Why does everyone stop work this time of year?

My good friend Caryn Kopp wrote a great article on why it is so important for salespeople to keep working during November and December.   I have started with several new clients this month and I am doing lots of follow up to move sales through my funnel. Caryn outlines 5 reasons to keep prospecting in December.

Fill Your Pipeline In December

Why spend the last two weeks of December cleaning out files when you could be filling next year’s pipeline with new business?  Most business owners and salespeople believe that trying to reach prospects at year-end is pointless and instead spend time getting organized for the coming year.   In doing this, they miss out on one of the best times of the year to reach decision makers live.  Here’s what we’ve learned about prospecting in December…

1. Companies have fewer internal meetings during the last two weeks of the year due to employee vacations and mid-day holiday parties.  This means decision makers are more likely to be working at their desks and available when you call.
2. Many assistants take year-end time off (especially if they have school-age children), leaving decision makers to answer their own phones…without gatekeepers.
3. Decision makers who are in their offices at this time of year are more relaxed and chatty.
4. Your competitors don’t think this way.  They usually stop calling prospects the 2nd week of  December.  Your “share of voice” when leaving voicemails and reaching prospects live will be higher and you will get more accomplished with each call.
5. Decision makers will typically not accept a meeting from mid to end of December. However, if you request a date to meet NEXT year (which is just days away), their  calendars are usually wide open.  Ask for a meeting in early January and watch your calendar fill up.

This works especially well with hard-to-reach and senior level decision makers.  Connecting with prospect decision makers is just the first step in getting the door open.  Once you have a prospect on the phone you will need to deliver a content-rich message that is so relevant and compelling your prospect will invite you in for a meeting.  Does the message you are using now accomplish this for you?  Of course you must also be prepared to answer the objections that will inevitably come your way.  How much time have you spent pre-thinking answers that will get you past the objections you face?  Don’t forget to couple your objection response with a request for a next step.  How often do you do this?  What are you planning to do to develop new business this December?

About the author…Caryn Kopp, is the Managing Director and Chief Door Opener® of Kopp Consulting, LLC., a nationwide company which helps its clients secure initial meetings with high level, hard to reach, decision makers.  This program is called the Door Opener® Service.  Caryn is the author of The Path To The Cash! ®  The Words You NEED To Bypass Those Darned Prospect Objections!  This is the go-to book for getting in the door with prospects.  For more information go to www.koppconsultingusa.com.  

(In an earlier post, I discussed whether or not you should be on LinkedIn. If you’re new to LinkedIn, you’ll want to read that article first to learn how to build a strong network.)

There is lots of talk about the new LinkedIn company pages. For some it is just another place on the internet they need to keep current. It can seem daunting at times. I currently have business pages on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google +, and Youtube that I need to update regularly, along with all of my personal profiles. Not to mention this blog that needs new content weekly. It does take a lot of time, but so does any sales and marketing plan. The better you get at it the faster it is and the more results you get. That said, it is a lot to keep up with and it is constantly changing, so I do recommend you train someone at your company to help you or hire and train an intern.

There is plenty of good information out there on how to put up your company page and I have linked to those at the end of this article. What’s missing is what to do once you complete your company profile. It’s like any other social media, if you are posting things and no one is watching you don’t get results. So here are 5 things I am doing to get people to follow my company page. First and foremost, I let them know I have one and share the link in the following ways:

1. Add a LinkedIn button to your website – when clicked it will take them to your company page.

2. Follow your clients. When they see you follow them, they may follow you.

3. Post an update on your personal profile and include the link to your company page. (See example below.)

4. Get the url for your company page (like this http://www.linkedin.com/company/alice-heiman-llc) and put it at the end of your LinkedIn email messages.

5. Add a link to your LinkedIn Company page in the signature of your email (see below) and have it link to your company page. If you need to know how to do this, watch this screenr.

But don’t forget, once you have followers, you have to add value. So make a plan on what you will post and when. Then go back and check frequently to see if people are interacting and be sure to connect with them.

