PPB April 2019

• Summary. Use the 2,000-character allotment to write about the challenges your clients face and then share two to three insights about promotional products and offer solutions. Make sure you include a call-to-action, such as a calendar link to schedule a call. Lastly add your contact information to the summary along with links to any rich media you have (website, photos, product videos, articles, etc.). • Background banner. Create a banner image with your company logo, your web address and email. • Profile photo. Have a professional headshot taken for your profile page. Find The Right People This is the act of discovery—to identify who your prospective clients are and to find them on LinkedIn. Begin by asking yourself these questions: • What industries/business sectors are you currently serving or wanting to break into? For example, you may have strong ties in the college market but also may want to expand into health care. • What geographical area are you currently working in or looking to expand into? LinkedIn gives you the advantage of expanding into an area without having a storefront or a rep in that area. • What’s the ideal company size to do business with? Many people like to work with small businesses or solopreneurs, while others like companies with about 250 employees. Once you’ve identified your prospects, don’t make the mistake many do on LinkedIn. Don’t start sending random connection requests and then, if they accept, try to sell them. When connecting with people on LinkedIn, context is very important. Find a reason to connect with them and if you can’t find a reason, then just “follow” them. First, make sure you’re connected with the people you already know and do business with. Look at your client list. Are you connected with the decision makers at your top 10, 25 or 50 clients? Are you connected with the reps at your top suppliers? Are you connected with the people you have relationships with in your networking circles? Next, check the connections you currently have and look for a way to re-engage with LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index (SSI) Get your SSI by going to www.getmyssiscore.com . Social Selling Dashboard Social Selling Index - Today Bill McCormick, MASI Transforming the Way Sales Professionals Find Leads & Generate Sales by Leveraging LinkedIn to Take Connections from the Digital Space to the Face-to-Face Learn Social Selling Tips in My Summary Below Your Social Selling Index (SSI) measures how effective you are at establishing your professional brand, nding the right people, engaging with insights, and building relationships. It is updated daily. Learn more 1 2 4 3 out of 100 83 Top Network SSI Rank % 2 Top Industry SSI Rank % 1 19.91 25 0 Establish your professional Brand 19.97 25 0 Find the right people 18.08 25 0 Engage in insights 25 25 0 Build relationships | APRIL 2019 | 31 INNOVATE