Jill Konrath's Blog, page 26

3 Tips to Get The Best Response From LinkedIn Inmail

Since publishing my two free ebooks Cracking the LinkedIn Sales Code and LinkedIn Sales Secrets Revealed, I get asked tons of question about how to use LinkedIn best. One of the most contentious issues relates to the use of InMail. 

Numerous people have written to tell me it's a total waste of time -- that they never get responses from it. Yet, our 2013 survey results showed that top sellers used it nearly 4 times more than all other respondents. 

And, InsideSales.com reports a 700% increase in response rates when they use InMail -- over sending the exact same message via email. According to them, it's especially effective with senior executives. 

Here are three tips to help you get the best response from LinkedIn Inmail:

1. Message quality is crucial. "Pitch" InMails that hype your products, services or company never work. Period. So if you're not getting responses, the first thing to do is to re-evaluate what you're writing. 

Make it relevant. Tie in your research on them or their company; show you've done your homework. Keep it short and easily scannable (For fresh ideas, check out my free Email Sales Kit.) 

2. Drive-by InMailing is insufficient. If you made one call to a prospect and they didn't answer, would you give up on the phone? Of course not, but that's exactly what many sellers are doing with InMail. Plan a campaign. Think of 2-3 follow-ups before you even send the first one.

3. Your profile influences their response. If you've written a good InMail, the recipient is going to check you out. Make sure you look like someone who's worth meeting. 

For more insight, check out what these salespeople had to say about their InMail success: 

Balazs Nagy says, "Once the prospects receive our InMails and read it, 50% of them respond back to us. We typically can arrange a meeting with 10%." That's pretty good odds compared to normal emailing.  

Terrence Bro adds, "InMail allows me to contact a perspective prospect in a softer approach. They also can view my profile to see what my credentials are and view my company information to determine if there is a potential fit and interest. Without LinkedIn, identifying and contacting new customer prospects would be a huge challenge with a lot of wasted effort chasing down unqualified leads." 

Let me just sum it up by saying, LinkedIn InMail is not the silver bullet. You can't expect to get magical results just because it's not competing with the 100s of other messages the person is getting each day. 

InMail, when it's effective, is part of a well-thought out prospecting strategy -- which includes a rock-solid message. And, that's what you need to do to make it work for you. 

[Video] Why Your Biggest Sales Opportunities Probably Won't Close

I want you to think about all those prospects you’re planning to close this month. Pretty confident that you’ll get their business?

Well, I’ve got news for you. Research shows that 60% of the people you’re expecting to close – won’t. And they’re not going to your competitors either. They’re sitting there, mulling it over and asking themselves …. Does it really make sense to change?

Intellectually they may say yes, but then they get to thinking about hassle – and ultimately decide to stick with their status quo.

Your biggest opportunity to increase sales is to focus on that 60%. How? Start by asking yourself these two questions:

How can I help them understand what they’re really losing out on by continuing with the status quo? People hate “losing” so it’s a good place to put your emphasis.
How can I make it easier for them to say yes? Decisions grind people to a halt. If you can reduce their risk and simplify the process, you’ll improve your results.

So … rather than running out chasing new prospects … take a look at the ones you already have. The 60% you’re losing right now have already raised their hands and said they’re considering a change. You just have to get better at helping them do it.

Turn Your Business Competition Into Valuable Allies

I used to hate my direct competitors—every last one of them. They were evil. They were after me, trying to steal my best prospects and clients. My guard was up whenever they were around. 

Then one day something changed. I was months into the worst slump of my career. Yes, I said months. The future looked grim; I honestly wasn't sure I was going to make it.

Perhaps it takes a bit of desperation to open one's mind to new ideas -- and a book. I don't remember the title, but it was about creating partnerships. Not the legally entangled kind that take months to hammer out at the corporate level. No. This was about one-to-one alliances with people in related professions. 

It got me thinking and then acting. Within months, I created two separate groups. One was focused on a specific business challenge in which I had expertise -- product launch. I invited a group of related experts (branding, inside sales, research, website) to get together to explore how we might help each other.

After several meetings and lots of discussion, we decided to put on a 1-day product launch seminar. We divvied up the work, marketed it to our combined databases and put on the event. The result? Lots of good PR, plus net new business for all.

