How Advertisers, Marketers, and Salespeople Get Leads, Sales, and Profits From LinkedIn by Brian Carter

How Advertisers, Marketers, and Salespeople
Get Leads, Sales, and Profits From LinkedIn by Brian Carter
Published by QUE
ISBN: 9780789749680, ebook ISBN: 9780133048032
Copyright (c) 2013 by Pearson Education

***** Continued from Thursday *****

Philips Market Research and Thought Leadership in Lighting and
Healthcare

Philips wanted to be seen as an innovative leader in healthcare,
lighting, and well-being. Their goal was to build credibility and
drive discussion (see Figure 1.5) and awareness with key audiences
for their two main B2B offerings: health and lighting. They created
two LinkedIn Groups (Innovations in Healthcare and Innovations in
Light) and grew them to 38,000+ and 27,000+ members, respectively.
Over 60% of their members were manager level or above. They drove
this membership through display ads, InMail, and word of mouth.
Almost 10% of those who received an InMail went on to join the
associated Group. What's more, their LinkedIn Groups became the go-
to communities for their niches.


Figure 1.5 "A widget showing a sample of discussions in Philips'
successful Innovations in Light LinkedIn Group."

(Figure 1.5 not shown)


Exact Gets 40% of Invited Accountants to Recommend Their Financial
Software

Exact is a company in the Netherlands that supplies software to
entrepreneurs. Knowing that accountants are influential advisors in
the financial process, and that 85% of the accountants in The
Netherlands could be reached via LinkedIn, Exact used a Company
Page, Recommendations, and Recommendation Ads to get 40% of their
customers to recommend their SAAS product. It garnered 281 product
recommendations and 5,924 new followers on their Company Page. Exact
has 14 product solutions. It lists each one on its LinkedIn company
page, and each one can receive recommendations from LinkedIn users.

You may have noticed that people shift where they spend time online
much more frequently than they used to. A LinkedIn Group that didn't
exist yesterday could be the hottest place in your niche three
months later (as it was for Philips, discussed previously). If
there's not a great place for one of your target audiences to
discuss things, or if the excitement in a forum has faded or it's an
older forum that doesn't have up-to-date social sharing
capabilities, you can take advantage of that by filling the gap with
your own Group, getting people to it, and trying to own that
conversation niche with your Group.


Chevron Unifies and Engages Difficult-to-Reach Energy Leaders

Chevron wanted to bring together all those passionate about energy-
related issues into one place. As you might imagine, in the energy
industry, as in many verticals, there is controversy. It's an
ongoing PR challenge to maintain a positive image for some
companies. A social media solution that brings dignity and decorum
to conversations that might otherwise be ugly is incredibly valuable
from a PR and branding perspective.

So, Chevron created a LinkedIn Group (see Figure 1.6) and then used
LinkedIn Ads and Partner Messages to target industry professionals,
policy makers, academia, and the media. They reached exactly who
they wanted to, exceeded their growth goals by 41%, and doubled
membership via unexpected word-of-mouth recommendations. Although
they worried about potentially contentious debates, they found the
discussions on LinkedIn to be respectful and professional. About 90%
of members visit the Group repeatedly, 87% read the discussions, and
92% read Group digest emails.


Figure 1.6 "This Group ad provides a live snapshot of current group
discussions. These ads can mention specific members in each ad
viewer's network."

(Figure 1.6 not shown)


Vistage Grows Its Business While Reducing Cost Per Lead

Vistage International provides ideas and strategies to business
leaders, business owners, and chief executives. The company is
looking to grow more members by reaching as many people as possible
in highly targeted audiences. Before LinkedIn, they had trouble
finding marketing and advertising options that yielded both quality
and quantity results. Targeting their audience with LinkedIn Ads,
they discovered a way to continuously reach more quality leads at
lower costs. In one recent quarter, they increased lead volume by
114% month over month, while cost per lead decreased 26% (see Figure
1.7). The LinkedIn campaign generated 89% more leads than the same
campaign on a leading ad network and at less than a third the cost
per lead.


Figure 1.7 "Vistage International was pleasantly surprised to find
that LinkedIn Ads performed better over time and dramatically
outperformed any other ad network for their business leads."

(Figure 1.7 not shown)


Here are the primary factors that affect profitability in B2B
marketing and sales:

* "Lead Quality:" Are these the right people for your business?

