Can social media help you with PRM? Part 3: Linkedin as a PRM Lasso
If you haven’t touched Linkedin since your last job search, you probably still think of this professional networking platform as little more than a way to get your resume out there. Like friends that you only call when your car breaks down, however, Linkedin won’t do you much good if you don’t pay it the occasional social call. If you nurture your Linkedin contacts through good times and bad, you’ll have a solid network when hard times hit. More than just a job-seeker’s tool, however, Linkedin can help you find and manage prospects.
How? Well, if you’re familiar with the way Linkedin works, you know that it organizes potential prospects according to your degrees of separation. Contacts that you know directly are first-degree connections, but you also have access to your connections’ connections, or your second-degree connections. That means you may be indirectly connected to a critical decision-maker within a company if your golfing buddy or accountant knows her and is willing to make the introduction via Linkedin. When you think a particular company could benefit from your product or service, see who you may have access to within that organization. If you work hard to build your network, you might be surprised at who you can easily reach. When you have a mutual friend or acquaintance, a prospect is much more likely to welcome a meeting—and your sales pitch.
LinkedIn is also a great way to get others interested in what you have to say and subsequently interested in what you do and sell. How do you drive interest among prospects? Start new groups and join existing groups. Become a dynamic presence in these groups, and don’t be afraid to reach out to others in your extended network. Finally, use Linkedin as a way to promote your corporate blog, webinar series, and other sources of free information for your prospects. Check out our article on engagement marketing for more ideas.
Of all the social media platforms, Linkedin is your best bet for fostering professional connections within your target market. It’s up to you to make use of this tool to turn online acquaintances into real-life clients and friends, so be sure to follow up on a Linkedin request with an actual request—lunch, drinks, an event invite. Online networking hasn’t yet eliminated the need for face-to-face meetings, where the real business gets done. Shy about asking a stranger to grab a coffee? Of course you’re not—you’re a salesperson. Anyway, the awkwardness will wear off after you discover your mutual affinity for mixing social networking and sales.
Interested in how InsightPRM can help you manage your prospects? See what our innovative CRM is all about.
