Using LinkedIn for Business Development
LinkedIn allows you to make connections and find new business at a faster pace and reach new areas at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing. In fact, the only cost is your time. In today’s business climate, being a little web savvy goes a long way. It is important to remember that LinkedIn is a good tool to reach specific people; it is not as good at mass market broadcasting.
5 step process
- Profile: Build a complete and fully developed profile that highlights expertise, experience and capability that you offer. Your profile should show your unique selling proposition of why business prospects should use your services. Include a link to your website and blog if you have one.
- Invite: Send out connection invitations to friends, colleagues, customers and suppliers. Look at their connections and discover more people that you know and invite them to your network. Use the advanced search tools to find people you once worked with or went to school with.
- Network: Use LinkedIn Answers to interact and network with your targeted customers. Ask questions that would interest your customer. Invite these people to become a connection and join your network. Meet these new connections for a cup of coffee or by phone to strengthen your relationship.
- Prospect List: Using LinkedIn Advanced Search as well as other sources, compile a list of targeted prospect companies. This can be by Industry, geographic area or other demographic.
- Introduction: Search thru your contact list for people that are currently working at your prospect companies. Look for connections that worked there in the past or that have contacts currently working at those companies. Get an introduction and create a warm call opportunity. This greatly increases your success rate.
LinkedIn is very different from many of the social networking sites that are online. It is positively focused towards businesses and business members.