Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale
Here’s yet another smart way to use LinkedIn. The following is an excerpt from Chapter 21 of The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, entitled “Increase the Quality and Quantity of Information”. This, of course, is one of major value propositions of LinkedIn, which this story illustrates beautifully.
Al Chase tells how he leveraged software and personal information from the client’s virtual presence to land a major contract:
I have been using LinkedIn as a virtual personal Web page for the past six months, as well as for business development for my executive search practice. I currently have 262 connections and 20 endorsements from clients and candidates.
Early in June, a prospective client contacted me who had found my profile on LinkedIn. The client was motivated to call me because of:
- The number and quality of my connections;
- The number and consistency of my endorsers and their comments about my unusual approach to recruiting;
- The fact that the client and I were two degrees away from one another within LinkedIn, separated by an attorney in Boston with whom we have both worked.
After calling our common connection to learn more about me, the client contacted me to explore the possibility of engaging me to do a search for the General Manager of an entertainment complex to be built in the Northeast.
We quickly determined that I had no prior experience in executing a high level search within this particular industry, and that I was competing with some of the large retained executive search firms in Boston for the right to conduct this search.
My reading of the client’s LinkedIn Profile led me to his Web page, where I learned that he had a background in choreography and dance. I used my knowledge of the world of dance to offer an analogy that prompted the client to consider engaging me for this search, despite my lack of prior industry experience. The client asked me to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement and asked to meet me face-to-face.
During the face-to-face meeting, I was able to present my approach to placing senior executives who are “Renaissance Souls” in companies where such a broad and classical approach to leadership is valued. At the end of the meeting, the client informed me that they would like to retain me for this search.
Using a combination of LinkedIn and other personal networks, I was able to quickly engage with top leaders in the theme park industry, and learned that most of the Best Practices leaders in the industry would be speaking at a trade association convention in Singapore in mid-July. I proposed to the client that I attend to accelerate the search. I returned from Singapore with dozens of contacts within the industry, and several well-qualified candidates.
One of those candidates whom I met in Singapore was engaged by my client to fill an operational role on the project, and another industry leader has been hired as general manager for the project.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:40 pm
[...] out a business trip, meet fellow travelers in your network, help you break the ice at a meeting or research a prospective client so you can communicate with them more effectively. Every one of these things helps show that you [...]
November 30th, 2007 at 1:27 am
[...] Learn more: Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale [...]
December 12th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
[...] Attract more clients. Yes, people do hire recruiters, as well as many other service providers, through professional networking sites (particularly LinkedIn). In order to attract more clients, you need to do three main things: - Build out your profile, making sure it has keywords describing your niche areas of expertise. - Get recommendations from both clients and candidates that have actually worked with you. - Participate in the public areas of the site, e.g., discussion forums, Q&A, etc. For a case study of how one recruiter used LinkedIn to attract and land a big client, see Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale. [...]
May 17th, 2008 at 12:31 am
[...] and want to buy something from you. Shocking? See how all this can work in the real world in Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale. Career Enhancement and Job SearchEnhance your efforts in searching for a job or finding [...]
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:13 pm
[...] Here it can get even better - receiving calls from buyers who found you on LinkedIn and want to buy something from you. Shocking? See how all this can work in the real world in Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale. [...]
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:27 am
hi
thanks for this blog. very useful
i was looking for help to use LinkedIn right now as i am finding it the most UN-userfriendly social network sites that i have joined.
i am relatively new to proper social networking so finding LinkedIn a real challenge
Jennifer McLeod
http://www.Jennifer-McLeod.blogspot.com
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
[...] and want to buy something from you. Shocking? See how all this can work in the real world in Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale [...]
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
[...] and want to buy something from you. Shocking? See how all this can work in the real world in Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale [...]
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Thank you for an enlightening article. I have signed up with LinkedIn. We’ll see where that leads.
Irena
Artisan Soaps
http://www.gingersgarden.com
May 28th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
What a great article! I had no idea that LinkedIn could be used so creatively and extensively. I will have to get more involoved with it…
June 4th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
[...] Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale - Al Chase (excerpt from The Virtual Handshake) [...]
June 9th, 2008 at 8:17 am
[...] and want to buy something from you. Shocking? See how all this can work in the real world in Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale [...]
October 21st, 2008 at 7:12 am
[...] Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale - Al Chase (excerpt from The Virtual Handshake) [...]
November 12th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Thanks for giving an insight to sales generation with help of linkedin membership. I have joined now, and expect to get some extra sales in addition to get a chance to join a movement of like minded people.