Below are some other resources to help you with LinkedIn Company Pages:

• Social Media Examiner - 5 Tips for Using The New LinkedIn Company Pages
• HubSpot’s ebook - How to Use LinkedIn for Business
• HubSpot - 11 Reasons Your LinkedIn Company Page Sucks 

If you’d like to learn more about how to use LinkedIn to generate leads, join my interactive webinar on December 15th at Noon (Pacific). Learn more…

Why do I keep writing about Facebook, I am not a Facebook expert.  Yet I use Facebook daily for business as part of my marketing strategy.  I do believe that small businesses can generate interest and find new clients via social media and for some of you Facebook is where your target audience hangs out so you need to be there and be active.

The problem is that as a small business owner you may be wasting time on Facebook because what you are doing is ineffective and more damaging than good at times.   For example, using a personal profile page to put up a page for your business is not only against the policies of Facebook but it is not an effective way to promote your business.  Not to be rude but the first clue is you have to state whether you business is “male or female.”  It’s obvious this page is to be used for a person not a business.  Facebook realizes that you want to promote your business so they created Business or “Fan” pages for this purpose.  There is a choice for every type of business.

So why then would you use a personal profile instead of the appropriate type of business page?

Maybe you have one of these reasons.

Reason number 1: I couldn’t figure out how to make a business page.

Go to any business page and in the upper right hand corner there is a button that says, “Create a Page”   or Google,  ”How to make a Facebook business page” and the link comes right up.

Reason number 2: I didn’t know the difference.

You are not ready to use Facebook as part of your marketing plan.

Reason number 3: I don’t want to be on Facebook, I just want to use it to promote my business.

Sorry, but that is not how it works.  People buy from people they know, like and trust.  How will they know you and like you,  let alone trust you if you are not available to them?  Facebook was built on the basis of personal relationships.  If you are not willing to be on Facebook personally, then it is not the right place for you to promote your business, use a different avenue.

Reason number 4: It’s easier to get fans.

If it’s a profile, they are not fans, they’re friends.  Many of us won’t accept a friend request from a business.  Also, you are limited to the number of friends you can have.  On a business page you can have an unlimited number of fans.

Reason number 5:  I can’t get anyone to “Like” my business page.

Have you given them a reason to “Like” your page? See #9 below.

Here is how I suggest  you use Facebook to get the best results.

1. Put up your personal profile. Use a current photo that looks like you.
2. Connect with friends, family, coworkers, clients. If you are connecting with people you don’t know very well or who you recently met, be sure to send a short, personal note explaining how you know them and why you want to connect.
3. Post things that help people get to know you. You don’t have to be too personal but you want people to get to know you so they can like you and trust you, because we know that people buy from people they know, like and trust.
4. Interact with your connections. Click like on their posts or comments. Comment on their posts occasionally. All of this needs to be done genuinely. Don’t just comment to comment; comment on things you are genuinely interested in.  Yes, this takes time, so does meeting with people in person.  Schedule time on your calendar and check in for 15 min. daily and then once a week make a longer visit to Facebook.
5. Don’t post too much business stuff on your personal page.
6. Put up a business fan page.
7. Start inviting your connections from your personal page to your business page.
8. Provide interesting and engaging information on your business page.
9. Get more people on your business page by:

• putting a link from your website to your business page.
• putting a link on your email signature.
• putting it on you business card.
• running a contest.

10. Consider using ShortStack to build a customer business page – it’s easy.

If you’d like help with your sales and marketing strategy and deciding whether or not to use Facebook as part of it, we would love to help.  You can sign up for a free 30 minute consultation or join one of our Sales Success Groups.  You can email or call us at 775-852-5020

P.S. Here is a great resource from Hubspot: How to Use Facebook for Business: An Introductory Guide for 2011

When people ask me if they should be on LinkedIn I always ask, “Is anyone you do business with or want to do business with on LinkedIn?”  If the answer is yes, then you need to be on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a very powerful tool when used correctly.  But just “being” on LinkedIn is not enough. Having a profile on LinkedIn will get you about the same thing as going to a party and standing in the corner. Someone might come up to you but you can’t expect any results. If you want to get results you have to learn to utilize the tool and interact.

