Sales Dog Blog

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Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Sales Training Tip #199: Network with Linkedin.com

Have you heard of the website, Linkedin.com? If you're not already using it as a networking tool, do it today. A simple tip in using it is to set aside 30 minutes each week to add contacts, etc. Keep in mind that Linkedin is a long-term networking tool. Do not expect it to have an immediate payout in terms of new customers.

Professional Selling Skills Training: The Power of Your Network

Long-term success does not come from one-time, single-shot sales. Long-term success in sales comes from what you do day in and day out and is impacted in a huge way by who you associate with. I've recently spent time with several different sales people and I've been amazed at how each of them view success and how they determine their goals. In each case, their frame of reference had a direct correlation on who they network with and the frame of reference the other people had. I hate to say it, but narrow-minded people have narrow-minded goals. Big thinkers have big goals.

I'm fortunate enough to have two kids (or I should say young adults as they are both in college). When they were little kids, we always monitored their friendships. As parents, this is natural because we wanted our kids to not be hanging out with others who were bent on causing trouble. In the same way, adults have to monitor who we allow ourselves to be influenced by. Is their any wonder why successful people associate with successful people?

A challenge I push myself to do is to ensure my network, my friends, and the people I come in contact with are big thinkers with big goals. The last thing I want to do is to be bogged down by people who could negatively impact my goals, the quality of my thinking, and, ultimately, what I accomplish.

A final comment: I was just in a sales office where the entire sales team was having a blow-out month. It seemed as if everything they were touching was turning into a sale. In talking with them, they had a level of energy and drive that permeated every corner of their office and every corner of their brains. Great sales people were hanging out with great sales people.

Contact Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter" for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Networking with Linkedin

Networking is a fundamental part of building sales. I've been blitzing my networking lately with Linkedin.com and I've been blown away with it. If you're not already part of it, go to www.Linkedin.com and get registered right now! Although some may say that it isn't worth their time, I'm here to refute that statement. If you're willing to use Linkedin as a tool to help locate people who have fallen off of your radar screen, then this is the tool for you. This is exactly what Linkedin is best at: helping you connect with people you've lost touch with. The power comes from hooking back up with people from your past and using them to help introduce you to new contacts. For me, with just a few hours of work, I've developed several new strong business leads and a large number of leads with long-term potential.
By the way, be sure to reach out to me on Linkedin and together we'll both expand our networks!


Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling is More Than Networking

Consultative Selling is all about dealing with customers. Sales Development is having an on-going process to build your sales volume. Neither of these definitions say anything about networking with your friends in the business. Recently, I've seen several situations where very competent, experienced sales people have had trouble closing sales. The reason for their slump is because of who they're calling on. Veteran sales people often wind up in trouble because of the amount of time they spend talking to their friends in the industry, believing that if they just stay in contact with these people, their numbers will take off. This big mistake is one of the primary reasons why seasoned veterans often finish their careers on a sour note. My advice: stay in touch with the people you know, but, at the end of each week, ask yourself how many new people you've talked with and have been able to add to your prospect list.