Concurrently, I pulled together a group of women in sales and marketing. This one really scared me. Some of the ladies were, at least in my mind, direct competitors. (Turns out they weren't.) We met monthly to talk about opportunities and to get to know each other better. The result? Most of us got new business. 

Creating a community of business competitors is a strategy whose time has come—for lots of reasons. It's a big world out there. There are lots of opportunities, if we open our mind to them. And, when you're acting alone, it's tough to uncover them. The truth is, you're probably only aware of a small percent of the decision-making population at any one time.

Being involved in a community increases your reach exponentially. Your shared connections are much vaster than your own network. And, because you have regular conversations with group members, your trust level skyrockets. They're much more likely to bring you into a potential business opportunity. That's a big deal today because it's so darn hard to get your foot in the door. 

Fast forward 10 years. A few weeks ago, I attended the 2013 Sales SheBang conference. Attendees are women sales experts (authors, speakers, trainers, coaches and consultants) from across North America and Australia.   

We get together to share our best practices and business growth ideas. We identify complimentary areas of expertise, so we can best leverage each other's talents. And, best of all, we've created a community that's supportive both personally and professionally. 

So here's my challenge to you. Start your own community of business competitors. Ask yourself:

Who offers related products and services to mine? 
How can I connect with them? 

LinkedIn is a starting place. So are local networking events. Or, you might even want to ask your prospects and customers: What other products/services do you buy? That'll give you a clue who to reach out to. 

And then, quit wasting time. Call your group together and get going. 

Online Meetings: Interactive and Effective Sales Tools

Today's post from the Chamber of Commerce features business-growth advice for small companies.

As more people collaborate remotely across the globe, online meetings are rising in popularity. They’re a whole lot more efficient than sending emails back and forth. Plus, they provide more interaction than phone calls alone.

Whether you manage a small sales network or have an influx of sales leads, you can make a greater impact through use of interactive online meeting platforms.

Katelyn de Diego, Senior Marketing Content Specialist at Citrix -- the company that powers GoToMeeting.com, says that online meetings are a must in the global workplace.

"If you ask employees to write down the locations of people they interact with on a regular basis, chances are the cities will span an entire country and in some cases, multiple countries,” she said.

“Seeing the same thing at the same time. Seeing each other from different locations. These things speed up business and make collaboration easier and more enjoyable.

Don’t be intimidated by online meeting technology. Instead embrace it as a way to do business efficiently. With the right planning, they’re an invaluable tool in smart communication and selling.”

De Diego offers these tips to prepare for online meetings:

Think about setting

Decide where you want to participate in the meeting and whether you plan to be on video while it takes place. If you will be seen, pick a place that looks professional like a conference room or an uncluttered home office space.

Even if you don’t plan to be on a webcam, choose a quiet spot where you can be easily heard and where you won’t be distracted by other office/home noises and happenings.

Troubleshoot technology

Make sure your webcam is plugged in and working properly. Test your audio too. If you’re using a platform that requires an extra download, do that well before the meeting is scheduled so others aren’t kept waiting for you. If you’re the presenter, use a device that allows you to check the chat window frequently to answer questions and receive input.

Be punctual

Online meetings aren’t excuses to act casually. They’re still professional appointments and should be treated that way. Make sure all of your team members are well prepared and ready to go on time. Respect the time and responsibilities of the other attendees by starting and ending the meeting within the agreed-upon time constraints.

Have online meetings improved your sales?

Image via Flickr on Creative Commons

Katie Parsons writes for ChamberofCommerce.com where she specializes in business news affecting major markets. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small companies with online growth. Plus, it facilitates connectivity between local firms and over 7,000 Chambers worldwide. She is also the administrator for a community blog for moms.

Get an MBA in Selling

The room was filled to capacity. Everyone was eagerly waiting for the conference to start. And I was so excited to finally hear Harvey Mackay speak.

He’s a living legend in the sales field. He wrote Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, a #1 New York Times bestseller. He followed that with five more bestsellers including Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt and Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty.

But, I wondered, how relevant is he today? It took me just a few minutes to find out. Harvey’s always talked about the importance of really knowing your customer – inside and out. And, that’s exactly where he started.

“David Hanson*,” he said. “Where’s David Hansen? Can you stand up so everyone can see you?”

David stood up sheepishly and the camera panned in on him. Harvey started talking again, “I’ve been doing a little research about you. I know you currently live in Hollyhock Hills, but you were born and raised in Ohio. Your birthday is July 7th and you’re celebrating your 13th anniversary on September 14th. 

