LinkedIn is a phenomenal resource for making connections, especially now that many of us are networking from the comfort of our home. There are currently about 900 million users, which is about 10% of the world’s population, and likely 90% of the world’s business population. That means you have an incredible opportunity to reach a bounty of current customers and potential prospects who are just a few connections away.
If you’re looking to make a cold call warm, you can use LinkedIn to send a short message and ask how your prospect is doing. Ask about their how their company is navigating whatever sea changes you’re seeing in your industry.
Another piece of the conversation should be reaffirming your relationship with them. If you’ve worked with them before, ask if they’re still happy with the results of a past project. You might hear about some non-utility-cost financial or non-financial benefits that you could add to your Success Story Archive. You could also ask about what trade organizations they belong to and what publications they’re reading so you can gain insight into where they get their information and what their (and their peers’) key issues and interests might be.
Here’s another way to approach things. If you’re thinking of contacting a colleague of someone you’ve worked with, ask if you could use your customer’s name. Chances are they’ll not only say yes, but also give you permission to have potential customers call them for a reference. That’s really the key to the kingdom. With that permission, you could proactively research the professionals they’re connected to. And perhaps most importantly, you now have an attention-grabbing way to introduce yourself.
Lastly, doing some research on a company or a particular person can give you material to mention when you write them a message. Perhaps they recently presented on behalf of a trade organization or served on a panel that’s relevant to your offerings. Those are the people you should be making connections with. And when you do request to be connected with them on LinkedIn, do something more creative than clicking a button that populates your connection request with the usual, boring canned greeting: “I would like to connect with you.” Make a real effort to personalize your connection request. For example:
“I studied the PowerPoint you used when you co-presented at the XYZ conference last year. I found it to be very relevant and thought we would both benefit from connecting.”
Anybody who gets that connection request will probably accept it because you know who they are and it’s clear that you are contacting them for a reason. In short, you are making a cold call warm, and once the door is open you can start a conversation about what they do, what they see their needs as being.... and, if it seems appropriate, what you do, what you sell, and the folks you have helped address similar needs. If the person you’ve connected to knows someone else with similar needs, then that’s a bonus. What’s more, you can ask them to use their name and continue the referral process.
One more thought... This is not some sort of contest where you get prizes for the largest number of connections, etc. You should have a legitimate reason to connect with someone, and you should be committed to investing the time to nurture that relationship with a goal of creating a win-win situation for both you and your connection.
