Linkedin, from a hunting ground for talent to a social network for business

Since the COVID outbreak lots of sales professionals in the food ingredients industry feel ‘grounded’. For more than 6 months they can not travel internationally and visit their customers abroad. Current business is ongoing and can be managed ‘from a distance’, but new business from customers and prospects is slowing down. However, sales targets have to be met and not selling is not an option.

Social network for professionals

The good news is that there are many online social media already there, often to be private people and not so much by professionals. However, 18 years ago Linkedin was established as a social network for professionals to find a new job. But today this same social network can help sales professionals to find new business. Linkedin, changing from an employability platform to a business platform!

In these COVID times sales professionals in the BtB environment of the international food industry feel disconnected with their current and future customers. They lack the possibility to meet personally and make a contribution to the buying process. However, social media like Linkedin offer sales professionals new ways to collect insides, connect with people and contribute to the customers’ business. The question is, how?

Collect, connect and contribute

In the first module of the IFFI online masterclass ‘The New Normal’ sales professionals experienced what it is like to collect, to connect and to contribute online using Linkedin. How to connect with decision makers, become relevant for your prospect and become a trustworthy and acknowledged future supplier? Change your Linkedin profile from employer centric to customer centric and use buzzword ‘always contribute’. On Linkedin you add value, on the phone or in Zoom meetings you sell!

Social selling

A next step to upgrade your social selling skills is get a company licence of Sales Navigator. Once when the ‘follow’ criteria of key decision makers and influencers are set, the social media will do the rest. Every day you’ll find the actual and updated activities of your most important customers and prospects in your mailbox.

Wow, just a small step for a salesperson a giant step for saleskind!