12 Reasons Why Sales People Should Use LinkedIn

<h1>12 Reasons Why Sales People Should Use LinkedIn</h1>Author: <a title="Jan Vermeiren" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/jan-vermeiren/151905.htm">Jan Vermeiren</a> The 21st Century Bathroom Design
Many people including account managers, business owners, business development managers and sales people don’t know why they should use LinkedIn. Here are 12 reasons.
1. Finding the right people at prospects or at current customers.
How can LinkedIn help? Find their Profile via Advanced Search or by browsing through the network of your network.
2. Find information about prospects as preparation for your meeting.
How can LinkedIn help? Read the Profiles of your contact persons before your meeting.
3. Maintain relationships with prospects or customers.
How can LinkedIn help? Sending personal messages, sharing ideas in Discussions and answer questions in Answers.
4. Receive Recommendations which are visible for everyone and in particular for prospects and customers.
How can LinkedIn help? Receiving Recommendations and showing them in your Profile.
5. Discover relationships between:
<ul>
 <li>Customers, prospects and other contacts 
 </li>
 <li>Prospects and colleagues so you don’t contact the same prospects 
 </li>
</ul>
 
How can LinkedIn help? (Advanced) Searching and browsing in the network of you own contacts.
6. Introductions or referrals to prospects.
How can LinkedIn help? Via the “Get introduced to” option or via an email outside LinkedIn after finding the relationship between them on LinkedIn.
7. Visibility, reputation and online branding of yourself and of the organization you work for.
How can LinkedIn help? Your Profile, not only on LinkedIn, but also in search engines like Google, contributions in Answers and Discussions.
8. Word of mouth advertising
How can LinkedIn help? Recommendations you have received and people who talk about you in Discussions, mention you as an expert in Answers or talk about you outside LinkedIn.
9. Receive notifications when someone changes jobs.
In this way you can ask to be introduced to the person who replaces them. You might also become the supplier of the new organization of your contact. How can LinkedIn help? Via Network Updates on your LinkedIn Home Page.
10. Hear about trends in the market place from customers, prospects and other sales people.
How can LinkedIn help? Membership of Groups of which your customers and prospects are also member of and Groups where you can exchange ideas with other sales people.
11. Make sure that customers and prospects regard you as an expert (and as a consequence keep faith in you and are happy to refer you)
How can LinkedIn help? Contributions in Discussions and Answers. This can also lead to receiving Expert Points, but that’s a nice bonus, not a goal in itself.
12. Find the right organizations to become member of, both online and offline.
How can LinkedIn help? Via Group Search and via the Profiles of people in your own LinkedIn network.
To your success ! 
Jan 
Jan Vermeiren, founder of Networking Coach 
PS: more tips can be found in the Amazon Best Seller "How to REALLY use LinkedIn". 
Make sure to get your FREE light version of the book at: <a href="http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com">http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com</a></a>About the Author: Jan Vermeiren is the founder of Networking Coach, author of the network books “Let’s Connect!” and "How to REALLY use LinkedIn" and well known networking speaker. Jan and his team specialize in online and offline networking and referral presentations and training courses. Go to <a href="http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com"><a href="http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com" target="_blank">www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com</a></a> to get your FREE light version of the book. The team works for international companies like Alcatel, Deloitte, DuPont, IBM, ING, Nike and Sun as well as for small companies.Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/12-reasons-why-sales-people-should-use-linkedin-1168191.html" title="12 Reasons Why Sales People Should Use LinkedIn">12 Reasons Why Sales People Should Use LinkedIn</a>

The 21st Century Bathroom Design

Many people including account managers, business owners, business development managers and sales people don’t know why they should use LinkedIn. Here are 12 reasons.

1. Finding the right people at prospects or at current customers.

How can LinkedIn help? Find their Profile via Advanced Search or by browsing through the network of your network.

2. Find information about prospects as preparation for your meeting.

How can LinkedIn help? Read the Profiles of your contact persons before your meeting.

3. Maintain relationships with prospects or customers.

How can LinkedIn help? Sending personal messages, sharing ideas in Discussions and answer questions in Answers.

4. Receive Recommendations which are visible for everyone and in particular for prospects and customers.

How can LinkedIn help? Receiving Recommendations and showing them in your Profile.

5. Discover relationships between:

Customers, prospects and other contacts
Prospects and colleagues so you don’t contact the same prospects

How can LinkedIn help? (Advanced) Searching and browsing in the network of you own contacts.

6. Introductions or referrals to prospects.

How can LinkedIn help? Via the “Get introduced to” option or via an email outside LinkedIn after finding the relationship between them on LinkedIn.

7. Visibility, reputation and online branding of yourself and of the organization you work for.

How can LinkedIn help? Your Profile, not only on LinkedIn, but also in search engines like Google, contributions in Answers and Discussions.

8. Word of mouth advertising

How can LinkedIn help? Recommendations you have received and people who talk about you in Discussions, mention you as an expert in Answers or talk about you outside LinkedIn.

9. Receive notifications when someone changes jobs.

In this way you can ask to be introduced to the person who replaces them. You might also become the supplier of the new organization of your contact. How can LinkedIn help? Via Network Updates on your LinkedIn Home Page.

10. Hear about trends in the market place from customers, prospects and other sales people.

How can LinkedIn help? Membership of Groups of which your customers and prospects are also member of and Groups where you can exchange ideas with other sales people.

11. Make sure that customers and prospects regard you as an expert (and as a consequence keep faith in you and are happy to refer you)

How can LinkedIn help? Contributions in Discussions and Answers. This can also lead to receiving Expert Points, but that’s a nice bonus, not a goal in itself.

12. Find the right organizations to become member of, both online and offline.

How can LinkedIn help? Via Group Search and via the Profiles of people in your own LinkedIn network.

To your success !
Jan
Jan Vermeiren, founder of Networking Coach
PS: more tips can be found in the Amazon Best Seller "How to REALLY use LinkedIn".

Make sure to get your FREE light version of the book at: http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com

Jan Vermeiren is the founder of Networking Coach, author of the network books “Let’s Connect!” and "How to REALLY use LinkedIn" and well known networking speaker. Jan and his team specialize in online and offline networking and referral presentations and training courses. Go to www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com to get your FREE light version of the book. The team works for international companies like Alcatel, Deloitte, DuPont, IBM, ING, Nike and Sun as well as for small companies.

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