Networking In Sales

You know you should network. But you probably don’t know what to say or how to get on people’s radar. Here’s an easy 7-step LinkedIn networking strategy (that anyone can use): 1. The 3 Principles Of Good Networking If you want to network effectively, you need to: - Have a way to reach people - Have a way to add value to them - Have a way to keep the engagement going This strategy does all three! 2. Make A List Of Job-Related Keywords Think of keywords, skills, phrases, and jargon that align with your target role. Ex: If you’re in sales, that might be “sales,” “leads,” “pipeline,” “sales cycle,” etc. Make a quick list of these. 3. Run A “Post” Search On LinkedIn Start with one keyword (or the job title itself). Run a search for it on LinkedIn. From the “Filters” option, select “Posts.” Then change “Date Posted” to “Past Week.” 4. Filter By “Author Company” Click on “All Filters” to find the “Author Company” filter. Add all of your target companies to this filter. This will give you a list of all the posts related to your target role, written by people at your target companies, posted in the past week! 5. Analyze Posts & Authors Scroll through the posts. When you find one that resonates? Click the person’s profile and check to see if they post consistently (at least once / week). If they do? Bookmark their profile in your browser. 6. Leave A Value Driven Comment For each author you find that posts regularly in your target space? Leave a comment on their post recent post that is: - Supportive - Postive in tone - Offers your own take / value - Is more than one sentence Repeat for each author. 7. Rinse & Repeat Daily Every day, click through the author profiles you have bookmarked. See a new post? Leave a new comment. Repeat this process every weekday if you can. But aim to leave at least one comment / week at minimum. 8. Why This Works Content creators love engagement. By cosistently offering that in a positive way, you’re going to get on their radar. And when you’ve done this for a week or two, the likelihood of getting a “yes” to a coffee chat, or even a referral, goes WAY up. Give it a shot today! 📣 Want help turning this 7-step networking routine into a system that turns cold contacts into referrals and interviews? 👉 Book a free 30-min Clarity Call with our team and we’ll walk you through exactly how: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

The salesperson of the future isn’t just a seller. They are a creator and a builder. When I was in sales, I’d constantly ask marketing to publish some of my content ideas as a way to reach prospects. I’d chase our sales engineers for custom demos to make interactions feel personal and relevant. They got what I was asking for, but eventually, stopped replying. Honestly, I get it - they could'nt respond to every sales request. If I were starting over in sales today, I’d do things differently. I would be a creator and I would hit “post” myself. The best salespeople I know build trust by sharing what they see: their customers’ challenges, market trends, and lessons from the field. They’re turning LinkedIn into their most powerful sales channel. According to HubSpot’s State of Sales report, salespeople now consider social media their most effective sales channel. And instead of leaning on sales engineers, I’d build what I need. With AI and no-code tools, that’s finally possible. Salespeople are designing custom demos, using synthetic data in demos, experimenting with AI agents, and creating smoother buying experiences, all on their own. The job has changed. The old boundaries are gone. The new salesperson isn’t waiting for support — they’re building it. They’re creators. Builders. Sellers. And, maybe, a little easier to work with for their friends in marketing and sales engineering.