* "Lead Quantity:" Are you getting enough potential customers to
talk to? Can you increase this number without lowering quality?

* "Cost Per Lead:" Can you reduce the cost per lead without lowering
lead quality? Usually this is achieved with good audience targeting
and exciting or at least appropriate messaging.

* "Closing Ratio:" What percentage of leads turns into sales? If the
lead quality is good and sales follow-up is prompt and skilled, this
can be maximized.

* "Cost Per Sale:" The cost per lead and closing ratio determine
your cost per sale. With your margins, how much can you afford to
spend per sale on your sales, marketing, and advertising efforts? Is
this cost per sale low enough?

That's the math of profitability. The ways to get more profits are
to lower your cost per lead, increase the lead quality, and increase
the closing ratio. When you can do two or three of these at the same
time, you're a rock star. LinkedIn helped Vistage achieve that.


Joining LinkedIn Was Worth Nearly Half a Million Dollars

Bill Waterhouse is a Regional Director for Technical Innovation, a
company that provides audiovisual products, services, digital
signage, streaming media, and video conferencing. I spoke with him
in 2011 in preparation to train at an event for the association his
company belongs to: Professional Systems Network International. Bill
has a sales background and was the first person in the company to
use LinkedIn. It paid off almost immediately. Shortly after using
his email contact database to grow LinkedIn connections, he was
messaged on LinkedIn by someone he'd tried--and failed--to get
business with before. They invited his response to a new RFP
(request for proposal), which led to a $450,000 contract. Bill was
only considered because he popped up on LinkedIn. One employee
simply joining LinkedIn was a half-million-dollar payday for his
company.


Paperback: Today's read ends on page 16.

Monday we begin the book The $100 STARTUP: REINVENT THE WAY YOU MAKE A 
LIVING, DO WHAT YOU LOVE, AND CREATE A NEW FUTURE by Chris Guillebeau.

REAL INFLUENCE

REAL INFLUENCE: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In
by Mark Goulston and John Ullmen
Published by Amacom
ISBN: 9780814420157 Ebook ISBN: 9780814420164
Copyright (c) 2013 Mark Goulston and John Ullmen

***** Continued from Thursday *****

CHAPTER TWO

FOUR TRAPS THAT "DISCONNECT" YOU

"Things do not change; we change."
--Henry David Thoreau

When you practice connected influence, an entirely new level of
opportunity arises. It not just about getting people to do what you
want right now. It's about getting long-term buy-in from everyone:
your team, your business unit, your organization, your clients, your
family.

But before you can reach this goal, you need to understand where
you're starting out. And that means recognizing that you have some
serious baggage.

As you master the elements of the connected influence model, you're
going to start freeing yourself from four "bad influence" habits
that keep you disconnected. We call them "human nature traps," and
you can't fully overcome them because they're hardwired into your
brain--but you can avoid them more successfully when you can spot
yourself falling into them. Here's a look at all four, and why
they're so dangerous.


THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE

The first trap that leads you to disconnect may sound a little
crazy. But here it is: You're an animal.

To put it more accurately, you're only partly human--especially when
you're stressed. If you've read Mark's book, "Just Listen," you
already know what we're talking about here. But even if this isn't
news to you, stay with us, because we'd like you to think about it
from a different angle.

Here's the short story: In effect, you have not one brain but three.
That's because Mother Nature has spent hundreds of thousands of
years fine-tuning your brain's hardware and software. But she didn't
get rid of the old parts; instead, she just added on to them.

As a result, you have three different "layers" of brains, and each
one has a purpose. Your reptile brain focuses on "fight or flight,"
your mammalian brain on "emotion," and your human brain on "reason."

This is actually a very efficient system most of the time, because
each of these parts knows its job. Your human brain is at work when
you're entering data in a spreadsheet, your mammal brain feels happy
when you're holding a baby, and your reptile brain screams "Run!" if
a car swerves toward you.

The problem is that sometimes your three brains can get in the way
of each other--especially when you're under stress.

At times like this, an emotional sensor in your brain called the
amygdala can become overly activated, causing what psychologist
Daniel Goleman calls "amygdala hijack." When your amygdala gets
hijacked, its as if your three brains have disconnected and are all
functioning independently of each other. At this point, think of
yourself as human, mammal, and reptile...and the human is only
partly in charge.

