CONVERSATION
STARTERS
Ideas for finding and converting strangers to extraordinary clients and partners
Conversations Starters is written and edited for B2B consultants and coaches who want to build more and better business relationships, achieve visible thought leadership roles and serve more of the clients you deserve.
There are no hacks or gaming of the system here.. If you want sound ideas and advice about how to look good, sound good and fill your sales pipeline, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome!
How To Get Better Results from your LinkedIn Groups
Jeff Simmons joins us to discuss the do’s and don’ts for salespeople and marketers who want to use LinkedIn Groups effectively. He’s a master when it comes to building sales funnels, and his B2B Sales Funnel Library is a valuable resource for any B2B marketer intent on generating leads.
Why You Need to Expand Your Networking Strategy Now
I recently witnessed two very different views on network building offered by high ranking partners in well-known accounting firms.
Are Sales and Marketing People Ruining LinkedIn?
Not too long ago, LinkedIn was a haven from spam. Messages came only from people you knew or who had taken the time to learn something about you. The times are changing — and the news is not good.
LinkedIn Paralysis: The Hidden Heartache of Social Selling
No wonder close to 50% of salespeople aren’t achieving their quota objectives. 7 ways you set yourself up for success.
10 Ways to Generate Leads and Build Influence on LinkedIn
Without some of us even noticing, LinkedIn developed into a useful publishing platform and tool to generate leads for marketers and salespeople looking to build relationships with prospects.
Assess the Business Value of Your LinkedIn Network with Personas
I like to think of my LinkedIn network as being a lot like a vegetable garden. My garden, and probably yours as well, has a lot of variety that includes a number of very healthy plants. Sometimes weeds work their way in and then there are also times when I find myself growing a vegetable only to find out that it is not to my liking.
6 LinkedIn Myths that Make Me Groan
If everything LinkedIn itself and uncountable LinkedIn pundits wanted you to believe about using LinkedIn were true, my life would be so much easier.
Why Your LinkedIn Network Requires a Strategy
Have you ever really stopped to think about who you are – or should be – connected to on LinkedIn and why?
How and Why to Pilot a LinkedIn Social Selling Program
Is “social selling” just one more way to distract your sales team, taking you even further away from reaching quota while consultants make a big dent in your sales budget? Or could it actually make your sales people more effective, better at reaching hard-to-get-to prospects, able to find more sales opportunities, ultimately making their numbers?
LinkedIn Social Selling Index – What It Is and How Sales Management Can Use It
There are not-so-subtle signs that social selling in general and LinkedIn specifically need to be incorporated into your sales team’s sales process.
How to Increase Available Selling Time with LinkedIn
According to CSO Insights’ Sales Optimization Study, B2B sales people typically spend a startling 59% of their time NOT selling.
How to Use Sales Navigator to Protect and Grow Your Existing Accounts
Mention the phrase “social selling” in complex B2B sales situations, and the mind goes straight to prospecting and new account acquisition. The pressure is on for new customers/logos.
Social Selling: 6 Data-Backed Reasons for B2B Sales Leaders to Love It
“Social selling” may be the latest buzzword worthy of a place on the BS bingo game board, but it’s a serious concept that affects every B2B sales rep, sales manager and sales executive on the planet.
Why Invest in Sales Navigator
Sales managers often ask us if they need to spring for a paid account to effectively use LinkedIn. Until last July, my answer was “maybe” – it really depended on how active you would be as a user.
How LinkedIn Solves 4 New Account Sales Challenges
The classic sales Catch 22: quotas are shooting up while the B2B buying process is getting more complex, and more people are involved in the buying decision.
Why B2B Companies Must Pay More Attention to LinkedIn
B2B sales and marketing is going social. No shock there. But there is an interesting conflict. Multiple studies (Forrester, ComScore, etc) have shown us IT buyers prefer LinkedIn 2X more than any other major social network when it comes to reading content
Why Your LinkedIn Profile May be Driving Prospects Away
By now you’ve undoubtedly read an article or twelve about the significance of a great LinkedIn profile along with an equal number of “how to do it” articles. But this article is different because I take a different view of profiles.
4 Keys to Making LinkedIn Your Best Prospecting Tool - and Why You Should Care
The word is out. IT and other B2B buyers are on LinkedIn, actively seeking help in solving business problems and ready to connect with vendors who do it right.
Why You Need Sales and Marketing in your LinkedIn Program
There is a costly disconnection between sales and marketing efforts on LinkedIn.
Is Poor Messaging Sabotaging Your Sales Team’s Efforts? How to Use LinkedIn to Get on the Right Track.
In a new study from OpenView Venture Partners (available here for the price of your contact information), 39% of IT buyers said they rejected outreach from an IT vendor sales person simply because they were not interested in the product or service.