Networking In Sales

LinkedIn is a vibrant social network that thrives on connections, interactions, and genuine relationships. The last thing you want to do is dive in headfirst with a sales pitch on your very first message. It's not only annoying, but it can also come across as pushy and inconsiderate. Instead, Consider This Approach: 1. Engage Before You Sell: Build rapport and establish a connection before even mentioning your products or services. People appreciate a human touch and genuine interest. Start by showing you value their content and opinions. 2. Share Insights: Contribute positively to discussions, share your unique insights, and offer valuable perspectives. Being seen as a thought leader will attract attention and curiosity from potential leads. 3. Meaningful Comments: Craft thoughtful comments on their posts that add value to the conversation. Engaging discussions will help you stand out and establish your expertise. 4. Network with Purpose: Connect meaningfully by mentioning shared interests, experiences, or goals. Express why you'd like to connect and how you might mutually benefit from the connection. 5. Research and Personalize: Take time to understand their business and needs. When you reach out, reference specific points from their profile or recent posts to demonstrate your genuine interest. Remember, building trust and relationships takes time. By adopting a patient, value-focused approach, you're more likely to open the doors to productive conversations and, eventually, successful deals. Are you ready to elevate your LinkedIn sales game? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! #linkedinsales #relationshipsfirst #salestrategy

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 Does the thought of networking make you feel like you're just selling yourself? It's time to flip the script. Here’s how to network effectively without feeling 'salesy': 📍Seek Depth, Not Numbers Forget about amassing contacts. Harvard Business Review suggests that meaningful, in-depth conversations are far more beneficial than a vast network. 📍Become a Master Listener Effective networking is less about talking and more about listening. Show genuine interest in others' stories and challenges. This approach not only builds stronger connections but also makes your interactions more engaging. 📍Lead with Value Always offer help before asking for anything. According to LinkedIn, 80% of professionals believe that networking is most effective when both parties gain something from the exchange. 📍Customize Your Connections Skip the generic connection requests. Reference specific details about how you met or a topic you discussed. This personal touch transforms your approach from transactional to meaningful. 📍Make Memorable Follow-ups After meeting someone, follow up with something relevant from your discussion. Whether it's an article related to a topic you spoke about or a simple congratulation on a recent achievement, personalized follow-ups make you stand out. 📍Engage Thoughtfully Online Interact with your connections' content by sharing insights or thoughtful comments. This keeps you visible and valuable, enhancing your network's strength without overt selling. 📍Embrace the Long Game Remember, effective networking builds over time. Stay consistent and patient—American Express reports that 40% of executives credit networking for their success. 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩, 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙨. 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙢𝙥 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙢𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨. ---------------------------------- Follow Surya Vajpeyi for more such content💜 #EffectiveNetworking #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalNetworking

It’s not about collecting business cards or follower counts. It’s about building bridges with people who get it - who challenge you, inspire you, and open doors you didn’t know existed. The right network doesn’t just grow your career - it expands your mindset, your confidence, and your opportunities. Here are 12 ways to build powerful, authentic connections: 1️⃣ Lead with curiosity. Ask, don’t pitch. People love being seen and heard. 2️⃣ Add value first. Share insights, introductions, or encouragement before asking for anything. 3️⃣ Show up consistently. Comment, engage, and participate where your industry hangs out. 4️⃣ Find your communities. Join professional groups, Slack channels, or niche forums. 5️⃣ Attend events strategically. Go where your next mentor, collaborator, or client might actually be. 6️⃣ Follow up. A short, thoughtful message can turn a conversation into a relationship. 7️⃣ Be generous with your expertise. Give more than you take - it builds reputation fast. 8️⃣ Don’t chase status. The best opportunities often come from peers, not big titles. 9️⃣ Stay authentic. Pretending to be someone you’re not is the fastest way to disconnect. 1️⃣0️⃣ Keep it human. Share stories, not sales pitches. 1️⃣1️⃣ Support others publicly. Celebrate others’ wins - it builds goodwill that lasts. 1️⃣2️⃣ Play the long game. Relationships compound like interest; nurture them with time. The truth? You’re one conversation away from a completely different path. Image credit: Tim Stoddart