Having a complete profile is the bare minimum. Review your profile. Be sure it is complete and represents you well. I find so many people without a photo. To be effective you need a current headshot. A photo that looks like you so that someone who has met you in person would recognize you.

Next you need connections. A big mistake many people make is connecting with people they don’t know. What good is a long list of people you don’t know? What can you do with it? The idea is to build a strong useful network. One that you can reach out to for help. That means you need to know them and they need to know you, like you and trust you. Only then will the network be useful to you.

Here are my recommendations for building a strong network.

1. Connect with people you know. Start with friends, family and co-workers, then add clients and past clients. Add people you meet networking and people in your professional organizations. Don’t try to connect with people you don’t know. That comes later and it will be much easier and more effective once you have connected with everyone you do know.

2. Make it personal. Always send a personalized note, even if you know the person well. The idea is to connect and build the relationship. Example:

Hi John,
It was great to see you at the business networking event last night.  I’d like to talk to you further about the technology group you mentioned.  Let’s get connected on LinkedIn so we can share our networks. I look forward to talking again soon.
Best Regards,
Alice

3.Interact just like you would in real life. Login to LinkedIn daily. Answer emails, post your activity, and check out what people in your network are sharing and click “Like” or make a comment. Find more people you know and get connected.

4. Get involved with some groups. Notice I didn’t say join. Joining is not enough. You won’t get results. You have to get involved in the discussions and share valuable information. When people you don’t know from that group interact with you it gives you a reason to ask them to connect which widens your network. Find professional organizations that you belong to and join their groups on LinkedIn. Join your alumni association. Then search for other groups that would be interesting for you to belong to. This is one of the best ways to connect with people you don’t know.

5. Ask for introductions. If there is someone you don’t know that you want to be connected with find someone who knows you, likes you and trusts you to introduce you. This is much more effective than sending a connection request to someone who doesn’t know you. To increase the likelihood of being connected to people you don’t know by someone you do, you have to spend time getting connected and strengthening relationships with people you know. So go back to point 1 and 2 above.

Once you have done these things, LinkedIn will be a powerful way to stay connected with people you know, develop stronger relationships and get connected with people you want to know.

Read more to learn how to get people to follow your company on LinkedIn.

If your company needs sales training on how to use LinkedIn to get connected and build relationships we offer training webinars  or onsite training tailored to your industry.  Please call 775-852-5020 for more information.

This article is published in this month’s Start Up, a special edition of Entrepreneur Magazine from my interview with Katie Rossomano. It’s available at your  local bookstore or online.

Most entrepreneurs know networking is important, but they may not realize just how crucial it is to the success of their new venture.

“Building a network helps entrepreneurs get their product to market and get the right people in place,” says Alice Heiman, networking and sales expert and author of e-book Connecting Your Way to New Business. Heiman suggests five basic rules for building a trusted network that will help your startup succeed.  Read more . . .

Where do you meet your prospects? I’ve met some of my best prospects at my son’s sporting events.

Year’s ago when my son played Little League baseball, I hated sitting through those long games, especially when it was freezing cold outside.  But like you, I went to most of the games and cheered his team on to victory.  At the time I never would have told you that I went to the Little League games to network because I didn’t, but it’s definitely in my nature to meet people and get to know them.  I was just doing what I do and at each game I sat with someone different and chatted in between plays and before I knew it, I knew all the parents and what type of work they did.  By the same token, they knew me and what kind of work I did.

Did I walk up to people at the game and put out my hand and say, “Hi, I’m Alice Heiman and I will help you increase sales.”  Of course not, the parents would have run the other way.  But what I did let them know that inadvertently.   I wasn’t thinking, “If I go to the baseball game and sit with a different parent each week I will surely meet some new prospects.”  No, I was genuinely interested in getting to know all of the parents.

During one of those seasons, one of the parents did happen to have a company that needed my help and because I had taken the time to get to know him he felt comfortable to call me.  I did end up providing sales training for his company and it worked out great.

Looking back, I realize this was a great place to network.  But I didn’t go about it the same way I would if I was attending a business event designed for networking.  I did what came naturally.

