These proactive strategies that produce the most if you're looking for new customers, employees, suppliers, partners, experts or other people who can help you to achieve your professional goals.
In this series, I share 10 proactive strategies in order to find new customers.
Before you start with these tips, you need as you in the first part of this series may have read good first to define your target market and your LinkedIn network to build. Even though the previous weeks we shared strategies one and two and three and four strategies.
Below you can find strategy five and six to find new customers:
Strategy 5: use Groups Where your target group Is Member of Linking people not only with their colleagues, but they also find ways to meet. On LinkedIn profiles, backgrounds and people with similar interests come together in "Groups".
There are 5 ways to find groups on LinkedIn. Because the search function in "Groups" still quite limited (there is no "Advanced Search" for "Groups" at the time of this writing), you will probably need them all 4 for you to find the correct groups.
Use the groups list ("Groups Directory"). So do you do that:
In the top menu click on "Groups/Groups Directory".
There are a number of groups proposed in random order. Usually, you will find not really relevant groups.
You can use the search box on the left hand side with one or more keywords. You can refine your search with the type of group you are looking for or with the language. Be careful with this last option because a group can be a local Dutch or Belgian group, but still English as language can have.
When you click on the name of one of the groups, you come on the entrance page of that group (if it's an open Group) or on the profile page of the Group (if it is a private or group exclusively for members). In the latter case you get some information about the Group and about 10 people from the first two degrees of your network who are already a member (you can find the same information for open groups by clicking "More/Group Profile"). This can help you choose whether you want to be a member of that group.
Groups that you might interesting ("Groups You May Like")
In the top menu click on "Groups/Groups You May Like".
You get presented with groups that are similar to all the groups where you already are a member of.
Similar groups ("Similar Groups").
If you have found with the search function of the groups "Groups Directory" or via the "Groups You May Like" option, you will see the "Similar Groups" link on the right side of each group. Click it again raises a whole list of groups for which you could find in any other way.
If you select "More/Group Profile" in one of the groups where you are a member of, then you may find similar groups (Similar Groups) to the one where you already are a member of.
In this new overview of groups you can again click on "Similar Groups" for each of the listed groups.
People have also looked("People also explored")
Go to a "Group Profile".
At the bottom of the page you will find "People also explored". This gives yet another series with potentially interesting groups. For "Similar Groups" and "Groups You May Like" LinkedIn used an algorithm. "People also explored" resulting from human acts. Both approaches complement each other.
Look in someones profile.
This is a totally different approach. People have the natural tendency to form groups and clubs. LinkedIn shows that information on someone's profile, which is very useful information.
So go to someone's profile that is right for you (in this case a current or potential customer) and scroll down on his profile to see which groups he is a member.
This step can sometimes be more time-consuming, but delivers better results in many cases.
Note: it is very important not to sell in the groups. Groups are an excellent place to you Know, Like and Trust factor to build and the golden triangle of networks to use (Give, questions, Thanks), not to dump your promotions. That works even counter-productive: people consider it as spam and get a negative feeling about you and your organization. In that case, you had better have nothing done!
Strategy 6: use Groups of persons with access to your target group
In our experience of working with large international companies to one-man businesses, we have noticed that not many people take into account the strength of the second degree.
For example: if they already think of the power of a network, then think they only to their own network.
What we propose is to do the reverse: think of the network of your target group: who and what are their colleagues, customers, suppliers, partners, media, government contacts, etc.
If you have listed, then look to LinkedIn groups where you can meet the people who already have a relationship with the people you want to reach.
If you then builds a relationship with them, they can act as an intermediary or even Ambassador for you!
Tip: this may also work for groups where you may not join. Some groups require a certain skill, experience or degree (eg. Civil engineer) in order to qualify for membership. If someone in your network that has required you can 1st grade, ask him/her to go with that group and to act as an Ambassador for you. For example: recruiters are not welcome in some groups. As a recruiter, you can ask a colleague with the requirement profile of the Group and to place a vacancy.