Build connections when you don’t need them, so they’re there when you do. Networking is a long‑term investment. You never know what can happen tomorrow, whether it’s a new opportunity, an unexpected challenge, or a career pivot. By cultivating relationships early, you turn strangers into allies and potential into possibility. My pro‑tip? Develop your personal value proposition. 
- List your top 3–5 strengths and concrete examples of how you’ve helped others 
- Turn each into an “I help…” statement (for example, “I help marketing teams drive engagement through data‑driven storytelling”) 
- Use these statements to guide every outreach, ensuring you’re always offering value, not just asking for favors Then start from what you know. 1. Choose 5–10 people from your alumni network, former classmates, or close colleagues 2. Send a genuine note, share an article they might find helpful, congratulate them on a recent win, or simply ask how you can support them 3. No agenda. Just curiosity and a willingness to help Next, venture into the unknown. 1. Identify people at companies you admire or in roles you aspire to 2. Do your homework: reference a recent project, article, or speaking engagement 3. Reach out with a clear, value‑first message: “I enjoyed your piece on X; as someone looking to Y, I’d love to learn how you approached Z.” And keep the momentum going. 
- Schedule quarterly reminders to check in, share insights, celebrate milestones, or ask a thoughtful question 
- Track key dates (promotions, product launches, anniversaries) so your messages feel timely Your network matters. When you need advice, an introduction, or anything really, you’ll already have authentic connections. And at the end of the day, already built connections where you can leverage the relationships > dry unknowns ‘Hey, I need help’ messages. #StephSynergy

Networking is a shallow game. 🫤 Until you know how to do it right ✅ When done right, it's about building genuine connections that can lead to opportunities, knowledge, and support. So, how do you ditch the awkward sales pitch and cultivate relationships that last? ⬇️ 1. Be yourself, but be your best self. People connect with genuine enthusiasm and interest. Focus on being present and curious. 2. Listen actively and ask good questions. It's not all about you! Show genuine interest in others' journeys, experiences, and perspectives. 3. Offer value, not just a pitch. Think "what can I offer" instead of "what can I get." Can you connect them with someone they need to know? Share a helpful resource? Offer insightful feedback? 4. Follow up and nurture the connection. Don't ghost after exchanging pleasantries! Send a personalized message, share a relevant article, or invite them for coffee (virtually or in person). 5. Build bridges, not walls. The more you help others connect and succeed, the stronger your own network becomes. Be a connector and celebrate others' wins! Remember: Networking is not a competition. Invest time in building genuine relationships, and the rewards will follow. 🚀 What are your best tips for building meaningful connections? Share them in the comments! 👇 #networking #professionaldevelopment #connections #growthmindset

If you're a sales leader, maybe you've seen this... The rep who calls themself a “true professional”... right before ghosting a follow-up. The polished LinkedIn profile that reads like that of the most committed sales pro... written by someone who hasn't studied anything about the specialties they sell to since their training ended. Let’s be honest—“professional” in terms of medical sales gets tossed around so often, it’s practically a cliche. So here are some things to consider for those managing healthcare sales teams, coaching medical reps, and trying to build something better: ✅ Professionalism isn’t an outfit — Scrubs, suits, or a logoed quarter-zip don’t make a rep professional. Actions do. Like showing up prepared instead of winging it because “they’ve sold this product a hundred times.” Like being relevant to each and every prospect. ✅ Proficiency is the new non-negotiable — Everyone says “bring value,” but can your rep actually connect clinical insight to patient outcomes? Can they handle objections without sounding like a defensive teenager? ✅ Commitments still matter — You know the rep I’m talking about. The one who tells the doctor, "I'll find out and get back to you." And still hasn’t. HCPs won't treat you like trusted partners if you don't do what you say you're going to do. ✅ 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕-𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒂𝒏 — 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒏-𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. True professionals walk away from any sale that doesn’t serve the patient. That takes guts. And maturity. ✅ Mistakes happen. Cover-ups shouldn’t. Professionals own it, fix it, and use it as a teachable moment. Amateurs blame others and cross their fingers that no one notices. ✅ The Learning NEVER ends — I don’t care if they’ve been selling since the days of flip charts. The market evolves, competitors change, and the science updates. If they’re not learning, they’re falling behind. ✅ Distinction is earned. Being “different” isn’t a gimmick. It’s the result of experience, intention, and putting in the work. Are your reps standing out—or just blending in? The takeaway for leaders? If you want your sales team to generate professional-level results, you must raise the bar past “professional behavior.” 𝑷𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚. 𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒐—𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆. What are you seeing in the field? Which “professional” behaviors do you see talked about… but rarely delivered?