The camera zoomed in on David again. He was looking a little surprised; maybe even a bit worried. 

Harvey continued, “You have two children and they attend Brentwood Elementary. You like tennis. Your favorite movie is The Wedding Crashers. For your most recent vacation, you took the family camping in northern Minnesota. You’re allergic to ragweed and you love dessert, especially coconut cream pie. Am I right?”

David was astounded; so was everyone else. “How’d you know all that?” he asked. Harvey just smiled. And, once again, he reiterated how powerful it is to really understand your customer.

Where did Harvey find out all this info? Online. In social media, LinkedIn, Twitter, communities and more. The "how" may be new, but the why is timeless. We can leverage what we learn to better connect with people as human beings and to become an invaluable business resource.

Harvey’s latest book, also a New York Times bestseller, is called The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World. It’s filled with powerful, inspirational and timeless advice on what it takes to succeed in sales today.

Here are just a few of my favorite Mackay’s Morals which recap the lesson from chapters. Each one is wrapped with a delightful story that makes the point.

"Coasting is a breeze. It’s the downhill collisions that are costly." I’ve coasted. I’ve crashed. I’ve learned my lessons. Have you?


"All the world’s a stage, and most of us need more rehearsals." Salespeople especially. We’re embarrassed by role playing. Except, if we don’t we’re not as effective as we can be.


"You can’t direct the wind … but you can sure shift the sails." So much is beyond our control. But, we always have leverage if we open up to what’s possible.


"Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people succeed because they are determined to." I believe this whole-heartedly. Success in sales starts with a decision. Without that, we’ll cave in under the pressure.

That’s just a taste of the wisdom in The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World. And, there’s a whole lot more in there too. Check it out. I highly recommend it. It’s an investment in yourself and your life.

*David Hansen and some of the details are fictionalized to protect the real individual's privacy.

[Video] The Power of a Pessimistic Sales Strategy

Although I’m naturally an optimistic person, I truly believe in the power of pessimism. I don’t care what all those self-help gurus tell you. If you only see the world through your rosy glasses, you’re going to run smack dab into sales-derailing situations that could have been prevented.

That’s why it’s imperative today to take time to be negative when preparing your sales strategy. For every sales opportunity you have, you need to ask questions like:

What could go wrong in this meeting?
Where are our weakest spots?
Who  might not want us to be successful?
Why would they decide to stay with the status quo?
How could our competitors beat us?

If you can visualize these obstacles happening, you can do something about them – before they create problems for you.

For example, let’s be pessimistic about your prospects deciding they’d rather not change. And why does it usually happen? Because they don’t see enough value in doing it. Are you hurting your chances of success by being so brutally realistic?

No. You’re actually increasing them because now you can create a sales strategy to address that issue. That’s why pessimism is so darn important today. It prepares you to deal with reality much more effectively.

So go ahead – be negative!  It makes a difference. 

A Chance to Make a BIG Difference

I live in Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Water is everywhere. That's why, when I saw this video about Charity: water at the HubSpot INBOUND 13 conference where I spoke, I was touched deeply.

Please join me in contributing to Charity: water. September is their big fundraising month and 100% of the money they raise goes to people who desperately need clean water, something most of us take for granted. You can make a big difference, by giving even a small amount.

Cllck here to help 100 villages in India get safe water.

LinkedIn Connections With Customers Leads to More Business

In our 2013 Sales & LinkedIn Survey, we found out lots of great info on how top sellers are leveraging LinkedIn. (Download Cracking the LinkedIn Sales Code here.) One statistic that really stood out was the difference in LinkedIn connections with customers. 

As you can see, top sellers were connected to almost 3x as many customers as everyone else who took the survey. But here's an even starker contrast. If you look at the 55% of sellers who'd never generated an opportunity via LinkedIn, they're only connected to 9.8% of their customers. 

Does it matter? I sure think so. And, to help you get some perspective on the value of doing this, I'm going to share some comments by survey respondents. You'll definitely get a fresh perspective when you read them. 

Going Deep & Wide. "After a phone sales presentation, I go to LinkedIn and send that person a request to connect. Since I am fresh in their mind, 99% of the time they accept the connection. This then gives me access to their network. My goal is to go deep & wide in each company. Using their LinkedIn connections helps me to expand my network in each company." ~ Kathy J. 