PART - 5
In this series, I share 10 proactive strategies in order to find new customers.
Before you start with these tips, you need as you in the first part of this series may have read good first to define your target market and your LinkedIn network to build. Even though the previous weeks we shared strategies one and two and three and four strategies.
Below you can find strategy five and six to find new customers:
Strategy 5: use Groups Where your target group Is Member of Linking people not only with their colleagues, but they also find ways to meet. On LinkedIn profiles, backgrounds and people with similar interests come together in "Groups".
There are 5 ways to find groups on LinkedIn. Because the search function in "Groups" still quite limited (there is no "Advanced Search" for "Groups" at the time of this writing), you will probably need them all 4 for you to find the correct groups.
Use the groups list ("Groups Directory"). So do you do that:
In the top menu click on "Groups/Groups Directory".
There are a number of groups proposed in random order. Usually, you will find not really relevant groups.
You can use the search box on the left hand side with one or more keywords. You can refine your search with the type of group you are looking for or with the language. Be careful with this last option because a group can be a local Dutch or Belgian group, but still English as language can have.
When you click on the name of one of the groups, you come on the entrance page of that group (if it's an open Group) or on the profile page of the Group (if it is a private or group exclusively for members). In the latter case you get some information about the Group and about 10 people from the first two degrees of your network who are already a member (you can find the same information for open groups by clicking "More/Group Profile"). This can help you choose whether you want to be a member of that group.
Groups that you might interesting ("Groups You May Like")
In the top menu click on "Groups/Groups You May Like".
You get presented with groups that are similar to all the groups where you already are a member of.
Similar groups ("Similar Groups").
If you have found with the search function of the groups "Groups Directory" or via the "Groups You May Like" option, you will see the "Similar Groups" link on the right side of each group. Click it again raises a whole list of groups for which you could find in any other way.
If you select "More/Group Profile" in one of the groups where you are a member of, then you may find similar groups (Similar Groups) to the one where you already are a member of.
In this new overview of groups you can again click on "Similar Groups" for each of the listed groups.
People have also looked("People also explored")
Go to a "Group Profile".
At the bottom of the page you will find "People also explored". This gives yet another series with potentially interesting groups. For "Similar Groups" and "Groups You May Like" LinkedIn used an algorithm. "People also explored" resulting from human acts. Both approaches complement each other.
Look in someones profile.
This is a totally different approach. People have the natural tendency to form groups and clubs. LinkedIn shows that information on someone's profile, which is very useful information.
So go to someone's profile that is right for you (in this case a current or potential customer) and scroll down on his profile to see which groups he is a member.
This step can sometimes be more time-consuming, but delivers better results in many cases.
Note: it is very important not to sell in the groups. Groups are an excellent place to you Know, Like and Trust factor to build and the golden triangle of networks to use (Give, questions, Thanks), not to dump your promotions. That works even counter-productive: people consider it as spam and get a negative feeling about you and your organization. In that case, you had better have nothing done!
Strategy 6: use Groups of persons with access to your target group
In our experience of working with large international companies to one-man businesses, we have noticed that not many people take into account the strength of the second degree.
For example: if they already think of the power of a network, then think they only to their own network.
What we propose is to do the reverse: think of the network of your target group: who and what are their colleagues, customers, suppliers, partners, media, government contacts, etc.
If you have listed, then look to LinkedIn groups where you can meet the people who already have a relationship with the people you want to reach.
If you then builds a relationship with them, they can act as an intermediary or even Ambassador for you!
Tip: this may also work for groups where you may not join. Some groups require a certain skill, experience or degree (eg. Civil engineer) in order to qualify for membership. If someone in your network that has required you can 1st grade, ask him/her to go with that group and to act as an Ambassador for you. For example: recruiters are not welcome in some groups. As a recruiter, you can ask a colleague with the requirement profile of the Group and to place a vacancy.
PART - 5
No comments:
Post a Comment