Sales people and businesses who are serious about using their online presence to sell and make money don’t have sites that look like an amateur is behind them. They have invested in themselves and their online presence and continually use a critical eye to make sure it is presenting the desired image and information. They do not waste their time chasing shiny objects that add no value to their message or image.
Several times a week a hear from someone who wants to add a new widget to their site, a new plugin that pops up, twirls and then shoots sparks to get the attention of the reader yet they do not have a completed LinkedIn profile.
Are you suffering from what you don’t know that you don’t know? Is your current online presence effective? Is it complete and generating the results you expect? Most importantly, do you have a written, clearly defined goal for your online presence?
If not, it is time to take a step back and think this through. Social media and your online presence should not be this difficult. It is the chasing of shiny objects that gets many of us in trouble. You hear of a new must-do social site that is the next big thing and off you go.
For anyone in sales, it is much better to have a thorough, complete LinkedIn profile than to be dabbling on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and an ever-growing number of others. For many, just making the decision to invest into a paid account with LinkedIn will deliver more results, more consistently than the rest of your online activities combined. The simple act of paying a monthly fee helps keep us focused because that is where our money is going.
In every presentation I give about LinkedIn I can count on one question: “Should I have a paid account?”
I always answer the same way,
“If your Profile is not complete and rock solid, then no. Work on getting that completed. Then when that is done, yes, invest in the appropriate premium plan that fits your need.”
Here is a comparison chart of Premium Plans for general use:
Here is a comparison of the Premium Plans specifically designed for Sales Professionals:
There are other custom plans for job seekers and recruiters as well.
Worried about the cost? Stop thinking about how much it costs. Start thinking about how much money you are losing every day by not getting the full benefits and you will discover that investing in your business pays for itself many times over.
Are you ready to be successful and grow your business in 2013? Now is the time to start. Find the plan that is best for you and get started.
For those that get the message, share your results in the comments below. Your story can help others break through.
If you would like to read more about how the top performing reps are using LinkedIn compared to everyone else, here is a link to a report from Jill Konrath and Ardeth Albee titled Cracking the LinkedIn Sales Code.
