This post wraps up the “LinkedIn For The Salesman” discussion. We’ve looked into prospecting, research, and getting spectacular introductions – things every salesperson can do to leverage their efforts.
This summary post links to the articles describing how LinkedIn can help in the different aspects of the sales process.
Plus – breaking this morning, LinkedIn says companies will be able to issue updates – we’ll cover that as well.
Prospecting
Every good search starts with defined criteria. How do you recognize your likely customers? Have you specified demographics that will help you find prospects? And what happens when you use this criteria within the LinkedIn Advanced Search?
Research
It’s more than sticking two letters in front of the search – how can LinkedIn help you enter the sales cycle with the best information available?
Introductions
And finally – get introduced to that prospect by someone they already trust!
Company Updates
And today’s breaking news – LinkedIn announced on their blog today that company representatives can make updates.
To use this feature, the company profile must first be set so that only designated individuals can administer the page (Under the company page, select the edit option from Admin tools and adjust as indicated).
I can just see the complaint process if they didn’t adopt this restriction: “John Smith just made an unflattering company update – how can we stop that?”… With this setting in place, only those authorized can make an update, and then LinkedIn can say – you gave them permission to make updates, don’t complain to us about it.
And then, if you’re authorized, you get a “make an update” widget when you’re on the company page. Just type in an update, and send it off – to all the people that follow the company.
(Actually – consistent with my earlier warnings – LinkedIn doesn’t have a word processor, just a dialog box – type the update up in your favorite word processor and copy/paste it in to prevent yourself from an awkward typo…)
Any questions?
Yes, there are lots of other ways to use LinkedIn during the sales cycle.
Perhaps you’d like to comment on one that you’ve had success with – oh – but you’re not about to help the competition are you;-)
If you like this series, try “The LinkedIn Personal Trainer“. It’s perfect for the newcomer, and you have my guarantee that it will get you going with LinkedIn or I’ll refund the e-book purchase price – which isn’t all that much to begin with.
If you have a question on this, leave it here as a comment and we’ll look at it together.
To your continued success,
steve
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Steven Tylock
http://www.linkedinpersonaltrainer.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetylock