Can LinkedIn Increase Your Sales?

Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Most business people have one nowadays, but what does it really do for you? Putting your info online and crossing your fingers isn't going to get you any sales. Like most things in life, LinkedIn is what you make it.

So how do you start leveraging LinkedIn for the sales gold mine it could be? Sales trainer Jill Konrath wondered the same thing, and created an ebook on the subject, based on research and advice from social media experts. Here's a sample:

Lead Generation. Find and be found. Search by title and industry for the ideal contacts at your ideal customers. Search by title and company for specific target customers. Be sure your profile is complete and contains the appropriate keywords for your business so the people looking for your solution will find you. Endorsements/recommendations count for a lot - get them from people who have actually been your clients if at all possible.

Sales Acceleration. Search for people in your prospect's company who are not closely involved in your deal - preferably second degree contacts, not third degree. Ask for an informational interview. This is where strong, trusted relationships count for a lot - "light linking" breaks down here.

Ask your interview subject about the priorities that are going on at the company - what are the high-level factors that might be influencing the buying process. Be completely open/transparent. If you have a good solution and a really good referral to a true "friend of a friend," you will very likely find an internal champion in that person. This is the #1 technique that LinkedIn supports better than any tool.

To find out more about how LinkedIn can increase your sales, download the ebook from Jill Konrath in its entirety here: http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com/linkedin

The American Idol Philosophy of Selling

American Idol is currently the most valuable TV format in the world with an estimated value in excess of $2.5 billion. Millions tune in each night to see if their favorite has what it takes to make it to the next round. In a recent blog post, Evan Sohn, CEO of SalesConx, wrote about the similarities between American Idol and selling. It's a very interesting read - especially if you're a fan of the show!

"The biggest reality of this reality show is that the contestants need to sell themselves week after week to the American public," says Sohn. "These contestants are therefore thrust into being top salespeople. The compensation plan is fierce, the payout is huge and the space in the President's Club is limited."

Here are the characteristics that make up an American Idol, according to Sohn:

The Right Place at the Right Time - A solid performer picking the wrong materials is a sure-fire way to get ridiculed by the judges and fall out of grace with America. Timing in sales is always important. Getting in front of the right decision-maker with the right solution at the right time is more of an art form than a coincidence. You could be the best salesperson on your team but not returning a client call in time could be the difference between getting the deal and losing the deal. Knowing when your client is most open to your pitch is just as important as the pitch itself.

You Gotta Have Heart - Being emotional in what you sell is always important. People respond to those who really care about what they are selling. You have to always believe in what you are selling. If you don't, then I suggest you sell something that you can get passionate about. Passion sells.

Honesty - A lot of the judges' talk time on American Idol is telling contestants to be true to who they are. A country singer should sing country and a rock and roller should always rock and roll. Putting on a bandana and carrying a chain doesn't make a person a rock and roller and the customer is never fooled. Don't try to convince the customer that your service or product does more than it really does. While you might get through the first rounds, the likelihood is that you'll soon get tossed.

Listen - Nothing pains me more than watching these young performers acting smugly when getting advice from Simon Cowell. Simon, a seasoned recording professional, is always trying to get the best out of the contestants. The show is his product and he strives for excellence. Those who listen to him almost always come back the following week to rave reviews. All they have to do is listen. Selling is just as much about listening to your customer as it is talking to them (maybe even more so). Hear the feedback from your customer. Why aren't they as excited about your offering as you think they should be? How was your pitch?

Never Forget Your Lines - Remembering the words to your song is Selling 101 basics. Giving a presentation to a room full of people should be a conversation between you and your audience. Stopping the presentation to look up your notes ruins the flow of your presentation. Rehearse your presentation over and over again. Go over potential questions. Be prepared.

Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last - While American Idol is supposed to be a talent contest it is just as much a personality contest. An obnoxious, egotistical and arrogant performer no matter how good, never makes it to the end. Simon is quick to point out who is nice - never as a matter-of-fact but always as an asset to any performer. People like to work with nice people. Making sales is about forging a relationship between two parties. Choosing nice people to work with is the prerogative of the decision maker. When in doubt - be nice.

So, do you think you have what it takes to be an American Sales Idol?

