Sammy is the Managing Director and Cofounder of Blossom Street Ventures. Email him directly at sammy@blossomstreetventures.comLinkedIn initially was a great way to find your next job. It has evolved into one of the best social prospecting tools for finding your next customer. We recently reviewed “The Fundamentals of Linkedin” which is a primer on social prospecting for sales reps. It’s by The Bridge Group (bridgegroupinc.com), a SaaS sales consulting firm that we hold in very high regard. The presentation is well worth the read, and below I summarize some of the big take-aways.
Your experience. “Your experience should demonstrate how you add value to your clients. What experience did you accrue in each position that helped grow you as a potential trusted advisor? Tell your story, not the stories of the companies you worked for.
Groups. Join the groups that your customers and prospects belong to. “Also, look for industry-specific, role-specific and geospecific groups that may help you expand your reach.” Showcase groups that confirm your expertise (LI’s default is to list alphabetically). Participate actively in groups where you can add real value. Don’t spam the group with white papers, demos, webinars, etc. Look for groups where actual conversations are going on, not groups where sales reps are just spamming the group.
Limit your time. “Limit the amount of time you spend looking for target contacts. Allocating calendar time to this activity will help keep you in check and prevent you from spending prime selling times performing searches. A good rule of thumb is 30 minutes on LinkedIn building a list should translate into at least 60 minutes of prospecting activity.”
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