Prospecting in 2013 using

linked-in.

Prepared by JR Bloch jr@salestrainingemea.com

February 2013

1(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Brief Introduction

• My profile:

– My partners always considered me as a

« crazy » New Business Hunter.

– I mean even after 35 years doing it, I’m still

excited by the challenge, the emotion, the risk

taking, the “yes” , the “no”, getting in a new

department, new account where we didn’t

make any business yet.

2(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Starting defining your targets.

• After I define my target account list, my

1’230 linked-in direct contacts change

dramatically the way I prospect in 2013.

• There is no limit to researching

information, since you can get the

professional profiles and details of nearly

anyone inside the target account.

• Either going direct or playing billiards, you

should find very usable information about the

person you want to contact.

3(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Research

• Looking into people close to their

community is also a serious accelerator.

• Some let you even look into their own

contacts, you may find that a competitor is

a long time contact of your prospect.

4(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Contacting Business decision makers

• Contacting Business decision makers

becomes easier, playing with the

advanced option of the search engine; you

may be able to locate nearly any key

Business decision maker in that account.

• Simply enter a keyword with the activity

you are targeting, and HR

directors, marketing directors, Compliance

officers will come into your nets.

5(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Example: we look for the HR Director of Barclays

Bank in UK.

6

❶

❷

❸❹

❺

❻

❼

(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

We are getting close now!

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Check other information like previous jobs, &

companies

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Continue searching….

• Now follow me , I’m dragging down a bit to the section: people also viewed

• This is not 100% their network but rather a lead for similar people that people who used linked researched..

9(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Stay with me for the next interesting piece of research..

• How are we connected to each other?

• I’m frequently using this information in my introduction email/inmaileg. We have X connections in common… this is valid inside large organizations and prove that you are already well connected to them.

10(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Time to act!

• Eventually you may want to get directly to them calling or

emailing.

• Calling is not obvious since most of the members of

linked-in do not provide their direct phone numbers.

Emailing is a bit simpler:

• You could rebuild the email address knowing the naming

policy of that company together with first and last name

of your target contact.

• Even better, I’m using the Linked-in Inmail option to

contact them.

• Linked-in sends the message, the response rate is

generally excellent.

See next slide how we prepare this email/ inmail11(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Writing an Introduction Email or Inmail :

• Go straight to the value you may bring to your target contact.

• Do not speak about yourself if there is no valuable contribution to them now!

• If there is an existing connection, reference, that may ease your direct approach, then do mention it upfront.

• The inmail to S…. could be refined and improved.

12(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

And now an example of a bad inmail!

Dear Sara,

I’m Barclays Account manager at HR

performance solution. We are the

leader in Europe for the Staff

management solutions with over 80

customers in 11 languages (including

Russian). Since we are sure We

have the best possible solution in the

market I’m pleased to offer you a face

to face meeting Monday Feb 18th

afternoon or Tuesday morning before

11:30 ( I have to rush to the dentist

then).

Kindest regards

Paul Smith

Account director Barclays.

Our expert advice:

• Me, me , me and againme..

• Speak too much about you and your company.

• Going to details, S. doesnot yet know what youmay be bringing to the table

• You have the best solution ? Who said this ? You did …

• The meeting proposal isimpolite.

13(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com

Need more information

• contact JR Bloch: +972 52 64 57

477

or +33 183 64 74 07

• Email : jr@salestrainingemea.com

• Coming next : « the practice of cold calling »

14(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com