Winning new business can be a real challenge - the art of selling doesn’t come naturally or feel comfortable to everyone. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re being ‘sold to’. I find the hard sell approach to be a massive turn-off, and I know I’m not alone in feeling that way! When I set up my own business, it was important to me to win more business the right way and build a credible client base of people I would enjoy working with, without going for the hard sell.
When I set up my marketing consultancy after leaving my corporate career as an accountant, I decided to offer marketing solutions to professional service providers such as accounting firms, as it was a natural fit for me. I realised all my ideal clients used LinkedIn and decided it was the best platform to grow my client base. It was important to me to use LinkedIn the RIGHT way. Through trial and error, I found that the best way to get results was not by chasing sales, but by chasing relationships instead. I prefer to spend my time relationship building as I genuinely enjoy this way of working.
Unlocking your ideal client profile is a fundamental part of your LinkedIn activity, and one of the best ways to get the most out of LinkedIn. However, many LinkedIn profiles are not geared towards making it easy for their ideal client to do business with them.
Failing to interact with prospective clients and connections is one of the main reasons why so many people don’t get the results they want from LinkedIn. I’ve learned over the years that LinkedIn messaging, specifically the art of relationship building is incredibly important, and it’s an approach that has worked for me as I’ve grown my own business from scratch.
When I talk to business owners who don’t use LinkedIn to generate business, their initial reaction is usually that they haven’t had any success with it to date, and they don’t believe it will bring them the kind of clients they want to work with.
I make no secret of the fact that most of my business comes via outbound leads on LinkedIn - actively looking for people who are interested in my products and services, and then taking the time to nurture a business relationship with them.
We're in an era of convenience and instant gratification - you can order pizza, or watch a movie, with little effort. You can often even get your Amazon order delivered the same day. Technology has been the driving force behind this progress, which has had a huge impact on our everyday lives. In many situations, we no longer have to wait to get what we want. Technology has also been the driving force behind the growth of social media platforms such as LinkedIn. I love LinkedIn, and for me, it’s the best tool available for prospecting to gain quality leads, as it allows for easy, direct marketing and networking to your ideal clients.
When someone does something positive for you, it feels good - and importantly, makes you want to do something in return.
When I’m talking to professionals about using Linkedin to grow their sales - known as Lead Generation - one worry raises its head time and time again.
I’ve learned over the years that the art of relationship building is incredibly important when growing and sustaining a business. People want to do business with people they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST.
“I love working with Nick. He’s an expert at what he does and he’s always happy to pass on his expertise. We’ve hired him in a few times over the past couple of years to help us with our marketing strategy and he’s never let us down.”
“The LinkedIn Masterclass was amazing! Nick’s a natural teacher and explains things clearly, as well as inviting ideas from the audience and discussing them. The course has helped me to add over £40k per year in revenue due to increased high-paying clients.”
“My accountancy business was struggling until we enlisted Nick to help us. His consulting turned our business around, helping us get 2 new clients in the first month. I’d 100% recommend Nick to any business looking to improve their lead generation.”
“I attended one of Nick’s LinkedIn workshops and it was great! There was so much actionable information, which is unusual for a 2-hour workshop. Nick’s a great speaker and he kept things lively and interesting. I can’t wait to attend the full masterclass.”
“I love working with Nick. He’s an expert at what he does and he’s always happy to pass on his expertise. We’ve hired him in a few times over the past couple of years to help us with our marketing strategy and he’s never let us down.”
“The LinkedIn Masterclass was amazing! Nick’s a natural teacher and explains things clearly, as well as inviting ideas from the audience and discussing them. The course has helped me to add over £40k per year in revenue due to increased high-paying clients.”
“My accountancy business was struggling until we enlisted Nick to help us. His consulting turned our business around, helping us get 2 new clients in the first month. I’d 100% recommend Nick to any business looking to improve their lead generation.”
“I attended one of Nick’s LinkedIn workshops and it was great! There was so much actionable information, which is unusual for a 2-hour workshop. Nick’s a great speaker and he kept things lively and interesting. I can’t wait to attend the full masterclass.”
Copyright by The SME Strategist. All rights reserved.
Copyright by The SME Strategist. All rights reserved.