Most sellers do referral prospecting backwards. Smart referral prospecting is NOT asking your warm network "Is there anyone in your network who might find value in taking a look at our Legal Time Tracking software?" You're almost always going to hear "Hm, nobody immediately comes to mind, but let me think about it." (They're not gonna think about it) Asking someone to scan through their entire mental rolodex of every single person they know isn't going to get you good referrals. You're asking for too much of the referrer.  -- Here's how I do outbound referral prospecting: 1. Start with the end in mind. Identify the prospect you want to talk to. (If you don't start with the end in mind, you're going to get a bunch of random non-ICP or out of territory intros, if you get any at all) - 2. Find mutual connections who actually know your target prospect. I like mutuals who have shared work history (you can find this in Sales Nav). If that fails, I'll look for shared membership in trade association groups or folks who have spoken on a panel/event together. - 3. Ask your shared contact for permission to make the introduction. Here's what I send: 𝘕𝘈𝘔𝘌, 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩? 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 30 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵'𝘴 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘕𝘈𝘔𝘌 𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘊𝘔𝘌. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? - 4. If your referrer says yes, ghostwrite them a message in THEIR voice. This helps remove as much friction as possible for the person who is making the introduction. Don't worry about including pleasantries in the message you draft (Ex. "Hope you have been well since our days working together at ACME!). I've found that most people delete the pleasantries you write on their behalf so it's not a good use of your time. - 5. If someone makes a referral for you, send them a thank you note + a gift. Seems obvious but this goes a long way. - 6. If you start to find success with outbound referral prospecting, consider adding an "outbound referral blitz" to your weekly prospecting cadence. -- Anything else you'd add re: prospecting for referrals?

Of the 87 VC meetings I had in 2022 for our pre-seed, 75 of them came by way of a warm introduction. Here's how you use your network to get warm introductions to the funds you want to meet with. Venture capital runs on warm introductions. It's one of the biggest reasons underrepresented founders struggle to raise VC - they either waste time sending cold emails or they don't know how to use their networks to get warm introductions. Don't underestimate your network! You'll be surprised at how many people want to see you win and are willing to support you. 𝟏. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 I've shared the how behind this before, but before you raise you should have a spreadsheet of 250-300 funds with the following information: 1. Name of fund 2. Website 3. Investor name(s) 4. Who can intro? Columns 1-3 should be populated for every fund and investor on your list 𝟐. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 Search each investor's name on LinkedIn and see who you're connected to that's a mutual connection. You only need to meet with ONE person from each fund, so if each fund has a team of 3 people, chances are that you have at least one mutual connection between the two of you. Ideally, this is a 1st level connection, but 2nd level is okay too. 𝟑. 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭 Once you find the mutual connection(s), add them to your spreadsheet in the "Who can intro?" column. 𝟒. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤 Reach out to the mutual connections to ask them if they can introduce you to the investors. You can do this via email, text, or even DM; pick whatever channel you have the most direct line to the person in. When asking for an intro, be direct. A lot of people with connections to investors are used to getting requests for intros, so you don't need to warm them up or ask for a call before you ask for the intro (use your best judgment here, though; if you think a call would be good then go for it). To ask for an intro, send the mutual connection a forwardable email that they can pass along to the investor without having to make any edits. Include your company's one-liner, traction, and a link to your pitch deck in that email. 𝟓. 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭 Run through 20-25 funds at a time, knowing that you'll get meetings with 25-30% of the funds you ask for intros to. You have people in your corner cheering you on. Let them help you by opening up their networks to you. I write to help underrepresented founders get funded in my weekly newsletter Finessing Funding. You can subscribe at the link in the comments 👇🏾 #fundraising #blackfounders #vc

