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Scooped by
Barry Deutsch
onto Leveraging LinkedIn for Success May 29, 2013 3:24 PM
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In May of last year, Aberdeen Research Group released a study on social selling in which they revealed that sales reps who have leveraged social selling in
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Barry Deutsch's insight:
Some quick ideas expressed in the form of an Infographic - almost like a checklist to make sure you're doing the core tactics important to networking effectively on LinkedIn.
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Unsure of how to use LinkedIn for sales? This brief post will outline five ways you can use the social network to empower your sales team.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
One of the things I liked most about this article was the 4-5 recommendations on how to improve your company page. I find that most people doing research on others do a Google Search, look at your LInkedIn profile, then look at your LinkedIn page. So many opportunities to market, highlight your business, and focus attention exactly where you want it for lead generation.
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From
linkis
For some, trying to figure out social media is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Once they get the hang of Twitter, there's a new update on LinkedIn that needs
Barry Deutsch's insight:
A few good tips for considering using LInkedIn as a tool for sales prospecting and relationship development. A little superficial and lacking in specific tactics, the key points are still important - especially the idea of identifying the buyer persona - who can purchase your services or lead you to that referral, and engaging in communicating with your network. As you've probably heard me say before, it's useless to just collect connections and friends.
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A major mistake occurs in the hiring process when interviewing candidates. There is a tendency to equate, extrapolate, and extend experience"
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Experience doesn't correlate or translate to success. Just because someone has done something for years - like a sales rep in your industry - doesn't mean they can deliver your on your expectations, results, and outcomes.
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LinkedIn is constantly changing. Here is a current list of 20 proper ways to build your network without offending or embarrassing yourself.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Some of the most important Dos and Dont's from Inc. Magazine. My no-no issues are:
1. Not customizing an invite - using the standard template LinkedIn provides is a turn-off.
2. Sharing links without any commentary, insight, relevance for how the article affects your target audience. It's a worthless exercise just to reshare links. You MUST demonstrate some thought leadership by framing the article you're sharing with your own insight, experiences, perspective.
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Four unexpected ways to use LinkedIn to stand out and bolster your personal brand.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Excellent article by William Arruda reinforcing my comments in my last post about STOPPING yourself from being BORING. To stand out on-line, whether it be your website, LinkedIn profile, or any other form of social media communication, you must be bold, outrageous, compelling, interesting, controversial, and opinionated. Publishing or making comments on-line that are vanilla, safe, secure, similar to what everyone else says, and unwilling to take a strong stand means you literally fade into the woodwork - NO ONE listens or pays attention to you. As a Chair, you have an unbelievable number of opportunities to challenge, take a strong stand, be a little outrageous, and push CEOs into uncomfortable zones. If you're unwilling to do the things it takes to stand out on-line, my recommendation is DON'T waste your time trying to use LinkedIn and Social Media. You'll just get frustrated that it's not generating the level of results you need for the time invested. What's the worst thing that might happen? One potential CEO out of hundreds might email you back and tell you they thought your comments were inappropriate, obnoxious, or lacking in tact. So what? You're not trying to please every CEO with politeness and win friends. You're trying to capture the attention of those CEOs who desperately need your help. Ignore the Haters and focus on those want to be pushed, challenged, and given a little "utz" into action. Call me if you want to review the content you're publishing to your network and whether it could be classified as "compelling." 15 minutes and we'll determine whether you're in boring "category" OR the "interesting" category. Are you prepared to throw everything you've learned about communicating on-line and begin to take a counterintuitive approach? Barry Deutsch Social Media Coach to Vistage and TEC Chairs
Are you reading our dedicated Chair blog to learn how to create an abundance of CEO referrals?