Expanding Our Footprint. "I’ve guided my reps to locate other contacts within an organization. Say we're doing business with Company A, in the Marketing Department. I work with my reps to see who else their customers have as contacts within Company A. We then ask for a referral within the organization to expand our footprint. I also look to see what other groups our customers belong to. That way we can stay ahead of the conversation with them." ~ Stacie W. 


£1m in Pipeline in 2 Months. "When I find a relevant contact I'll first mine the "Viewers of this profile also viewed" list. As I have a highly targeted market this is a great way to source other related contacts within the firm or contacts at other relevant firms. I’ve finally persuaded my boss to pay for a Premium License as it has enabled me to build an active engaged pipeline of over £1m in just two months." ~ Darrell M. 


Expanding Contact Base. "I've had good success expanding my contact base across one of the largest food service company in the USA. This list of corporate contacts and their affiliates is difficult at best to obtain. LinkedIn has provided me valuable opportunities to network throughout their organization across multiple demographics and channels to obtain key contacts to open discussion and garner business." Joe W. 


Finding More Names. "Once I find someone that is a key prospect for me, I often look to the bottom right to see who they are connected to that recently viewed or connected with them. I often find additional contacts I can try to prospect if no luck with the prospect I found, and I even find colleagues of theirs in the same field so I have a name of someone else that I can prospect as well.  It works great if you are already speaking with someone that likes your product and company for they are probably telling their peers about you." Kristine A.

Having more contacts within an account increases your likelihood of getting in and getting to the right person. It gives you a chance to gather even more invaluable information necessary to drive the sale. It protects you from losing your relationship if you only have one contact. And, it leads to more business. 

By all means, connect with your customers! It makes all the sense in the world. And, it's easy. 

Rules for Your Prospects: Teach 'Em How to Behave Appropriately

Every once in a while, I come across an article that makes my day. That's exactly what happened when I read The Rules by Mark Gibson which I've included below. They explicitly state how prospects should interact with salespeople. After all, we're a hard-working bunch and deserve to be treated better than we are! 

Personally, I think we should hand these rules out to all our prospects. What do you think? 

______________________

THE RULES FOR YOUR PROSPECTS

1. When a salesperson calls you on the phone, you will stop what you are doing, pick up the phone and smile when you say, "Hello, this is (Your Name), how are you?"

2. You will be amused with the variety blurting-out, fumbling, 90 second introductions without breathing, awkward silences and obvious lack of preparation, professionalism and nervousness of the salesperson. After they have finished their intro, you will ask, "How can I help you"? 

3. You will refrain from hanging up, giving excuses about being in a meeting, or chastising your administrator who let this call slip through.

4. If the salesperson is planning a trip to your location in the near future, you will consider it a stroke of luck and make space on your calendar to accommodate an in-person call.

5. You will hear the salesperson out and never ask them to send more information in an email or to call back at a more convenient time for them, because what they have to say could save you and your company serious money.... even get you promoted!

6. You will answer all questions the salesperson asks to the best of your ability, regardless of their nature, how many they ask or the irrelevance to your role and business.

7. You will disclose any pain or discomfort in your physical condition, even a minor back-ache, because salespeople ar looking for pain and may have something in their bag that can help.

8. You will inquire about the features of their products and be curious about who else is using them and the benefits they are getting and welcome any opportunity to see the product in action in a live demo.

9. You will smile knowingly as the sales rep plugs in the Lap-top, fumbles with the LCD technology, or these days, more coolly passes you the iPad and brings up the PowerPoint presentation or video clip. Most importantly, during the presentation you will refrain from playing with your smart-phone and stay focused on the bullets and message, because there is infinite wisdom, somewhere in the presentation.

10. You will wait until the salesperson has emptied your bucket of potential objections and enjoy the festival of the salesperson digging holes for themselves while trying to counter them.

11. You will never promise to get back to the salesperson unless you truly mean it.

12. You will nod and promise not to smirk when the salesperson asks any question beginning with " if we could show you a way...." 

13. You will be grateful when the salesperson interrupts you before you have finished your sentence (while you are discussing the issues that are important to you) and then tells you what you need to do (use their product), because the sooner you find out, the better.