What if you salespeople had 3 to 5 conversations a day with people who could buy? But they don’t. What are they doing instead? The goal is to get them more conversations with buyers. It's getting tougher and doing what you’ve always done most likely isn’t working. Most companies with a complex sale rely on a combination of outbound tactics along with trade shows but those aren’t producing conversations like they used to. If you had enough inbound to keep the funnel full it would be amazing. But most of you don’t. Cold outreach is not the only answer. There is a combination of lead gen methods you can use that will work and if your marketing team is doing demand gen at the same time, even better. ✔️ Host or show up at the right events. Besides the trade shows, think targeted roundtables, dinners, or LinkedIn Lives. These will generate leads you can follow up with. What you do at these events determines whether prospects will continue the conversation, which is crucial for finding out if there is an opportunity. ✔️ Make referral selling a priority because intros close more deals than any cold DM ever will. Build and nurture your network in a way that people see you as a giver, willing to help. Make introductions for your network, they are sure to reciprocate. ✔️ Build content that attracts your ideal persona and then engage in a conversion with them. When they comment on your content and you comment back you are starting a conversation. ✔️ Partnerships work great for many. These can be a formal channel or informal arrangements. Find others who sell to the same target audience but don’t compete. Start the conversation about how you can help each other. ✔️ Account-based outreach for sales. Instead of a one to many approach that marketing uses, sales should use a one to one approach with each persona in each company using industry insights and information from research. Highly custom, well written messages can get a higher response rate and when coupled with person level intent data, LinkedIn comments, calls and voicemail they can get an even higher response rate. It’s not a volume activity, it is done on a highly targeted list and only about 5 to 10 companies at a time. ✔️Use Contact Marketing when the stakes are high and the deal size warrants it. For more on that follow Stu Heinecke and read his book, How to Get a Meeting with Anyone. On October 2, I’ll walk through these high-impact, real-world strategies you can use right now. Jennifer Pinter✨ is our host and this Pavilion event is sponsored by Rhombus. —  👩💼 Who Should Attend: CEOs, Sales & Marketing Leaders, Account Executives 📅 Date: Thursday, October 2 ⏰ Time: Arrive at 4:30 p.m. we start with networking 🍸 Venue/Sponsor: Rhombus, 1610 R St #350, Sacramento, CA 95811 Let's support salespeople in having more conversations with those who can buy. Can’t make it or aren’t in the area, try one of the above and let me know how it goes!

Conferences are expensive, boring, and typically have low ROI....but company-led EVENTS on the other hand can be powerful signals. Here's the exact playbook we used at Onward to organize profitable events where prospects can have a great time AND move closer to buying: ➝ 1. Align on your goal. I used to make the mistake of expecting a close within 30 days of an event and would be continually disappointed based on that expectation. Now I consider events another "touch point" in the customer journey/funnel. Our goal is simply to usher the customer to the next stage of the funnel. So if all your leads are top of the funnel, don't expect to close at the event. It's about a) learning what moves the needle for them and b) educating them on our ROI. This will result in moving them to the next sales stage. Your mindset and intentions here are important because otherwise, your pitch will misfire and either come off too brash or too aggressive. ➝ 2. Set the agenda to be what the client would want—not what you want. One of our go-to tactics is mixing education and entertainment. We would create an interactive, immersive learning session w/ a world-class expert with a focus on equipping attendees with tangible takeaways in addition to networking. ➝ 3. Find great partners. In order to share the budget, we typically find like-minded companies that we want to partner with and share customer leads. We participated in Retention.com's marquee summer event in Malibu called Retox and it was one of the more lavish events we've been a part of with over 200+ brands attending. It takes a lot to move the needle for customers to get excited and sometimes you have to go all out! ➝ 4. Yet the simplest format is often the most effective—an intimate, private dinner. You'd be surprised at how much common ground you can find with a potential customer over a 2-hour dinner. Typically there are no pitches, just real connections. The sales pitches will come later—but upfront it's about getting to know one another and seeing how it would be to work together. Sales is about developing relationships and meaningful relationships are built when people can let their guard down and simply connect as human beings. And that's exactly what we aim for. So if you're tired of the same old networking scene and you're craving experiences that truly move the needle, I'd love to connect. What are some unique events you've thrown? I'm always looking for new ideas.