http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/vistagechairs
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LinkedIn’s Cinderella Story..... Topic: Social Business
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Michael does a good job in this blog article summarizing the dilemma of sales teams using LinkedIn. Basically, the LinkedIn Account belongs to the employee. All their contacts, communication, and networking is private to them. If they leave the company, so goes all those contacts and their related contact of messaging, sharing, and engagement. However, you as CEO or Sales Executive gain great benefit when your sales reps use LinkedIn. Study after study keeps coming out to show that those reps who use social (primarily LinkedIn) have a better success track record on prospecting, engaement, lead generation, lead nurturing, and closing sales. Are you willing to allow your sales reps to keep doing whatever they want with LinkedIn, letting some passionate reps embrace the platform and others ignore it? Michael made the comment in his blog post: "But you can’t build scalable, repeatable success on a handful of employees. Management requires repeatability. Repeatability requires scalability. Leaving LinkedIn participation up the individual is, almost by definition, not scalable." Is it time to begin aggressively training, educating, mentoring, advising, coaching to get a higher adoption rate of your sales reps using LinkedIn? Can you deal with the dilemma of not having control of their accounts if they move into your top quartile of performance? Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching Vistage/TEC Companies HOW TO drive Sales Through Social Media
Join our private blog for Vistage/TEC Members on HOW TO Leverage Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vistage-TEC-Member-Group-Leveraging-1875132/about
Not a Vistage or TEC Member, then be sure to visit our public blog on how to drive sales through social media, AND/OR our open discussion group on LinkedIn, Sales Through Social Media http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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LinkedIn’s Cinderella Story..... Topic: Social Business
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Michael zeros right in on the catch-22 of LinkedIn. As one of the most powerful tools for B2B social selling, you want your employees to use LinkedIn for sales, lead generation, and lead nurturing. However, they own their LinkedIn Profiles and control what goes on with each one. You can't force them to use it. Are you finding it difficult to get your sales team to "buy in"? Can they be shown the "win-win" of helping to drive their own sales results while boosting your company closure rate, lead generation, and lead nurturing. Perhaps, the issue is not as much about privacy and "my data vs. your data", but rather a lack of understanding of how the tool might be used. What's the depth of LinkedIn training, education, skill development, coaching, and mentoring you are currently providing to your sales team? Do you expect them to learn it on their own - sort of the sink or swim model of management - get with it or find yourself lagging behind? OR is it your responsibility as their CEO or Sales Executive to provide the education that allows them a mastery of these tools. My own research indicates that sales teams have an enormous upside to improve sales through using LinkedIn - yet few have even put their proverbial toe in the water. Should you wait until your primary competitors are dominating this too? OR should you be the niche leader and have everyone following you? Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching Vistage/TEC Companies HOW TO drive Sales Through Social Media
Join our private blog for Vistage/TEC Members on HOW TO Leverage Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vistage-TEC-Member-Group-Leveraging-1875132/about
Not a Vistage or TEC Member, then be sure to visit our public blog on how to drive sales through social media, AND/OR our open discussion group on LinkedIn, Sales Through Social Media http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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Barry Deutsch's insight:
Jeff Haden recently posted an article on the CEO.com blog about getting referrals through networking. One point he made forced me to jump on my soapbox regarding my biggest complaint and frustration when it comes to obtaining referrals through networking. Here's the comment i posted on the CEO.com blog: "Jeff - you hit some great points in this article. My favorite was about people who try to take before they give. I treat these folks like blood sucking parasites. Every book and study I have ever read on effective networking and referrals makes the best practice point that you must first give to gain the trust of your potential referral source. Asking for a referral from them before you've helped them - ideally through a referral - should be considered a show stopper and recognition that you should end the relationship right there - it's not worth putting more time into it. Pretty basic element of successful networking and referral generation - here's my key question: why do so few people practice this core element of networking and referrals? I'll go way out on a limb here - although I have found no scientific studies or done actual research into why most folks are ineffective at networking and referral generation - I would hazard a guess that less than 5% of all service providers selling services to CEOs (lawyers, executive recruiters, benefit consultants, and strategic planners to name a few) are great at obtaining referrals to those highly valuable CEOs from fellow consultants. Any thoughts as to why most consultants/service providers are so bad at this core element of fundamental networking and referrals?"