For my first 16 years in tech sales, I averaged 240K/year. In my last 4 years, I averaged 720K/year. I did this by using an approach I call Yo-yo selling: 🪀 It’s how you win large, complex enterprise deals by building credibility with senior executives at the beginning of a sales cycle. This will save you months of spending time with mid or lower level Directors on a deal cycle, only to have your deal stall because it's not a priority for Executives. Here’s the concept: You start at the top, get senior level sponsorship for a deep discovery, drop down into the business, then bounce back up with a report of findings. This is the process I've used for nearly every 7-figure deal I've ever closed. Step 0: Research before outreach Before asking for time, I do deep strategic research. Earnings calls. Investor decks. Press releases. Executive interviews. I also spend time talking to their team to see if the problem that I solve exists in their company. Using that research, I build a Point of View that connects their top business goals to real execution gaps. This earns executive time. Today, AI tools like ChatGPT make this easier than ever. What used to take hours now takes minutes. If you skip this step, you lose your edge. Step 1: Prospect to the top and gain their sponsorship to engage Lead with your POV. The key is to teach them something new about their business which they aren't already aware of, and show them how it's putting their highest level goals at risk. If they lean in, offer up a deep discovery with your team and their team. Lock in a date to come back for a readout. Have them assign a project manager to help you coordinate Step 2: Drop down Once you have executive sponsorship, meet with their team. The key is to have the Exec sponsor send out a note to their team explaining what it's for. This will keep the assessment moving forward. Study workflows. Capture friction. Collect quotes. Do not pitch. Just listen. Step 3: Bounce back up Bring it all together in an executive summary. Show how their vision connects directly to what’s broken below. Present a focused business case. Build a custom demo. Create a roadmap and implementation plan. That’s where deals close. Real example from my career At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, we were told “no” on a point solution. Instead of walking away, I stepped back and asked what the company really needed. After deep research, I re-engaged the COO with a transformation POV centered on the experience of 50,000+ agents. The result was one of the largest new logo deals in Salesforce history. But Yo-yo selling alone isn’t enough. Because it's hard to execute and takes patience. Top performers also master their mindset, habits, and discipline. That’s why I put together a free masterclass for sellers who want to break into the top 1 percent. 👉 Watch the free training here: https://lnkd.in/eWD8mTqH If you’re serious about enterprise sales, this will change how you sell.

I’m tired of connecting with someone on LinkedIn only to get pitched their product or software within five minutes. Yes, sales matter. But relationships matter more. When the first message is a pitch, it tells me you’re chasing transactions, not building trust. It skips the part where we actually get to know each other. Where we learn if there’s alignment. Where we find out if what you’re offering even solves a real problem. The best partnerships I’ve been part of didn’t start with a cold pitch. They started with a conversation. Ask a question. Learn what matters to me or my team. Offer something helpful before asking for time. It’s not about playing games. It’s about respecting people and earning the right to share what you do. Sales will always be part of business. But if you’re not building relationships, you’re building a house on sand. #SalesWithIntegrity #RelationshipsFirst #LinkedInCommunity #TrustMatters #BusinessDoneRight #CustomerExperience #ListenBeforeYouPitch

If I only had 3 months to grow B2B SaaS startup, here’s what I would do: Rules: - You have 3 months - Need to impact revenue - Spend under $200/mo Here's what I would do: 1. Create a “laser focused” account list: a. Go to Keyplay b. Build out Sales 200 → 200 companies I want to sell into c. Import the list into Sales Navigator and run a lead search d. That should give me ~700 people. 2. Analyze 10 Closed Won / Lost deals a. Upload the transcripts of 10 Closed Won deals into ChatGPT b. Prompt: Analyze the key reasons why prospects bought from us in these deals. Organize and rank them c. Upload the transcripts of 10 Closed Won deals into ChatGPT d. Prompt: Analyze the key reasons why prospects didn’t buy from us in these deals. Organize and rank them 3. Design a “mini-offer” (cold friendly) a. Use the two insights above to design a mini offer. A mini offer is something that your prospects see and say “I need this right now”. In the early stages, this isn’t usually your product. Your standard “book a demo” or “let’s get on a call” isn’t going to cut it (Some ideas to get you started are in the pdf 👇🏽) Once you have that, you can… 4. Outbound to get mini offer out a. Use lemlist or Closely to warm up some email domains ($100/mo) b. Create a sequence across LinkedIn, email and calling for three lists: > Warm companies > Cold folks that are 2nd degree connections to anyone at our startup > Cold folks that are not 2nd degree connections c. Manually send the sequence to warm d. Use Closely to send the sequence to cold prospects across LinkedIn and email 5. Content for air cover I’d pick LinkedIn as my primary “PR” channel. When someone sees something from you, the first thing they do is go to your LinkedIn profile and see what you talk about. To provide “air cover” for the outbound campaign, I would create inbound content across 3 pillars: > Value Driven Content > Curation Driven Content > Founder and Employee Led Content (details in the pdf below👇🏽) 5. Set up tracking, analytics and automation a. Set up Google Analytics, Hotjar and connect to CRM b. Use Miro / Funnelytics to map out the entire funnel c. Find and map out all the “dead-ends” d. Pick 3 key metrics to track across the funnel e. Automate follow up email, calendar scheduling and website chatbot -- Summary: 1. Create a “laser focused” account list: 2. Analyze 10 Closed Won / Lost deals 3. Design a “mini-offer” (has to be cold friendly) 4. Inbound for air cover 5. Set up tracking, analytics and automation — P.S. If you want to workbook below with all the exercises and tools, comment “canvas” and I will DM you the entire playbook on how to do this (must be connected or following)