14.You promise to engage any salesperson with an earnest and professorial look on their face; possibly wearing a chalk dusted sports coat with leather elbow pads, carrying a pipe, wearing a sword on their hip or carrying a lance, or even wearing a measuring tape and carrying and scissors. They are going to challenge your assumptions and to teach you about the hidden jewels in your business that only they can help you discover.

15. This is the biggie - never lie to a salesperson- they can tell!

If you think of any rules he missed, add them below! 

____________________________

Mark Gibson is CEO of Advanced Marketing Concepts, a California-based consultancy that helps its clients align their sales and marketing message for maximum impact. You can read the original article here: Rules for Prospects and Customers During a B2B Sales Call.

A LinkedIn Strategy That Amplifies Your Credibility

Lots of sellers don't realize just what a big impact LinkedIn can have on their personal credibility. In our 2013 Sales & LinkedIn Study, we found that top sellers are doing far more than other salespeople to leverage LinkedIn to help them develop trust and credibility with their prospects and customers.

Top sellers willingly and often share links to articles, webinars, case studies, analyst reports and eBooks. Sometimes they relate their personal experiences and knowledge about topics related to their industry, customers, business process, trends and challenges.

Here are some examples of how real-live LinkedIn users are doing just that -- and the results they're getting from this LinkedIn strategy. 

Relevant Content. "LinkedIn is a great place to put industry relevant content that improves our credibility as a business and helps us stand out from other training companies. More than a website, LinkedIn can get you to the key decision makers. An important piece of advice is that you need to keep in contact with those in your network rather than it be just a collection of contacts. Otherwise, it is just like old business cards bound up with an elastic band." ~ Tim R.  


Pre & Post-Events. "We post content on LinkedIn about upcoming events we are running. The team 'likes' them, and this generates significant follow up for their connections. We also create 'alumni' groups for people who’ve attended the events, and then post relevant content in those groups. This has been a good way of getting referrals for us, as group members have invited their friends and colleagues." ~ David K.    


Status Updates . I update my status line at least 3 times per week with relevant content my clients and potential clients can use to help their business. It keeps me top of mind and solidifies my standing as a valuable expert to them. Recently Steve, one of my long-lost connections, saw an article I’d shared and called me to talk it. He then mentioned his new role as a SVP at a large company that needed the services I provided. Knowing a little status update could keep me top of mind is all the encouragement I need to keep sharing valuable content with my connections." ~ Phil G.


Trusted Advisor Focus. "LinkedIn is not just about connecting with folks for the sake of trying to develop business opportunities ("sales"). My intent is truly that of being an advocate - a trusted of advisor - and to increase my credibility for providing solutions. To be successful, you have to really look at the view from the customer’s side and get out of that "What’s in it for me" mentality. LinkedIn is a tool that can help you personally develop a "brand" and show how you can positively impact a business and/or client and make them look better." ~ Brent J. 


Webinars. "We publicize our webinars on LinkedIn. We do a number of them each month and use LinkedIn (plus other vehicles) to promote them. I would estimate that 10% of our attendees and registrants come from LinkedIn postings. Quite often these are also companies in our target space that we didn’t even know about. So now we have them for other items of interest for them as well." ~ Michael G.


Presentations. "I was surprised at the response I received when I loaded a company demo PowerPoint to my LinkedIn profile and asked people to contact me for a 5 minute demo via the presentation." ~ David F. 


Linkedin Posts. "Linkedin increases the efficiency of marketing our services. Recently, I took a phone call from the managing director of a German company who said she wants us to train her sales force. I asked "Why?” and she said that she first read many of my posts on LinkedIn, then downloaded our book and read many of our blog articles as well. She was ready to do business with us. We discussed the details of our training, including our limitations, and she agreed to a comprehensive program." ~ Jacques Worth 



Content Market Strategy. "LinkedIn is a key component of my content marketing strategy to the specific market segments that I focus on. It reinforces my branding, pr, thought-leadership, trust, and my industry expertise. I leverage groups I moderate, tag groups I communicate with, and follow up using the profile organizer for prospects and clients. Best metric for me is that I am growing my connections, referrals, and leads through LinkedIn and continually hear "It seems like you're everywhere on LinkedIn!" ~ Barry D.  

Not bad. People respond to these initiatives. And, they view you in a different light. You're not just another seller trying to get their attention. You're a valid player in the marketplace ... someone who is willingly sharing information to help them out. 

Seems to me that it's a lot better way to start a relationship than cold calling!