I remember it like it was yesterday, I was 7 year old when the original Star Wars opened in the spring of 1977. Since then I have watched them all and will remain a lifetime fan. I am also a huge fan of LinkedIn, as many of you know my story of how I have been able to leverage the platform to generate over $20 million in new business for my different ventures.
So recently after I returned home from watching the newest release of “Star Wars – The Force Awakens” I couldn’t help but think of how my Star Wars experience ties in with my LinkedIn experience.
1. Being well connected paid off in Stars and will on LinkedIn too
Obi Wan’s connections led him to Han Solo with his Millennium Falcon while later Han’s connection to Lando Calrissian ultimately saved his life. These are just a couple of examples of how having a strong and diverse network can pay off in life and in business.
You must to be willing to expand your network to discover mutually beneficial relationships. I have found that when you take the time to get to know your new LinkedIn connections either face to face or over the phone, powerful relationships and opportunities will many times materialize. In social selling it’s critical to learn to be more like farmer than just a hunter because the winner is usually the one that plants the most seeds on fertile ground.
2. Jedi can read your thoughts and even see the future. With LinkedIn we use sales intelligence to gather important and relevant information on our prospects, customers, job candidates and even vendors. Most LinkedIn users vastly underestimate the value of gathering sales intelligence on a prospect prior to making contact.
A few keys facts that I always look for include:
- How long have they been with the company?
- Have they been promoted or changed positions recently?
- Where did they work in their previous position?
- Where did they go to college?
- What are their hobbies?
- What groups do they belong to?
- Has their company had any significant news or press releases recently, including new hires or fires in upper management?
- Has their company acquired any companies recently?
- Had their company launched any new products or services in the recent past?
These as well as many other important facts that can be gathered by leveraging your prospects personal and company profile on LinkedIn. Knowledge of these facts as you engage your prospects in conversation either online or off can give you a distinct advantage, much like the Jedi’s ability to read and even shape peoples thoughts.
3. Having a strong mentor or teacher can make all the difference. A Jedi’s favorite weapon is his lightsaber and to me LinkedIn is my sales & marketing lightsaber. Mainly because it is much more elegant and refined than the shotgun approach that most people take. Both LinkedIn and a light saber are highly effective but both require training and practice to become a master.
The fact is Obi Wan, Darth Vader and Luke all had mentors who they credit their amazing skills and powers too. A good mentor or coach that has proven his skills on LinkedIn, can be an incredible ally in your sales and marketing journey towards acquiring more customers and more profit.
If you are a Star Wars fan and/or found value in this article please Like, Comment, Share and I will enter you in a drawing to win a Free membership upon release of my online LinkedIn training course called Linked Academy.
Cheers,
Dennis Brown
LinkedIn & Social Selling Consultant, Trainer, Speaker
“Stop the madness. There’s a better way!”
Let’s connect! www.LinkedIn.com/in/askdennisbrown
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