👉 Why are Pharma Sales Guys Being Ignored by Doctors? 👉 Why are so many doctors just not giving time anymore? If you're a pharma sales professional, you've probably faced this frustrating reality: doctors are often too busy to meet you. You wait outside their clinic for hours, only to be told, “Not today, come later.” But have you ever stopped to think why this keeps happening? Here are some real reasons behind it: . Packed Schedules: Doctors are swamped with patients, surgeries, emergencies, and paperwork. Their calendars leave little room for unplanned meetings. . Too Many Sales Visits: With multiple companies sending representatives every day, doctors experience fatigue and start avoiding these interactions altogether. . Lack of Differentiation: If what you're saying sounds like every other pitch they've already heard, why should they make time for it? . Shifting Preferences: More and more doctors now prefer learning through online platforms rather than in-person discussions. So, what’s the solution? How can pharma sales guys build strong relationships despite these challenges? . Start with value. Always. . Don’t just sell — educate, support, and understand what the doctor really needs. Be prepared, be crisp, and respect their time. . Make your visit worth their while — not just for your brand, but for their practice. . Want to truly stand out in today’s pharma sales world? Learn how to connect, not just communicate. So, what can you do to stand out and get their attention? ✅ Lead with Value – Share insights that genuinely help them treat better. 🎯 Be Concise & Impactful – Respect their time. Hit the point fast. 🔄 Personalise the Approach – Know your doctor. Tailor your message. 💡 Adapt to Hybrid – Mix offline visits with smart digital follow-ups. 💬 Want to win back doctor attention? Start being a valuable resource, not just another rep with a reminder card.

Web3 B2B founder. 30,000 followers on LinkedIn. Yet not a single meaningful lead. Real customers, strong product, good initial traction. But on LinkedIn? Stuck. His posts got views. Just never from the people who actually matter. Partners scrolled past. Investors skimmed. Decision-makers ignored him completely. During our first call, he said something most founders feel but never admit: "Aram, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do. But nothing is happening." So we tore everything down and rebuilt from scratch. Not with hacks. Not with louder posting. Not with recycled crypto commentary. We focused on three things: 1. Positioning him as the obvious expert in his space 2. Writing content that speaks directly to buyers, not spectators 3. Turning his personal brand into a credibility engine buyers trust The entire perception around him shifted. He wasn't "a founder who posts." He became the founder people listen to. The founder whose posts get screenshotted, shared in group chats, discussed inside companies. 90 days later: Warm inbound from real B2B buyers. Consistent calls with the right partners. A healthy pipeline of $195k in inbound business directly from his content. No extra posting. No extra noise. Just clarity and the right strategy. A real LinkedIn presence in Web3 doesn't make you louder. It makes you impossible to ignore. P.S. Is your LinkedIn actually creating opportunities for you, or just impressions?

The CEO's I know recruit challengers. People who capture complex opportunities. Most leaders want bigger deals but their team’s still selling like every deal is a friendship test. They fall into a trap: → Being warm → Being agreeable → Not rocking the boat That works for low-stakes sales. But if you’re trying to scale using enterprise partnerships or complex customers, it often leads to stalled deals. A study of 6,000+ sales people by Gartner found: • 7% of top performers were “relationship builders” • The top-performing group (40%) were “Challengers” • They taught customers something new • They tailored conversations to the customer’s world • They took control when it mattered If you're in the market to win big, strategic deals train your team to do this: 1. Teach something they don’t know → A risk they’re underestimating → A better model they haven’t considered 2. Tailor to them → Their language → Their metrics → Their decision structure 3. Take control (when it counts) → Ask the hard question → Hold the pause → Push back with clarity (not ego) Complex, strategic deals don’t close because you had great chemistry. They close because you helped someone rethink what was possible and show the path forward is in safe hands. If you want to grow through partnerships and scale revenue without scaling headcount, ask your team: "When’s the last time we taught a customer something that changed their mind?" Want help installing this capability? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gGRsN47q ➕ I’m Phil Hayes-St Clair, I coach CEOs to grow and scale their business ♻️ Repost to help your team shift to challenger.

