"Effective networking isn't a result of luck - it requires hard work and persistence."
Lewis Howes
Highly successful sales professionals have highly valuable networks. They've developed them, nurtured them and cultivated them over many years. They invest considerable time in maintaining them.
Engaging with your community of connections will help build upon your personal brand on social sites such as LinkedIn. If you build a large and smart network and never engage with conversation, it is the equivalent of compiling a massive rolodex and never reaching out to anyone.
Networking — whether done intentionally or coincidentally — can create huge competitive advantages for you.
REQUIRES PEOPLE
Anything you wish to accomplish in sales requires people. It must include a lot of them and you must take action. Even if you're an amazing sales professional, without an active network, you will struggle to consistently succeed.
I'm here to inform all of you who have big followers on Twitter or Instagram and tons of connections on LinkedIn, you actually have to engage with your following and connections. Think of providing great big social hugs. You must include an in-person, human component and feel. This is how you build social credibility. You never know when you'll need it but when you do it's heavenly!
If you don’t have the network or fail to build one, you're missing an extremely key ingredient; People. Without people, there’s no one to spread the word, your word, YOU!
True sales professionals take action and promote themselves. They engage with their network.
IT'S MORE THAN CLICKING CONNECT
We’ve all heard the saying, “Your network is your net worth.” However, building a network takes more than clicking a “connect” button on LinkedIn. It requires consistent active engagement.
A Selling from the Heart professional brings their heart to their network. They know it's OK to bring their genuine, authentic and real deal self; as they throw their arms around their network.
When you add authenticity and heart to your network, watch what happens and who engages back. A heartfelt sales professional builds a love fest with their network. They do it because they care.
Building a network is not time wasted
REACH AND TEACH
One never knows when they'll need their network. This is why a Selling from the Heart professional consistently reaches out by teaching their network.
In chapter 1 of one of my favorite books, Not Taught, by my man Keenan, he refers to the reach revolution.
"It's never been easier to market to, connect with, and engage anyone, anywhere in the world in real time - that is, instantly. Like it or not, the business world has gone global, and the shift has created the greatest new opportunity for success ever."
Question now becomes, "How are you creating your own reach revolution?"
The power of social is engagement. Start engaging, educating and humanizing your network. Become diligent and on a daily basis invest in your network. Do this intentionally and do it in an authentic manner.
"Reach is the cornerstone, the foundation of success in twenty-first century, Start building yours now."
Keenan
MAKE A HEARTFELT IMPRESSION
Unfortunately, digital has made many in sales lazy. One can't hide behind a keyboard forever! A Selling from the Heart professional drives conversation, leaves an impression, adds value and builds relationships. They truly tug on the heart strings of their network.
Your network is built over time
In order to build a true digital connection, one must engage and invest. Why? Because when you need your network, the network is there. They rally and rise to the occasion to help.
How do you expect to grow if you don't invest?
What impression are you leaving within your network?
You get out of your network what you put into your network. Sales reps can relate... "Crap in and crap out" when it comes to your Customer Relationship Management software and how you use it. The same can be said for what you do with your network.
Sales professionals lead their network with their hearts
A 401K NETWORK
Consistent deposits in your retirement funds allows you to live a fruit filled life in your golden years. When you need it, it's there as opposed to being a greeter at Walmart!
Are you making consistent deposits with your network?
Are you building a network of people who know you?
Are you diversifying your network?
Are you adding value to their lives digitally?
Does your network know the real you?
Are you masquerading online as one person but offline you're someone else?
"Invest in yourself. Your career is the engine of your wealth." -
Paul Clitheroe
Invest in your network! You can truly leverage your network into an "engine of your wealth."
HEARTFELT ENGAGEMENT
In today's world, we have so many technology platforms to help salespeople do their job better and more efficiently that we've forgotten the heart is at the center of sales.
So few in sales are placing their heart at the center of what they do.
A Selling from the Heart professional brings the human approach to their network, making it about their network and what’s important to their network!
Technology is wonderful and technology runs rampant in the twenty-first century but we must not forget to humanize it. Many in sales are leveraging technology as they dehumanize sales. A heartfelt professional leverages technology to humanize their network.
A heartfelt professional smashes technology and digital all together to humanize what they're all about. Their network feels it, their network sees it and most of all; their network lives it with them.
There's incredible power of genuine engagement with other human beings to drive sales success.
RISEUP AND STANDUP
The time is now for all those in sales to take a heartfelt stance. Let's all shout from the mountain tops...
We are a new class of genuine, authentic sales professionals!
We are not empty suits!
We know our values and live by them!
We make a difference!
We sell from the heart!
If you would like to know more about the incredible value of building your network, please tune into the latest episode of the Selling from the Heart podcast (click on the image below).
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart has launched! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.
You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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