Barry Deutsch Social Media Coach to Vistage and TEC Chairs
Are you reading our dedicated Chair blog to learn how to create an abundance of CEO referrals?
Anne Egros's comment,
June 17, 2013 9:48 AM
David, you are right in the virtual world and in curating in particular you can see clearly the people who support you by quoting or sharing your sources rather than just go to the article and take credit for discovering it :-) Thanks David for being supportive !
Anne Egros's curator insight,
June 17, 2013 9:55 AM
I think I am a generous person but I am fed up with people sending me canned linkedin messages. I need to know why people want to connect with me and take the effort to articulate it in a personalized message.
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LinkedIn is a powerful tool for sales and business development. It's also a great way to follow companies and get great content and viewpoints. But I don't want recruiters to call my employees.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
I agree with LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman who said: "All LinkedIn needs to do now is enlighten its users to the full power of the platform. "Ask the average person," Hoffman says with frustration. "They think it's a place they keep their CV online and maybe have some connections with people they know professionally. They don't think of it as a place to get business intelligence, to research problems, to establish an online presence where other people in the network can find them. It's as if we're a screwdriver in a world where people don't quite understand screws. If Americans really learned how to use LinkedIn, it would raise the country's GDP." I'm an executive recruiter and probably in the top 1% of all recruiters effectively leveraging LinkedIn as a sourcing tool to find great candidates. I teach my clients how to use it for recruiting and they are "blown away". However, the real value is not in recruiting, it's in finding, attracting, and engaging with existing customers/clients and potential customers/clients. Over 1/3 of my business gets generated through my activities and tactics on LinkedIn for lead generation and lead nurturing. It's one of the sales and marketing tools available for leveraging yourself when you can't be everywhere. The problem is that if you're not in front of your clients and prospects on a continuous basis providing great value - one of your competitors is doing it right now. LinkedIn helps you to overcome this problem. Free yourself from thinking about it as a resume regurgitation tool and start looking at it as a powerful platform for sales and marketing. Barry Deutsch Social Media Coach to Vistage and TEC Chairs
Are you reading our dedicated Chair blog to learn how to create an abundance of CEO referrals?
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Barry Deutsch's insight:
Here's an article about LinkedIn aimed at fleet owners and folks in the niche of selling freight services. Could LinkedIn be relevant for sales professionals in this line of business - you bet. The author states: "Say something: Every sales rep should develop a personal, content-driven lead-generation program. By “content” I mean good ideas. Create and participate in industry chat rooms. Write a blog. Source and distribute timely magazine articles. Build credibility in the transportation community by sharing your insights with customers, suppliers, and, yes, even your competitors."
Sadly, very few are getting on this bandwagon even though the barriers are low and the costs are almost non-existent. Why such a resistance to putting your toe in the water? In face of overwhelming evidence, case studies, stories, and successes - you're still on the sideline waiting. Waiting for what? Waiting for your competitors to jump ahead of you and leave you in the dust? Waiting for the perfect moment to start? I'm confused over the lack of LinkedIn training, use, and leverage among sales teams. Somebody help me out!
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Typically, there are two main factors that cause prospects to go dark and stay there. The first is that you may not be hitting on a prospect's most important priorities. The second is because they simply may not be ready.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Kendra in her blog article talks about a great idea of nurturing unresponsive prospects. Just because they don't jump at returning your call or biting on your immediate offer - doesn't mean they are not going to be great prospects down the road - especially if they are dead center for your target client/customer. Do you have a nurturing program in place that you leverage through LinkedIn? Are you leaving a high volume of sales opportunites on the table because you're unwilling to engage, nurture, and move those currently unresponsive prospects down your sales funnel? If you could achieve a 5-10% conversion rate, would it be worth 15 minutes a day? Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching how to drive Sales Through Social Media
Are you reading our Sales Through Social Media Blog? http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
Learn how to leverage social media for sales.
Don't forget to Join us on our LinkedIn Discussion Group for Building Sales Through Social Media http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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LinkedIn shouldn’t be seen as just ‘another’ networking tool. It has the potential to become the hero at the heart of prospecting...
