The world of selling has changed dramatically over the past ten or 20 years. It would be foolish to ignore the impact that technology, for example, has had on the selling industry as a whole. Yet, some things, as they always do, stay constant.
‘Connections’ are one of those constants.
Whether you generate connections online or offline, these vital relationships and interactions still hold the key to great selling strategies. People buy from people they know, like and trust, and now that the administrative month of January is out of the way and your planning, goal setting and objectives are clearly mapped out, it’s time to get down to it. Start connecting.
In real terms, what does this mean? Well it means get out there and target the companies, individuals and groups that you believe will help you smash your targets during the rest of 2013.
Here’s a great idea…
Use the Linkedin connection formula for the rest of Q1 to increase your online connections and scope to build strong relationships with which to use to sell and grow your profile. This process requires the sales professionals to make 10 new connections per working day.
February working days left (15) + March working days left (21) = 36 working days
10 x new connections x 36 working days = 360 new connections
Add that to your existing connections and you have a solid base with which to prospect to and communicate to when new products are launched or deals become available. Never underestimate just how much business is carried out on Linkedin.
The other great feature of Linkedin is that it gets you closer to networks that your own connections are in. You can actually get introduced to people by asking your current connections to facilitate the meet. These connections are valuable because you have an opening line, such as: “John you’re friends with Kerry, who is close to my boss – I wonder if we could discuss our latest product which I believe will offer you significant savings in three areas of the business…”
Two more ways to connect and build your network in 2013:
1. Rejuvenate old connections – Let’s say you’ve been at a company for six months or a year, take a look at what the company was providing five years ago. Sounds like a backwards step, but actually there’s a good chance that the business was providing excellent service to a range of clients that may have fallen by the wayside.
Could you breathe some life into those? Get back in touch, search for them online or send an email campaign to assess where there could be opportunity to rekindle a relationship. That surely has to be easier than knocking on doors and cold calling.
2. Smart cold calling – The phone is still an influential weapon in the sales arsenal, but what will make you different from other sellers in 2013 when it comes to connecting and growing your valuable network of contacts is smart cold calling. Cold calling where you just rip a page out of the Yellow Pages is a thing of the past. Smaller, targeted lists are the future.
How will you kick-start your connection strategy in February?
Here at Natural Training we’d love to talk to you about our sales training and your selling plans for 2013.
We have developed sales techniques for blue chip companies across the world and would be happy to talk with you about the importance of ‘connections’, as well as the overall contents of our results-driven selling strategies.
Call the team on 0207 043 1582 or email hello@NaturalTraining.com to find out more.
We finally have our new book, The Natural Sales Evolution in stock with Amazon! If you ordered some previously, please accept our apologies, but you are REALLY welcome to go online and do so again – you will have your new books in a day or two, just CLICK HERE.
