by Shannon F. As B2B sales evolve, some salespeople will be left clutching their rolodexes and wondering how they went from top performer to nonentity. It’s harsh but true: if even the best sales reps don’t keep a finger on the pulse of sales shifts and long-term trends, they’ll slowly lose touch with how today’s buyers want to be sold. Here are the 5 things you MUST do to keep from becoming irrelevant. 1. Embrace social networking as a sales tool. This is no longer optional. Use Linkedin to actively build your network, connect with influential decision-makers, and find leads. If you aren’t doing this, you are losing out on the countless potential opportunities that are only a few clicks away. Plus, nothing screams “trustworthy” to today’s business decision-makers like an active Linkedin account complete with a picture, endorsements, and recommendations. The first thing an interested prospect will do after receiving a voicemail or email from you is google your name. If they can’t find you, you are irrelevant. Why? Today’s business leaders make buying decisions by researching, comparison-shopping online, and looking for referrals/testimonials from satisfied customers. They no longer make decisions solely from a telephone conversation or even a face-to-face meeting with you. 2. Network with peers. If you are the lone wolf in the sales department, you won’t learn from your peers’ mistakes. It’s helpful to seek feedback from the rest of your sales team as you approach everything from product knowledge to strategic email content. Why? A […]

by Shannon F. Referrals are a great way to grow your business, but they don’t always happen as frequently as you’d like. Think about how many referrals you’ve given so far this year, and you’ll have some idea of how hard it actually is to get business this way. For one, your product or service has to come up in a conversation between your satisfied customer and someone in your locality who is in the market for what you have to offer. If you simply wait for that scenario to happen (unprompted by you), your chances of significantly growing your business by referrals are slim. It is possible to give your referrers a nudge, however; here are the steps for driving referrals the easy way. Step 1. Wow a new client. As always, the key to getting referrals is to earn them by making sure your customer is absolutely satisfied. If your service was well-received, you should be able to ask for referrals confidently—you earned it. Step 2. Narrow down the prospects you want to be referred to. For example, say, “I often assist companies that are moving or in transition. Do you know anyone like that who might need my services?” Linkedin provides an even easier way to seek referrals, as Brynne Tillman of Business Development University taught us. Simply connect with your satisfied client on Linkedin and take a look at his or her connections. See anybody you’d like to do business with? Ask your client to introduce […]

    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 […]

The book: Leveraging LinkedIn for Business Development By Brynne Tillman and Lisa Peskin Why you need it: When you’re mining for prospects, LinkedIn is often your best source to reach a key decision maker who may need your product or service. Many companies don’t know how to use LinkedIn to drive sales, but this guide (written by the founders of Business Development University) will take you to school. Why we like it: This down-to-earth guide + workbook tells us step by step how to turn a weak LinkedIn presence into a valuable sales strategy. It’s great for new and experienced social media users alike. What we learned: LinkedIn works best if you start nurturing connections when you don’t really need them. When the time comes to look for a job or pitch your new product, you’ll have a supportive network.