The document discusses using LinkedIn to prospect for new business opportunities in 2013. It provides tips for defining target accounts, researching contacts and decision makers within those accounts, and how to best contact them using LinkedIn messaging. Examples are given of searching for specific contacts and viewing their connections to find shared contacts. The document stresses focusing contact messages on the value or connection you can provide rather than just talking about yourself or your company. It includes an example of an ineffective introductory email.

1. Prospecting in 2013 using
linked-in.
Prepared by JR Bloch
February 2013
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 1

2. Brief Introduction
• My profile:
– My partners always considered me as a
« crazy » New Business Hunter.
– I mean even after 35 years doing it, I’m still
excited by the challenge, the emotion, the risk
taking, the “yes” , the “no”, getting in a new
department, new account where we didn’t
make any business yet.
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 2

3. Starting defining your targets.
• After I define my target account list, my
1’230 linked-in direct contacts change
dramatically the way I prospect in
2013.
• There is no limit to researching
information, since you can get the
professional profiles and details of
nearly anyone inside the target
account.
• Either going direct or playing
billiards, you should find very usable
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 3

4. Research
• Looking into people close to their
community is also a serious accelerator.
• Some let you even look into their own
contacts, you may find that a competitor is
a long time contact of your prospect.
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 4

5. Contacting Business decision
makers
• Contacting Business decision makers
becomes easier, playing with the
advanced option of the search engine; you
may be able to locate nearly any key
Business decision maker in that account.
• Simply enter a keyword with the activity
you are targeting, and HR
directors, marketing directors, Compliance
officers will come into your nets.
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 5

6. Example: we look for the HR
Director of Barclays Bank in UK. ❸
❹
❶ ❺
❻
❷
❼
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 6

7. We are getting close now!
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 7

8. Check other information like
previous jobs, & companies
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 8

9. Continue searching….
• Now follow me , I’m
dragging down a bit to
the section: people also
viewed
• This is not 100% their
network but rather a
lead for similar people
that people who used
linked researched..
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 9

10. Stay with me for the next interesting
piece of research..
• How are we connected to
each other?
• I’m frequently using this
information in my
introduction email/inmail
eg. We have X
connections in common…
this is valid inside large
organizations and prove
that you are already well
connected to them.
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 10

11. Time to act!
• Eventually you may want to get directly to them
calling or emailing.
• Calling is not obvious since most of the members of
linked-in do not provide their direct phone numbers.
Emailing is a bit simpler:
• You could rebuild the email address knowing the
naming policy of that company together with first
and last name of your target contact.
• Even better, I’m using the Linked-in Inmail option to
contact them.
• Linked-in sends the message, the response rate is
generally excellent. emea www.salestrainingemea.com
(c) sales training 11

12. Writing an Introduction Email or
Inmail :
• Go straight to the
value you may
bring to your
target contact.
• Do not speak
about yourself if
there is no
valuable
contribution to
them now!
• If there is an
existing
connection,
reference, that
may ease your
direct approach,
then do mention it
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com upfront. 12

13. And now an example of a bad
inmail!
Dear Sara, Our expert advice:
I’m Barclays Account manager
at HR performance solution. • Me, me , me and again me..
We are the leader in Europe • Speak too much about you
for the Staff management and your company.
solutions with over 80
customers in 11 languages • Going to details, S. does
(including Russian). Since we not yet know what you may
are sure We have the best be bringing to the table
possible solution in the market • You have the best solution ?
I’m pleased to offer you a face Who said this ? You did …
to face meeting Monday Feb • The meeting proposal is
18 th afternoon or Tuesday
impolite.
morning before 11:30 ( I have
to rush to the dentist then).
Kindest regards
Paul Smith
Account director Barclays. emea www.salestrainingemea.com
(c) sales training 13

14. Need more information
• contact JR Bloch: +972 52 64 57 477
or +33 183 64 74 07
• Email : jr@salestrainingemea.com
• Coming next : « the practice of cold
calling »
(c) sales training emea www.salestrainingemea.com 14