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Another great example of LinkedIn being used to target, prospect, engage, and convert potential customers/clients. The number of these examples appearing in business press across a wide range of trade groups and industry publications is astounding. Have you created your test to validate how powerful using LinkedIn is for lead generation and nurturing - and raising your conversion rates for sales? Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching Vistage/TEC Companies HOW TO drive Sales Through Social Media
Join our private blog for Vistage/TEC Members on HOW TO Leverage Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vistage-TEC-Member-Group-Leveraging-1875132/about
Not a Vistage or TEC Member, then be sure to visit our public blog on how to drive sales through social media, AND/OR our open discussion group on LinkedIn, Sales Through Social Media http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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Find and join the right LinkedIn groups, and it's easy to make connections, ask and answer questions, land new clients—
Barry Deutsch's insight:
One of the most underutilized tactics on LinkedIn for networking is groups. Are you a member of groups in your function, industry, and geography. Have you considered starting your own group - which has been one of the most powerful networking tactics I've ever stumbled upon.
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Use these four LinkedIn summary templates to capture prospects' attention.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Whether you're recruiting, conducting a job search, or trying to increase sales, LinkedIn is a powerful. I've noticed that most professionals fail to effectively use the summary section as an important marketing tool.
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Boost your lead generation success on LinkedIn with this easy daily cheat sheet.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Some good ideas here reinforcing some of the tactics I've been sharing over the last few years. One of the most important is to engage with your connections on LinkedIn through their posts and sharing.
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From
www
People say they hate networking, but many of them are simply doing it wrong.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
One of the key things that stood out for me in this article is the recommendation to connect people in your network - thus turning you into the gatekeeper, influencer, and connector. My experience is that connectors tend to get the most referrals because they make the most referrals. Do you tract the referrals you make on a daily/weekly basis to others in your network? Do you try to do this at least once a day?
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Check out this true story about how Robbie used LinkedIn for Sales and landed a big-time opportunity.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Do your sales professionals leverage LinkedIn to the degree Robbie does in this case study. How much money are they leaving on the table by simply accepting rejection at one level - and not pursuing the contacts, relationships, and referrals that can lead then to opportunities? Are you rigorously training your sales team in how to leverage LinkedIn on every key sales opportunity? Perhaps, the investment of time and resources doesn't make sense when the size of the deal is sub-$5000. What if it's $10, $100k, or $500k as in Robbie's example? Where is your pain point around the number of signifcant transactions you didn't get because the door initially got slammed in your face. If all you focus on are the easy opportunities, it's hard to be in the top 10% of success. LinkedIn now provides the tools for your sales team to after the seemingly impossible opportunities by leveraging the natural networks of your connections. Here's my key question: It's not whether your team will be using LinkedIn as a core tool - it's when are you going to start? Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching Vistage/TEC Companies HOW TO drive Sales Through Social Media
Join our private blog for Vistage/TEC Members on HOW TO Leverage Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vistage-TEC-Member-Group-Leveraging-1875132/about
Not a Vistage or TEC Member, then be sure to visit our public blog on how to drive sales through social media, AND/OR our open discussion group on LinkedIn, Sales Through Social Media http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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"don’t forget that your LinkedIn Profile is a great tool for building credibility..."
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Is your LinkedIn Profile Boring, Mundane, Weak, Mild, and Non-Compelling? Your LinkedIn Profile is how new potential clients (CEOs) get a sense of how you are, your personal brand, why they should choose you over others, and who else thinks you're great. Most LinkedIn Profiles are disgustingly boring - simple regurgitations of your resume. Your LinkedIn Profile IS NOT your resume or career history Instead it can a very powerful marketing and sales tool, far beyond your resume and website. Have you recently given yourself a "LinkedIn Profile Check-up? How does it compare to some of the Chairs who are most effective at connecting with potential CEOs on LinkedIn? Is it time to finally make the time investment to check it out, try it, and see if it could help bring your groups to full membership for just a few minutes every day? Barry Deutsch Social Media Coach to Vistage and TEC Chairs
Are you reading our dedicated Chair blog to learn how to create an abundance of CEO referrals?
