on Advanced Search.
- Click on Advanced Search. A new column will appear on the left that allows you to filter that list of names by geography, company size, function, etc. Depending on the type of LinkedIn account you have, in just a few seconds, you will wind up with a very targeted list of your best prospects.
- Send a note that fits your style to your primary contact, something like…
Hello, Pat. Hope you are well (or Congratulations on the promotion, or, Saw the write-up on your company in Business Week, etc.). I have a request to make. I would like to meet several of the people you seem to know on LinkedIn. Which of these people are you comfortable either introducing me to, or allowing me to contact using your name as a referral? (List their names). Any help you can give is appreciated; if not, that is okay, too. And, of course, if I can help you in any way, just let me know.
Do the Math
If you have 50 fans and even if you only get 25 good leads from that base and convert 15 of them to clients, I suspect that will favorably affect your bottom-line. And, if you begin with a larger base of fans, well, you get the point.
Try it and be pleasantly surprised at how easy, efficient, and effective it is to find so many quality opportunities so quickly.
Anne Miller
Random Recommendation: Watch this eye-catching Ted talk and notice how the visuals engage, delight, and hold your attention.
Find out how to nail your points in “The Tall Lady With the Iceberg: the power of metaphors to sell, persuade, & explain anything to anyone.” Now available in Audio, as well as Print and on Kindle.
Having a meeting? Make it fun, practical & profitable! Call today for unforgettable & high pay-off ideas. 212 876 1875 or email amiller@annemiller.com “I heard rave reviews from our entire team. You truly inspired each of them to think differently and most importantly, gave them the tools to use going forward. Thank you!” EVP Triad Retail Media