Business Is Now Social - How To Find The Right People
Businesses are looking to open up new opportunities for sales and what’s often hard in doing that, is to find out who it is in the business that makes the buying decisions.Reaching out to establish new contacts who could lead to new business is a basic function for any business and one that done right can secure the future of the business.
This is especially so in this new marketplace where new options for customers are appearing all the time and sidelining a lot of the old suppliers that customers once relied on.
"You're Nowhere, Man!"
Understanding the opportunities in the marketplace as this changes takes a good ear to the ground and an excellent place for that is Linkedin. Using Linkedin means that you are in 'the club' that understands being visible online as a professional in your industry is now a basic requirement.
Conversely, not being found on Linkedin can send the message that you are not serious about your business and keeping up with modern methods and are stuck in the past.
Linkedin lets you
- Join industry specific groups to share information and learn from peers in other locations.
- Learn from thought leaders.
- Become a thought leader.
- Identify the people you want to make contact with in other companies.
- Showcase your professional credentials and scope of work competency.
- Give you a platform to demonstrate your expertise in your area of business.
- Is an excellent way to manage your business contacts and relationships
Linkedin is yet another free resource that you can use for your business
...to grow your business and your circle of influence.
Attract Good Connections By Being One
Many of those on Linkedin are looking for the benefits they can get from it. Here's a better idea. Before you worry about what you can get out of it, think about how you can help the people who you are connected to on Linkedin.
You think Mary is a great hairdresser. Action: Write Mary a recommendation.
You have used the services of Greg the accountant and found he was meticulous and well organized and didn't gouge you with excessive fees. Action: Write Greg a recommendation.
You work with businesses and see that they are struggling because they are good at their trade but not good at streamlining their operations and procedures. Action: Write a recommendation for someone you know who can help them with that, and send these businesses a copy with a personal note.
This is not difficult but it does require using some 'social muscles' that you may not have exercised until now.
Connections Can Lead To Relationships
On their own, connections don't mean much. But they do let you see more of the visible network that surrounds people. You see who they endorse and who they follow, who they relate to and who relates to them.
The real value in Linkedin is the potential to show interest in those people with whom you connect and have some common interests of a professional or personal nature, and develop that into a real relationship. Your contact on Linkedin does not have to be just an online one. Phone calls and meeting in person can facilitate closer bonds.
Linkedin Becomes An Always Up-To-Date Contact Management Centre
Those network events you go to and collect a bunch of cards? Now you can elect to connect on Linkedin and keep track of people that way. They update their own contact details if they should change, unlike the out of date business cards you have in the drawer at your office.
Changes in jobs, promotions, major events - you get to see them all (and your network sees your wins), and without any effort you keep informed about the people who are important to your professional life.
Linkedin - A Water-Cooler Online And Local News Centre
Your Linkedin account is really the online water-cooler for business to touch base and learn about what's going on in business in your local area, and your industry. Used intelligently, it can be a source of new business and valuable relationships. That's what the platform offers. It is up to us to make the most of it to bring this value into being.
Getting started on Linkedin
- Join Linkedin
- Complete your profile fully with a suitable picture of you – not a logo!
- Let it access your contact address book to find all the people you know who are already using Linkedin.
- Spend 10 minutes every day just catching up with Linkedin.
- Make it a challenge to learn one new fact about how to use Linkedin every week.
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