And it gets worse. As your agitation escalates, the 245-million-
year-old "fight or flight" reptilian part of your brain takes
increasing control. This means you can't assess the situation based
on what's happening in the present. Instead, your amygdala throws
you into reacting based on an old, hardwired response. Your thinking
gets distorted, your emotions run high, and your behaviors become
primitive.

This quickly creates a vicious cycle, because the more snakelike you
get, the more agitated your amygdala becomes. Pretty soon, your
human and mammal brains are entirely out of the loop. So you're not
connecting with people logically, and you're not connecting with
them emotionally. Instead, you're cornered in "your here," and you
want to either escape from the people who are upsetting you or hurt
them.

Of course, today's meeting rooms and phone conferences are far away
in space and time from the prehistoric predator vs. prey conditions
under which the brain developed these responses. But your nervous
system doesn't care. It doesn't know the difference between a
tyrannosaurus and a tyrannical boss. So while amygdala hijack
probably won't make you run out of the room shrieking or hit someone
over the head with a stick, it can definitely cause you to "lose it"
on a purely biological level.

When that happens, you'll typically go for one of two fundamental
strategies. Unfortunately, both are deeply flawed.

The first is flight--"go away" This is about avoidance and inaction.
It's an absence of influence. It's disengaging or freezing up when
it would serve you better to take action. It's capitulating, giving
in, or avoiding the choice, the risk, or the opportunity.

The second is fight--"go push." Here's where you try to nudge,
cajole, convince, or force your counterpart into compliance.

The four mistakes you frequently commit in the PUSH state are:

P = Pressing your case too much instead of striving to understand
your counterpart's point of view.

U = Understating alternatives in favor of your preset agenda.

S = Short-term focusing by going for quick self-serving advantage
rather than setting the stage for sustained success by building
relationships and enhancing your reputation.

H = Hassling by turning every discussion into a fight, which tells
people that it's more about your ego than about a commitment to
shared goals.

When you're in snake mode, you're not going to influence anyone, so
it's important to avoid this trap. The best strategy for preventing
amygdala hijack is to get out of "your here." That's because when
you're focused on your own fears, your own stress, and your own
anger, you're continually re-agitating your amygdala. Once you focus
on what other people are feeling, you turn the heat in your own mind
down to a simmer...and you can engage instead of escaping or
attacking.

*****
Although he frequently appears on television and radio, Mark is shy
by nature. In fact, years ago, he was so shy that at parties he'd
hang out by the onion dip staring at his watch for a couple of hours
and then beg his wife to leave.

It wasn't working for him, and it definitely wasn't working for her.
So one evening Mark tried something different. He decided that he'd
speak to three people at the party, focusing on making them happy
that he'd talked with them.

Mark didn't know what was going to happen. But by the end of the
evening, he'd enjoyed terrific conversations with five people. Three
of them even took his hand with both hands, smiled at him, and told
him how much they enjoyed meeting him and wanted to follow up with
him.

When Mark left the party--and this time he stayed so long that his
wife was begging him to leave--he wondered why his crippling shyness
had disappeared during his conversations. Then he realized that
instead of dwelling on the "his here" of his own discomfort and
nervousness and going into amygdala hijack, he went to "their there"
by "just listening" and focusing on being more interested than
interesting. When he did that, he found a place where his mind felt
safe.
*****

THE HABIT HANDICAP

The second human nature trap is one we're vulnerable to when we're
deeply stressed. In this situation, it's difficult to generate new
ideas and find different ways of thinking, feeling, and acting.
That's because under pressure, we typically do one of two things: We
go into amygdala hijack, or we go to our comfort zone. In the second
scenario--habit handicap--we do what we're used to doing. We do what
usually works. For instance:

* People who steer toward logic and analysis may repeat the same
argument over and over, or talk in a louder or slower voice. They
may even keep saying, "You don't understand..." or "You're not
getting it" or "You're not listening."

* Peacemakers may placate people by giving in to anything they want.

Whatever pattern we fall into, we go there because that's where
we're on familiar ground. It's our port in a storm.


