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!
LinkedIn Reconnection Message – Do Not Try This at Work
Lately I’ve been getting a raft of messages from LinkedIn connections wanting to get reacquainted. This is not a bad idea. In fact, your LinkedIn 1st degree network can be a treasure chest of potential clients you’ve allowed to go cold.
How to Effectively Use Hashtags on LinkedIn
LinkedIn wants you to start using hashtags. And, I think it’s about time. For platforms, like Twitter and Instagram, hashtags are an essential ingredient to the social posting recipe.
Why Do You Want to Use Social Media?
When business execs and subject matter experts ask me for help with a social media program, my first question to them is: Why? What is it you want to use social media to do?
How to Ace Your Meetings with a LinkedIn Pre-check
These days most professionals take at least a cursory look at a LinkedIn profile before meeting with someone they don’t yet know.
7 Reasons Why LinkedIn is the Best Social Media Network for Professional Services
While social media has long been prominent for business-to-business firms in industries such as tech, telcom and media, many professional services firms are just now beginning to embrace this powerful business development channel. One thing that holds many firms back is not knowing on which network to start.
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.
10 Best LinkedIn Secrets & How You Can Leverage Them
With all the LinkedIn changes recently, even a full-time LinkedIn guy like me can get confused. Thus, I think it’s time to share with you ten of the best and oftentimes hard-to-find LinkedIn features.
How to Use Social Media to Charge More for Your Services
I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that most professional services execs have noticed it’s easier to get premium rates for your services from some clients than others.
LinkedIn Plus Twitter: Supercharge Growth With This Power Duo
Building relationships with most everyone you meet is a sure-footed way to steadily build and earn business. The reason this works so well is because trust is the soul of sales.
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.
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.
How to Build – or Screw Up - Trust with the Help of LinkedIn
How simple marketing mistakes can erode trust
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 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.
CMOs: Why You Should Be Leading the Charge on LinkedIn and How to Do It
With all manner of statistics and survey results pointing directly to LinkedIn as the hottest B2B marketing channel since the last one, you’d think CMOs would be taking advantage of it. At least I did. But a surprising number seem to be missing the boat.
Why Aren’t B2B Marketers Running Better Lead Generation Programs on LinkedIn?
According to a recent CMO.com survey, lead generation ranks as the top objective for B2B companies’ digital marketing programs, with 41% of respondents choosing it as their top goal.
Your LinkedIn Dream Team - Roles that Maximize Success
From the outside, implementing a LinkedIn program may seem fairly easy. And, indeed, if all you want are vanity metrics (followers, shares, likes), then you can probably get away with one individual doing the work.
Costly LinkedIn Mistake #12: Operating Without a Plan
This is #12 in a series of mistakes we address in our report on the “12 Costly Mistakes Tech Marketers Are Making on LinkedIn and What You Can Do About It.”
Forrester’s 10 Attributes of Thought Leadership and Why Most LinkedIn Articles Are Not
Has anyone else noticed a serious degradation in the quality of articles jamming up our LinkedIn news feeds lately? I have, and I’m pretty sure I know why.