Use networking skills and get introductions to anyone.
It is a small world. With networking skills, anyone can reach anyone in the world. All of the 8 billion souls are linked to you through less than six other people.
The six degrees of separation research grew out of work done by Stanley Milgrom in the 1960s. It has been widely publicised and talked about. Scientific studies have demonstrated the truth of it.
By way of letters, researchers asked people to forward a polite request to whoever amongst their contacts was most likely to know a particular person.
They found they were able to get a message through to randomly selected individuals via only a few links.
The calculated maximum distance between any two people in the world is 5.5, in terms of the number of hops it would take for a message to be relayed.
So, the old adage, "It's not what you know but who you know." should be no deterrent. We can all reach everyone in a few hops.
As astonishing as this may be, it is not of much practical use unless you can identify the right links. If you were to ask any but your closest friends to give you a copy of their address book, you might expect to be refused. Although in conversation, few would deny an introduction to someone they knew.
I joined LinkedIn because of an invitation from someone. I was a member for a couple of years before realising what it could do. An unconnected book called Linked, explained the six degrees research and then the power of it dawned on me.
Inspired, I began actively developing my LinkedIn network.
Using the six degrees of separation to aid sales lead generation depends on making the best use of social media to find and develop connections with people who can introduce you to those with an immediate need for what you are selling.
You can have complete strangers introduce you to people who need your stuff, right now, if you have the necessary networking skills.
Networking Skills
- Being credible as an expert without having to declare it.
- Knowing who you want to be introduced to and who can introduce you.
- Having a compelling purpose that will be clearly recognised as valuable to the person you want to reach.
Being Credible
What can people know about you without asking? What do people find if they Google your name? If you have a common name, links about you might not appear on the first page. The usual strategy for someone looking for information about you is to add your company name to the search term. In my case, they might search for 'Clive Miller SalesSense. What would such a search uncover about you?
There is quite a lot that can be done to ensure that a search for you will turn up the things that you want to be known for. To begin with, you can ensure that your LinkedIn profile is complete and conveys your expertise. Your presence on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts will appear in a narrow search. With a little effort, you can control a lot of your online information.
Having a succinct personal story that you share with people, is another way to establish credibility. Stories can be so much more engaging than cold facts. If you invest a little time in constructing and rehearsing a short story that establishes the sources of your credibility and allows people to draw their own conclusions, is one of the most powerful networking skills.
Knowing the Right People
These days it is quite easy to learn the names of the people you want to speak with and to find out who is connected with them. Numerous platforms exist to help with this but perhaps the most prominent and effective is LinkedIn and Sales Navigator. An understanding of LinkedIn and how to use it is among the most important B2B networking skills.
Having a Compelling Purpose
If you ask complete strangers for an introduction to someone known to them, there is a good chance that they will agree if you are credible and have a convincing reason for wanting the introduction. Your reason must connect with the person's interests and needs. It must be about them, not about you or anything that you sell.
So, if you have done your research and learned about the circumstances, problems, opportunities, and aspirations of the person you want to reach, you will be able to give a compelling reason for an intermediary to agree and introduce you.
Knowing someone who knows the person you want to reach and arranging an introduction, is a much easier route to starting a conversation than cold calling. C-level executives responding to a survey confirmed that they are most likely to accept a call from a salesperson who has been introduced by someone in their organisation and almost as likely to agree to speak with someone introduced by an outsider.
For salespeople, the deliberately targeted use of networking skills offers a very real alternative to cold outreach.
The old adage, "It's not what you know, but who you know," could, paradoxically, be the motto for the Information Age.
Article by Clive Miller
Additional Resources
Sales Training - Social Selling for B2B Sales
If you need to need to improve business networking skills or make better use of platforms like LinkedIn, get in touch. Telephone +44 (0)1392 851500 for more information. We will be pleased to learn about your needs and talk through some options. Send an email to custserv@salessense.co.uk for a prompt reply or use the contact form here.