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If your sales team are still tracking their pipeline and deals in spreadsheets instead of your shiny, new CRM, follow these tips to get them sharing.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Here's an idea that is catching on in a wide variety of training and development in companies - using gamification to shift behaviors. In this article the author talks about using gamification to get your sales team effectively using your CRM. What if you used it to encourage your sales team to leverage their personal LinkedIn accounts for prospecting, lead generation, and lead nurturing. There seems to be a great resistance on the part of most sales professionals to embrace leveraging social selling. They still are trapped in tribal old-school and ancient paradigm of making cold calls and pestering customers for an order. If gamification of changing LinkedIn use behavior even had a small effect on your closure rate - would it be worth experimenting with it? What do you have to lose? A failed initiative or test? Big Deal - try a different if the first one doesn't work. Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching Vistage/TEC Companies HOW TO drive Sales Through Social Media
Join our private blog for Vistage/TEC Members on HOW TO Leverage Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vistage-TEC-Member-Group-Leveraging-1875132/about
Not a Vistage or TEC Member, then be sure to visit our public blog on how to drive sales through social media, AND/OR our open discussion group on LinkedIn, Sales Through Social Media http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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In a classic study, sociologist Mark Granovetter showed that people were 58 percent more likely to get a new job through weak ties than strong ties. How could acquaintances be more helpful than good friends?
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Adam Grant resurfaces the old argument for LinkedIn of whether to connect with people whom you don't know - these are typically called weak ties or weak links. Adam suggests that the weak ties and links can bring value to your network. You don't have to know everyone well to be connected. So many people limit the value of their network by ONLY connecting with individuals they personally know. If all you did was connect with people who know you well, how would you ever expand your network? I get great value by connecting with individuals in my target niche (CEOs, HR Execs, Sales Execs, and other speakers/consultants). Some of these grow to become strong ties or links, some hover on the margin or lurk in the background, and some pass along leads and opportunities - much as I try to do for them if I understand their needs. Adam went on to describe a third group I had not considered - dormant ties - the folks we knew once but lost touch with. Some of these can bring powerful value to your network. I like Adam's idea of connecting with at last one dormant tie per month. Final thought: I like Adam's idea of giving first - how he can help members of his network. I find when giving, most people want to reciprocate and give back. Are you a giver or a taker? You never know where a connection might lead. What's your startegy for connecting with weak or dormant ties? Barry Deutsch Social Media Coach to Vistage and TEC Chairs
Are you reading our dedicated Chair blog to learn how to create an abundance of CEO referrals?
http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/vistagechairs
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Master The Power Of Referrals
Barry Deutsch's insight:
I recently made the following comment on Lois Geller's blog post about mastering the power of referrals. Here's the comment I posted: Lois makes a number of excellent points about leveraging networking, using speaking engagements, connecting on LinkedIn, and working events. Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching Vistage/TEC Companies HOW TO drive Sales Through Social Media
Join our private blog for Vistage/TEC Members on HOW TO Leverage Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vistage-TEC-Member-Group-Leveraging-1875132/about
Not a Vistage or TEC Member, then be sure to visit our public blog on how to drive sales through social media, AND/OR our open discussion group on LinkedIn, Sales Through Social Media http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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Barry Deutsch's insight:
If lawyers have found LinkedIn to be an effective tool for sharing and networking at a professional level, how come bankers, benefit consultants, recruiters, strategic planners, sales consultants - are not effectively leveraging this tool? Why are so many scared to using LinkedIn to the fullest of it's capability? Why do most view LinkedIn as an on-line resume and job networking site? If you're a professional services firm, you're leaving an enormous amount of opportunity sitting on the table by not using LinkedIn for prospecting, lead generation, lead nurturing, thought-leadership, conversion into sales, initiating conversations, and sharing rich content that establishes you as the "go-to" service provider in your niche! Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching how to drive Sales Through Social Media
Are you reading our Sales Through Social Media Blog? http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
Learn how to leverage social media for sales.
