In a previous post, I referenced how copier reps can boost their close rate by branding themselves correctly on LinkedIn.
Inside Hubspot’s State of Inbound 2015, Salespeople cite prospecting as their #1 challenge when ranking the most difficult parts of the sales process.
We must make prospecting for NET NEW business a priority. This is the fuel to keep sales funnels consistent.
Think about this quote for a minute and let it sink in…
“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.”
– Ann Landers
A consistent, systematic approach to prospecting for new business is a priority in order to maintain a healthy sales pipeline. Lack of prospecting may impact your wallet as some compensation plans now have net new business growth gates. Time to set aside your ego and the mentality of I am beyond prospecting or this is beneath me. For goodness sake you are salespeople. Part of your job is to prospect and grow your business.
Successful copier sales reps have made prospecting gratifying by making one simple tweak…
They have realized integrating LinkedIn and the power within their network has become mission critical to growing their business. Realizing their network is their net worth, successful copier reps turn on the hot water faucet to warm up their approach to prospecting.
3 Ways Copier Sales Reps are Nailing Net-New Quotas Using LinkedIn
They Leverage Current Clients
Successful copier reps capitalize on existing relationships. This means they connect 3, 4, 5 and sometimes 6 deep within their current accounts. What better way to grow your business by connecting with your clients as you now can be exposed to their network! Successful reps farm and assemble a first-rate list of potential clients. Switching the faucet from cold to hot these now become warm calls as opposed to cold calls as they ask their clients for an introduction. There’s no one better qualified than a happy client to introduce you to potential clients. These introductions are golden and a fantastic bridge to building relationships.
In this hyper-connected digital world, your network is your net worth. We are in an era where shifting business and cultural values along with advancements in technology enable sales reps to network in vastly improved, more focused and enjoyable ways which are more aligned with our personalities and passions. LinkedIn has accelerated networking, reduced the degree of separation between connections, amplified our playing field, and redefined the sales prospecting process.
Copier sales reps who are nailing their net new quotes reinvest in their networks.
They Construct Target Lists
Successful copier reps integrate the Advanced People Search fields within LinkedIn to help them nail net new business.
Successful reps throw on their digital detective hats and create in-depth strategies to identify key prospects through effective targeting. They find out who within their network is connected to someone within their targeted accounts. Furthermore, they leverage their 1st degree connections to bridge introductions into their targeted accounts. The more 1st level connections you have the more success you will have searching.
Light bulb moment folks… This is why you connect with multiple people inside your current accounts.
Lets do some simple math…
A sales rep handles 100 current accounts. Sales rep connects to 5 people inside the account. 100 x 5 equates to 500 people inside their current accounts who know like and trust them. This opens up Pandora’s Box of networking my friends.
Copier sales reps who are nailing their net new quotas understand how to leverage their network and mine their connections. They ask for help in growing their business. Start getting familiar with this term… Digital Referral Selling.
What happens when the M.I.F. (Machines in Field) well runs dry?
They Communicate
Successful copier sales reps add value to their relationships by sharing relevant industry information. They stay in front of their clients, prospects and audience by making daily status updates on LinkedIn.
Successful copier reps increase their exposure by cultivating, teaching and tailoring to their audience by engaging on the LinkedIn platform. On a daily basis they are sharing, commenting or liking other people’s status updates.
They understand the importance of staying top of mind to their 1st level connections as well as fellow group members. Communication on LinkedIn directly impacts all aspects of your sales funnel. Conversation and collaboration leads to conversion!
“If your content isn’t driving conversation, you’re doing it wrong” – Daniel Roth
Lets do some simple math…
A sales rep gets engaged in 5 new conversations per week via LinkedIn. There are 4 weeks in a month equating to 20 new conversations. Taking this over a year and this is 240 new conversations! Using a 10% conversion ratio to appointments and this means 24 new opportunities added to the sales funnel.
Attention to all copier sales reps… What would it mean to your quota if you added 2 new opportunities every month to your sales pipeline?
Copier sales reps who are nailing their net new quotas understand how important gardening skills are to their new business growth. Please meet cultivate, teach and tailor.
What I have outlined for you are three simple ways to enhance your new business development efforts. Integrating the power behind LinkedIn will invigorate your sales funnel. This approach is intended to start conversations with qualified prospects.
This will work as part of a well-rounded prospecting strategy. It will work much better if you have a well optimized LinkedIn presence (see mine for an example) and you are actively creating content on LinkedIn that will be of interest to the people you are reaching out to.
In today’s business environment, people want to know who you are and what you are all about before they invest any time talking to you. If you are active on LinkedIn, curating content and blogging regularly, you make it pretty easy for your prospects and clients to see you as a thought leader.
“If you are looking to make meaningful personal and professional connections with people you don’t yet know you’ll need to develop a plan of action and some online navigation skills.” – Laura Rubinstein
This is a great time to be a copier rep! Be social, build relationships and remember your gardening skills. Think of prospecting as social business development and watch what happens. To your future success!