Hardcover: Today's read ends on page 22.

secrets of Biz Success

Business owner, here are some important success tips to remember....
Secrets to Success for Business Owners
	Your key focus should be to: w improve cash flow w control costs w serve your customers with quality,  promptness and honesty w cover your assets with insurance w reduce your taxes w hire, train and develop good employees w sustain your business with great marketing strategies w take care of your health Develop your brand and image.  Branding strategy is ultimately about fulfilling promises. It is about trust, quality, service, and reliability. Successful branding is about promoting your strengths and matching these with your customer’s needs.  Successful branding increases your visibility, recognition, sales and also the perceived value of your organization. Communicate your “brand” with every brochure, advertisement, letter, etc. Make sure employees have a thorough understanding of your products and services so they can answer customer questions.  Goods news travels fast, but bad news travels even faster.  Be fair, honest and  deliver.  Your reputation is like money in the bank. Good customer service is becoming rare.  Serve your customer with excellence. Go beyond what is expected.  Shine with promptness, professionalism, integrity and product knowledge.  Respond to all sale leads, referrals and networking leads quickly. Thank customers who voice a complaint.       “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.         We appreciate customers who let us know when things aren’t right.”        “Thank you so much for your feedback. We appreciate you giving us         an opportunity to correct the problem and to meet your expectations.” Don’t hire carbon copies of yourself.  Seek those who have strengths and skills that will compliment  and support your business growth.  Good customer service is becoming more rare. Serve your customer with excellence. Go beyond what is expected.  Really shine with promptness, professionalism, integrity and product knowledge.  When you look in the mirror you will see your boss.  You must be self-motivated, a self-starter and believe in yourself.  If you are a sleeper, a procrastinator or only want the glory and money without the guts and behind the scenes daily details, you will fail in your business. Customers don’t care about your personal problems, your sales contests or excuses. Focus on their needs.  A satisfied customer is your sales staff.  Ask for referrals.  Success is a numbers game. Talk to more people to multiply your opportunities. Speaking is advertising.  Seize opportunities to talk about your products and service. Show, tell and sell.  "Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them." - W. Edwards Deming  "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."  ~ Bill Gates Joe Girard is the only salesperson ever inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2001, renowned for selling more cars than anyone else in the World. During his fifteen year selling career, he sold 13,001 cars, all at retail - no fleet, wholesale or used cars*. JOE GIRARD'S 13 RULES TO SUCCESS! KEEP YOUR TROUBLES TO YOURSELF and make people believe you are having a wonderful time. ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE; keep an appointment book so that you don't have to use the words that sicken me: "I FORGOT."  At the end of each day, list what you did and plan your work for the next day.  If you know where you are going you will get there. WORK WHEN YOU WORK; don't take long lunch hours or play golf when you should be working.  Eat with people who can help your cause, not co-workers. DRESS THE PART; what kind of people are you dealing with.  If you are selling to blue collar workers, don't wear $500 suits and expensive shoes, jewelry or watches.  Wear it on your own time, not when you're working - clothes can turn people off. OBSERVE GIRARD'S NO- NOs; No smoking or chewing tobacco, no gum, no colognes, no profanity or dirty jokes, and men do not wear earrings while you are working.  Turn off cell phones - they're irritating.  The biggest killer of them all is NOT BEING ON TIME. LISTEN!  People can tell if you're not listening.  The longer you listen, the more obligated people will feel to you.  The more you listen, the more likely a customer is going to do business with you.  Listening shows that you care.  "The mouth should only be used for eating - keep your big mouth shut!" SMILE!  A smile increases your face value.  If people would smile more, they would feel better and make their customer feel like doing business with them. KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE; hang around with positive people, stay away from naysayers or crybabies.  If something isn't going right in your life, keep it to yourself - no one wants to hear your problems. RETURN ALL PHONE CALLS & EMAILS; not returning calls or emails are a way to lose customers and friends.  Return your calls and emails as soon as possible. TELL THE TRUTH; if you get caught in a lie even once, you will always be considered a liar.  Even if you tell the truth for the rest of your life, you won't be trusted or believed. DON'T OVERCHARGE; if you do, and the customer compares your deal with somebody else, you will have lost him.  Take a little and leave a little; Joe only worked on a small profit, but he was heavy on volume, averaging six retail automobile sales a day.  Word of mouth got around that you can't beat Joe Girard's price. STAND IN FRONT OF YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICES; not behind.  The most important thing to do for your customer is SERVICE them, and they will do business with you over and over again. LEARN FROM EVERY SALE; when people tell you why they do business with you, they are reinforcing their trust in you.  You learn about things they like and what they don't like and if they like you they will do business with you forever.