Don't forget to Join us on our LinkedIn Discussion Group for Building Sales Through Social Media http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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Can your sales reps scale their efforts by using social media, and if they can, should they? Here's a look at three best practices for sales representatives in the age of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
How much have you invested in coaching, outside consulting, and training to rapidly leverage LinkedIn as a sales tool. Numerous studies now report that there is a significant gap between reps leveraging social media - like LinkedIn - and those doing it the old school way. What's holding you back? The majority of entrepreneurial, small businesses, and emerging companies I come across are not effectively leveraging these tools. Unfortunately, many of their competitors are doing it. How long will it take until your competitors get a strategic advantage by doing some of things mentioned in this article by Jessica Davis? What's your written plan to exploit the social media tools and tactics available for your sales team right now? Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching Vistage/TEC Companies HOW TO drive Sales Through Social Media
Join our private blog for Vistage/TEC Members on HOW TO Leverage Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Vistage-TEC-Member-Group-Leveraging-1875132/about
Not a Vistage or TEC Member, then be sure to visit our public blog on how to drive sales through social media, AND/OR our open discussion group on LinkedIn, Sales Through Social Media http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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In May of last year, Aberdeen Research Group released a study on social selling in which they revealed that sales reps who have leveraged social selling in
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Study after study, example after example is proving how firms in a wide range of industries are able to leverage LinkedIn to be more effective in selling - whether you're an individual consultant, restaurant, food manufacturer or service firm (such as an accounting firm or law firm), LinkedIn can be a powerful tool. What's holding you back? In a recent study, it was discovered that: "The study also found that two-thirds of the responding firms have no social media strategy for their sales organizations and that 80% believe their sales force would be more productive with a greater social media presence."
"Aberdeen Research Group released a study on social selling in which they revealed that sales reps who have leveraged social selling in their sales process are 79% more likely to attain their quota than those who don’t use social selling in their sales process (15%). The study also cites that the industry average of reps who hit their goal is only 43%." Even if you don't buy into the research integrity, the numbers generated, just intuitively the idea of ineffective, inefficient sales teams has got to raise the hair on the back of your neck as a sales manager or CEO. The question is not whether you should use LinkedIn as a tool, but rather, when are you going to bring all your sales team members to a level of competency? Barry Deutsch Master Coach for Teaching how to drive Sales Through Social Media
Are you reading our Sales Through Social Media Blog? http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
Learn how to leverage social media for sales.
Don't forget to Join us on our LinkedIn Discussion Group for Building Sales Through Social Media http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about
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Study after study, example after example is proving how firms in a wide range of industries are able to leverage LinkedIn to be more effective in selling - whether you're an individual consultant, restaurant, food manufacturer or service firm (such as an accounting firm or law firm), LinkedIn can be a powerful tool.
What's holding you back?
In a recent study, it was discovered that:
"The study also found that two-thirds of the responding firms have no social media strategy for their sales organizations and that 80% believe their sales force would be more productive with a greater social media presence."
The blog article also cited another recent research effort which found:
"Aberdeen Research Group released a study on social selling in which they revealed that sales reps who have leveraged social selling in their sales process are 79% more likely to attain their quota than those who don’t use social selling in their sales process (15%). The study also cites that the industry average of reps who hit their goal is only 43%."
Even if you don't buy into the research integrity, the numbers generated, just intuitively the idea of ineffective, inefficient sales teams has got to raise the hair on the back of your neck as a sales manager or CEO.
The question is not whether you should use LinkedIn as a tool, but rather, when are you going to bring all your sales team members to a level of competency?
Barry Deutsch
Master Coach for Teaching how to drive Sales Through Social Media
Are you reading our Sales Through Social Media Blog?
http://www.barrydeutsch.net/sales-through-social-media
Learn how to leverage social media for sales.
Don't forget to Join us on our LinkedIn Discussion Group for Building Sales Through Social Media
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Sales-Through-Social-Media-3854199/about