Networking is a cliche topic that’s always being discussed, but how many people are truly setting this as an important topic in their life. First I want to emphasize the importance of networking and that I obtained my undergrad internship as well as my current job through my network! In relation to LinkedIn I have grown my network on LinkedIn 4 fold in under a year and you can too!
Before even thinking about connecting with others make sure: you have a professional looking photo, all of your information is up to date and that you create a personal URL different from the auto-populated URL given to you!
A “connection” on LinkedIn really means nothing unless you are connecting with that person and building a relationship. How you go about that is really up to you.
The biggest question you should be asking is: Why did you connect with that person in the first place, are you hoping that they bring you value, or do you feel someway that you can help them?
When connecting with someone on LinkedIn personalization goes a long way and it makes it more likely the person will accept your request. By sending a quick note it also makes it much more likely that you will build a relationship with that person from the start!
I’m shocked at the number of connection requests I get without a note. To all the newbies on LinkedIn, I was doing the same thing 6 months ago. Here is a quick and easy note to send:
“Hey Name… I saw that you were connected to a few of my colleagues and I would love to keep in touch. Perhaps our paths will cross in the future. or I would love to chat about…..”
A big plus to LinkedIn is being able to follow your prospects and to be able to watch the content that they are liking and posting! This can ensure that your outreach can be highly personalized and show that you aren’t just putting them through a marketing sequence, but rather have some basic understanding of their company and their role. If you are using SalesNav remember to save your prospects to be able to get notifications with updates related to the company as well as when each individual posts.
Engagement is key on LinkedIn and by staying connected with your network by liking and commenting posts you will be rewarded by showing up more frequently in your networks homepage. A rule I have been trying to follow is to create new content 2 days a week and then post 2 days a week about content related to my company and the industry. One thing I have found to be a huge factor in creating content is to be genuine and not to force the creation of content. The LinkedIn algorithm especially rewards video content within LinkedIn, but the most important thing is to understand your strengths between audio, video and written and use that to your advantage!
Looking to connect or follow leaders is a huge way that I was able to grow my network. Big shout out to Morgan J Ingram and his podcast the SDR Chronicles. By connecting with Morgan I started to see content that was more related to the SDR role and sales in general. Some other top SDR influencers to follow include James Bawden, Brian Vital, James Buckley & Brian Smith Jr. Some top groups to join include SDRs only, Sales Hacker Community, and ASP- Association of Sales Professionals.
-Calvin Patterson-
I recently started a sales career at Northpass being able to pursue my passion for bringing business solutions to help companies. I have been an athlete all my life which has helped fuel my competitive nature. I love connecting with people whether that be through sports, business or a mutual connection. I enjoy playing soccer, traveling and drinking craft beers.
Northpass is focused on helping fast-growing companies train their customers, partners and internal organization!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvin-patterson/
Instagram: cjpattss
Company:Northpass
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