Evan Sohn is the CEO of SalesConx, a marketplace for professionals to buy and sell introductions to decision makers. Check out his blog for sales advice, news, and info.

Quote of the Week

"To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks." -- Ben Jonson

Are you talking just to fill the silence, or do you actually have something to say? Awkward pauses are nerve-wracking, that's for sure. But putting your foot in your mouth because you didn't take the time to think about what you were going to say? That's even worse. Be a man who speaks, not just a man who talks.

SalesDog Quick Tip

Write your cold calling script the way you talk, and get to the point! Written language and spoken language are very different. If your script is in written language, you will sound phony. Real people do not speak with capital letters at the start of sentences and periods at the end. People actually speak more in phrases or fragments, with pauses, sometimes improper grammar, and the occasional ah or um.

It is imperative that you sound real! If you are having a difficult time with this, try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you say.

Today's quick tip comes from Wendy Weiss, the Queen of Cold Calling. Learn more at www.wendyweiss.com.

Tips for New Sellers - Part 2

A few weeks ago we ran a post from Jill Konrath with her top five tips for new sellers. Lead generation expert Brian Carroll followed suit with his top lead generation tips for new sellers. Read on for Brian's tips on how you can start making money in sales - right away!

1. Define your goals - Be clear on what you want. Do you want 20 more leads in your database? Do you want to generate $995K in net new customer revenue this year? Do you want to add 15 new clients this quarter?

2. Develop a lead generation calendar - Map out your activities for each month and then really follow it! Don't just make irrelevant pitches more often! Create a plan to add value every time you touch your future customers with relevant ideas, content and resources.

3. Build your personal prospecting engine - Leverage these activities by communicating with your prospects, customers, networks and alliance partners in a consistent manner by using traditional direct marketing methods such as direct mail, phone calls, and personal email messages.

4. Use your CRM - Don't create the biggest database of contacts possible. Instead, seek to create the most relevant database possible that contains the right companies and contacts that influence the buying decision. In the beginning, you won't have all the data you need. Be patient and you'll build the opportunity profile over time. See each conversation as an opportunity to build a relationship.

5. Be consistent - Remember the fable about the tortoise and the hare? Dig your well before you're thirsty. No matter how busy you are, be sure to make time to do lead generation activities, especially if you don't have a marketing team supporting you.

Brian Carroll, CEO of In Touch, Inc. is the author of Lead Generation for the Complex Sale (McGraw-Hill 2006) and the B2B Lead Generation Blog. He is an expert in B2B marketing, lead generation and complex sales.

Sending Information? Mutilate it first

When a prospect says, "Send me some literature," many salespeople interpret their request as a live lead. "Great!" they think. "I'll send this out and as soon as they've read it they'll give me a call!" According to sales trainers Jim Dunn and John Schumann of The Whetstone Group, "rarely does mailing literature result in a positive outcome. Prospects deny receiving it, plead they haven't had time to read it, or simply don't return the salesperson's calls."

"Although most salespeople are beginning to understand that a literature request is often a put-off, they still have a tendency to send it," explain Dunn and Schumann. "Salespeople feel that if the prospect gets the information and actually reads it, the 'compelling' sales story may get a positive response."

Instead, they recommend you avoid sending literature unless you have a really compelling reason for doing so and have a good meeting agreement with the prospect as to what will happen after he receives it.

If you absolutely have to send literature, make it easy for your prospect to read it. Mutilate it! You want the prospect to look at enough of the information to understand your message and want to read more. Here are some tips from the Whetstone Group for getting your literature read:

• Mark important passages with a brightly-colored green highlighter (surveys show decision-makers are often driver types and green attracts their attention)
• Take a bold felt tip marker and draw arrows to important things and write, "Read this." Use post-it notes for added emphasis.
• Attach your business card with the back (blank) part showing and write on it "Here's the info you wanted me to send."

All of this says to the prospect, "Read me, I'm different." With all the visual pointers, it would be difficult not to get noticed - and you're saving your prospect time by making your message easier to read.

Whetstone Group is a sales process improvement company that focuses on helping companies implement a proven sales process that will increase sales, shorten the selling cycle, increase closing rates, and improve margins. Learn more at www.whetstonegroup.com

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