150 messages per week. 24 meetings booked. Zero cold calling. From someone who'd never sold into real estate before. Here's how: A student in our real estate sales course just shared their LinkedIn outreach strategy. No real estate experience. No industry connections. Just a killer outreach system. The best part? Everyone in the room learned something new. Here's what happened: Step 1: The setup Most people try to sell right away. But Guillermo Salazar did something different: • Got crystal clear on their ideal customer profile (ICP) • Found relevant LinkedIn events where these prospects gather • Used Dripify to build and manage targeted lead lists • Set up a system to send 150 connection requests weekly The room was hooked. Questions flew. Notes were taken. This was peer learning at its best. Step 2: The approach Instead of pitching, they used this simple formula: • "Saw you at [event]" → personalized icebreaker • Added value with a thoughtful endorsement • Followed with a casual, non-salesy message • Maintained 1,500 active connection requests at all times Other students jumped in. Added their tricks. Shared what worked for them. Real learning happened. Step 3: The results The numbers don't lie: • 22% connection accept rate (some campaigns hitting 40%) • Consistent flow of positive responses • 24 qualified meetings booked • Growing pipeline of potential deals The best part: each new connection becomes a content follower. First, he builds the audience with otureah, then feeds them with content once they’re connected. Why LinkedIn crushed cold email: • Limited volume forces focus • Higher intent = higher conversions • Every connection boosts future content visibility This isn't outreach. It's audience-building with compounding ROI. He knew his exact CPL ($37) and was optimizing toward $24. Try doing that with cold email. This is why our course is different: The best insights don't just come from teachers. They come from peers solving real problems. Here's what matters: Most real estate sales training focuses on: • Cold calling scripts that nobody answers • Email templates that get filtered as spam • Meeting tactics that feel forced and fake But the game has changed. Today's winners focus on: • Strategic targeting through Sales Navigator (essential tool) • Building an audience while generating leads simultaneously • Feeding that audience valuable content consistently • Converting followers into clients over time When was the last time a cold call turned into a real estate deal? If you’re selling to real estate owners, check out the Proptech Pipeline Playbook linked in the comments. It’s everything you need to: • Nail your pitch • Connect with real estate owners • Unlock $10m of pipeline in 2025 Oh, and it’s free.

If you are currently on an internship or about to wrap one up, this is for you. Internships and co-ops shape more than your résumé; they shape how you think, work, and build relationships that last a lifetime.  Here are a few lessons that shaped my journey and could help you, too: 🔹 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Every organization values those who create impact. Don’t just complete tasks. Look for problems to solve, no matter how small. During one of my past co-op roles, I worked on a project where our brainstormed ideas helped save billions in future projected costs. That came from paying attention, contributing, and working with a multidisciplinary team with 10,000+ years of combined experience across local and global projects. 🔹 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲 Study the values, culture, and policies of your workplace. The more you understand what drives the organization, the easier it becomes to align your contribution with real impact. 🔹 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐀𝐠𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 & 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 Some of the most important doors in my career were opened by relationships I built during internships. Your next mentor, advisor, or sponsor may not come through a qualification, but through a genuine connection. Up till today, I still get calls from my past supervisors I once worked with, to consult on problems I helped solve as an intern. 🔹 𝐁𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝 & 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭 Confidence is noticed. Share your ideas, volunteer for challenges, and leave a footprint of contribution. What people remember is the impact you created, not the hours you spent. 🔹 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 Before your internship ends, have deliberate conversations with your manager, supervisor, or team lead. Ask for feedback on your performance, seek mentorship opportunities, and request recommendation letters. These will serve as bridges for the next phase of your career. Here are a few sample questions you can ask: 💡 What did I do well? 💡 What could I have done differently? 💡 Would you be open to mentoring me beyond this role? 💡 Could I request a recommendation letter for future opportunities? These conversations are priceless; they provide clarity, open doors, and create connections that last far beyond the internship. At the end of the day, one truth remains: you cannot rush or substitute experience. Every day on the job is shaping the professional you are becoming. So to every intern reading this: be intentional, be courageous, and leave your footprint. 👉 Who’s the one intern in your circle that needs this reminder today? Share this with them.