Move over Rover, as a sales person I have a new best friend called LinkedIn. Most small business owners don’t realize the power of this tool and how it can change the way you sell. So I have created a list of 4 ways you can use LinkedIn for your
business:
1. Use the advanced search option to find the names of prospects and businesses to whom you can sell services. For example, if you sell bookkeeping services look up the presidents of small businesses in your area and then prospect.
2. For any prospects you find check to see who in your network might be connected to that person and then ask for an introduction. A personal introduction to a prospect is always better than making a cold call.
3. Become a member of the Groups that your customers, prospects and other sales people are members. For starters, you will find a lot of people in just one place. Secondly, you can raise your visibility and reputation by helping people in Discussions. A third benefit is that you will be able to contact other Group members directly, even when you are not connected personally.
4. Look at the Network Updates on a regular basis. For example when someone changes positions or companies. You might also notice if
a competitor has linked with one of your prospects. This might give you some early warning that the customer might be shopping around.These are a few of the compelling reasons to consider signing up today for a LinkedIn account. And… it is free.