I recommend you look around and find some opportunities to network at your children’s sporting events.  Don’t go around selling your products and services to the other parents.  But do sit with different parents and get to know them.  Build relationships that can lead to sales, in the event that person is ever in need of your services.  Be genuinely interested in others and don’t worry about talking about yourself, your chance will come if you are a good listener and get to know people.

Building your network is a lifelong process, look for opportunities at every point in your life, even your kid’s baseball game.

If you’d like to learn how to make connections & build relationships that lead to sales, join my online training webinar, Networking Mastery for Sales Professionals on September 21st.

It never hurts to go back to basics and  regroup.  When it comes to social media, things are changing so fast it is tough to keep up.  Here are 8 tips to help you look at your social media plan in a basic way that will help you excel.

1. Take a look at your current marketing plan and review the ways you are reaching your target market.  Ask yourself, what’s getting you results and what’s not?

2. Think about your ideal customer, what social media platforms are they using?  Look at the demographics of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and any others and see if they match those you are trying to reach.  Ask your current customers what social media platforms they frequent.

3. Take a look at your competitors, how are they using social media?

4. Think about your brand and the messaging you want to use to communicate, which social media will help you do that best?  How does that integrate with any traditional marketing you may be doing, your newsletter or your blog?

5. Make an editorial calendar for your content. Good content is the key. It is what engages your audience and gets them to interact with you. Push out good content on a regular basis to develop your status as an expert and increase your following and then you can pepper in your events, programs or sales specials.

6. Determine who is going to be responsible for your strategy and for executing your strategy.  It needs to be done professionally and consistently.  This may be a good one to outsource to and expert.

7. Review and evaluate the results of what you have executed. Make changes to your strategy based on this information.

8. Measure your results, did you generate any leads with your social media plan?

If you need help with your sales strategy, please feel free to email me at answers@aliceheiman.com or schedule a free 30 minute strategy session.

Why is it so hard to find top sales talent in today’s marketplace ? 

Top salespeople are usually employed, so in today’s marketplace it may be difficult to get people to switch companies.  You want to have a good pool of candidates so you don’t have to settle for hiring the ‘best of the worst’.

I think working with a recruiter is worth it’s weight in gold, but realizing some companies aren’t going to do that, then you need to get the word out by writing a great job ad and posting it in the right places. A book I always recommend is You’re Not the Person I Hired, by Janet Boydell, Barry Deutsch, & Brad Remillard. It’s a must read if you’re doing any hiring.

Listen to my recent interview with Erik Luhrs from the Guru Selling System to learn more tips on how to hire a great salesperson!

“Social media takes so much time and I don’t see it generating business.”

I have heard this from many small business owners. It’s true that you can spend lots of time and not get any result unless you are doing things properly. It is also true that some businesses are generating a lot of sales using facebook and other social media sites. 

Here are a few tips on how to make the best use of Facebook for business owners so you can generate leads.

1. Make a plan. Any social media activity should be part of your businesses larger sales and marketing plan. Sit down and plan your posts and how they relate to the other sales and marketing you are doing.

2. Find fans. This starts with having friends on your personal page and driving traffic from your website or email signature to your business page. You have to engage fans so you may want to run a contest or have a giveaway to acquire fans but most importantly give them a reason to be your fan. Deliver great content, ideas, conversations.

3. Connect. You can only sell to people who know you, like you and trust you. Even if they don’t know you personally, they need to know your brand. Spend time connecting with people online just as you would in person. Get to know them, let them get to know you. Don’t just friend them and then never talk to them again. Figure out how to engage them and add value.

4. Be patient. Using social media as a form of marketing is a great idea, but it isn’t fast. You need to be online and be consistent. It could take months to start getting some traction, especially if you are doing it yourself and don’t know much about how social media marketing works.

If you would like to learn more please join me August 9th for an online sale training webinar. Find out more…

Facebook for business owners, a waste of time? Not if you ask me.

Small businesses are struggling to generate sales in this difficult economy. Read more for some tips for surviving— even thriving— in tough times.