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Curiosity did not kill the cat →
Would you buy a gold chain on the beach?
October 1, 2010
My partner has just come back from being on holiday, and I asked her if she’d had a good time.
She said she had, except for being hassled all the time by the guys walking up and down the beach selling watches and jewellery. I laughed and agreed with her. Then I asked her if anybody had actually bought anything from them? The answer was one or two had, a few had taken a look, but most had just told them to go away.
So I started thinking. The chances are that everyone on that beach was just like us – normal regular people. And out of that whole beach of people the majority didn’t want to buy jewellery, they just wanted to get on with sunbathing and enjoying their holiday.
Think about the reasons why they didn’t buy. Nothing that they wanted, didn’t want to be bothered while sunbathing on the beach, didn’t trust the quality of the goods, or didn’t like the guy who was trying to sell the stuff. Overall, whether they wanted to buy or not, most were just annoyed they were being bothered, and wanted the guy who was selling to go away.
All those people on the beach are just like our business network. They generally don’t buy from us just because we’ve asked them. Why should they?
If you have an obvious product, like the guy on the beach, that people can see, touch and feel, and then you might get lucky, because that’s what’s called a transactional sale. The decision making isn’t a long process; the product isn’t complicated, so the sale can happen quite quickly and relatively often, especially if you’re selling something someone definitely wants or needs.
However, if you’re offering a service or a more complex product than a copy of a Rolex, then it’s highly unlikely you’ll get a quick sale or a sale at all using this approach. This is where we have to nurture relationships, foster trust, and truly find out the wider aspects of a client’s needs.
Using LinkedIn effectively can help you do this. But LinkedIn can also be used to sell like the guy on the beach – I should know, I’ve been on the receiving end of it!
Don’t fall into that trap – LinkedIn is all about relationships, not sales.
Sales are what you’ll get as a result of building your relationships. It has to be in that order – relationship then sale, particularly if you have a high-value service or proposition.
If you wouldn’t buy a gold chain on the beach, why should someone buy what you’re selling on LinkedIn?
Damian
Happy to connect on LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/damianthompsonL2S
‘Add Damian to your network’ – Just use my email address damian@linked2success.co.uk and say that we are friends…..
Or follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/linked2success
Linked2Success website – http://www.linked2success.co.uk
This entry was posted in LinkedIn, LinkedIn profile and tagged Linked2Success, LinkedIn, LinkedIn advice, Linkedin consultant, Linkedin help, LinkedIn profile tips, LinkedIn specialties, LinkedIn trainer, LinkedIn Training, networking, sales, Social Media. Bookmark the permalink.
Curiosity did not kill the cat →
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