{"id":53614,"date":"2023-01-29T12:16:50","date_gmt":"2023-01-29T20:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=53614"},"modified":"2023-01-30T12:50:24","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T20:50:24","slug":"free-marketing-warm-up-prospects-before-requesting-that-first-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/sales-and-marketing\/2023\/01\/free-marketing-warm-up-prospects-before-requesting-that-first-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Marketing: Warm Up Prospects Before Requesting that First Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When looking at how our business has evolved over recent years, it\u2019s become clear that, if you\u2019re a sales executive, you should consider adding marketing to your key initiatives and responsibilities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combining these marketing efforts with prospecting can help you build your own business inside your technology dealership.
One way to start is by changing your prospecting sequencing, adding marketing to your sales process for free. Instead of initially asking for a net-new meeting, try to \u201cpre-warm\u201d your prospect by starting with two marketing touches. Plan out your prospecting sequencing so your first two weeks include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Creating a Google Alert for their company<\/li>
  2. Using connections on LinkedIn to establish credibility<\/li>
  3. Posting to your prospects on LinkedIn<\/li>
  4. Sending relevant articles<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s take a look at each of these steps a bit more in depth to set you up for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Creating a Google Alert for Their Company<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you haven\u2019t already signed up for this, simply search \u201cGoogle alerts\u201d online and create one for the company you want to follow. Remember, these alerts work best by putting quotation marks around the company name (e.g., \u201cJohnson Law Firm\u201d) because it will create a searchable PDF for all those words in a row. If you want info about an office\/company in a specific state, include the state\u2019s abbreviation with the company\u2019s name in the search bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Once you set this up, you\u2019ll receive an email when something related to that company happens and is posted on the Internet. For instance, if you wanted to start prospecting a large law firm, that firm may post a press release about winning a case, job openings, changes to their website, articles written about any of their attorneys, etc. You would then receive an alert about their new content. Be sure to set up your email client so that any Google alert is sent to a specific folder. Then spend some time each week to review your alerts and stay on top of information about not only your prospects, but current customers as well. For example, if one of your current customers opens a new location, you can congratulate them and ask if they need help with technology at the site. It might create an additional technology sale for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Using Connections on LinkedIn to Establish Credibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Up to 100 times in a calendar week, you have the ability to request a connection with people and companies on the site. This is true even for the non-paid version of LinkedIn. Additionally, you should always push the blue \u201cFollow\u201d button on any prospect\u2019s profile so that you\u2019re alerted to the company\u2019s successes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s use this credit union as an example. Below is their company profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After following their company, you can click on \u201cSee all 188 employees\u201d and review all the LinkedIn profiles of staff members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can also create a customized \u201cask for connection\u201d by looking at their company\u2019s blog, newsletters or website to find information that can initiate a conversation. The idea is to create something you can use repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, this particular credit union posted to their website that they became the sponsor of the Miami Dolphins. I chose one individual who works there and clicked the blue \u201cConnect\u201d button on their profile, which lets you create a customized ask for connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    If you notice in the example below, I mentioned the sponsorship as a way in to the conversation. I also left out the name of my company, and also was sure not to include the individual\u2019s name, as this allows me to quickly copy and paste my note to up to 99 additional employees there who have LinkedIn profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Imagine being connected to multiple people inside your prospect\u2019s company before you even asked for a meeting. So when decision makers for that credit union eventually check you out on LinkedIn\u2014and they will\u2014they\u2019ll see that you\u2019re already connected to 30 people inside their company, adding to your credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Posting to Your Prospects on LinkedIn<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When you post to someone, whether they\u2019re connected to you or not, you\u2019ll show up at the top of their feed when they open LinkedIn. This is obviously ideal because you can get in front of your prospect with any message you want them to hear without actually \u201cknowing\u201d them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s how it works. When you\u2019re on your LinkedIn homepage, you\u2019ll see where you can start a post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    When you finish with your post\u2014which could be new content you wrote, a repost of something from your equipment manufacturer, an article you read, etc.\u2014simply type the @ sign and the person\u2019s name who you want to reach, and then attach it to your post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    For example, here\u2019s someone I haven\u2019t had the chance to work with yet, but I want him to see what I wrote as a marketing touch. Because I tagged him in the way I just described, I\u2019ll get to the top of his LinkedIn post feed. You can\u2019t always guarantee that someone will listen to a voicemail or read your email, but you know they\u2019ll see your post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4.<\/strong> Sending Relevant Articles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this step, you\u2019ll want to sign up for periodicals and blogs that contain information you might like to share with C-level prospects. You can create a marketing e-mail and insert articles they may want to read, or share with customers to review and comment. Some of this information is also great to post on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are some sites to start with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    CIO\/CTO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • https:\/\/www.cio.com\/newsletters\/signup.html<\/li>
    • https:\/\/www.cioinsight.com\/<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      COO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • https:\/\/cooalliance.com\/blog\/<\/li>
      • https:\/\/go.forrester.com\/blogs\/<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        CFO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • https:\/\/www.cfo.com\/cfo-magazine\/<\/li>
        • https:\/\/www.cfoconnect.eu\/en\/resources<\/li>
        • https:\/\/www.thecreativescfo.com\/blog<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Human Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          • www.alltop.com\/business<\/li>
          • https:\/\/hr.blr.com\/<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            AP\/AR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            • https:\/\/www.ap-now.com\/products\/Accounts-Payable-Monthly-Newsletter.cfm<\/li>
            • https:\/\/www.cfodailynews.com\/hrmp-content-type\/keep-up-to-date-on-accounts-payable-newsletters\/<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              You can also find your own relevant articles by using the Google search ideas below. These articles can be a marketing touch before solicitation for a meeting, included in a thank-you email after a net-new meeting or even a consultative touch with current customers in between your partnership reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              • 2023 news or articles about (insert industry)<\/li>
              • Articles about driving profitability for (insert industry)<\/li>
              • Addressing compliance changes for (insert industry)<\/li>
              • Articles about improving management styles<\/li>
              • Trends for 2023 for (insert industry)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                When you create a marketing email to share articles, remember to include the link to the article\/blog, mention what you thought was impactful and share that you\u2019d be interested in their thoughts on it. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Good afternoon, John,
                I was reviewing DeVry University\u2019s blog on \u201c8 HR Trends You\u2019ll Likely See in 2023.\u201d (https:\/\/www.devry.edu\/blog\/hr-trends). It highlights something I\u2019m sure your department is focusing on in 2023: \u201chybrid and remote work, employee skills management, employee benefits, company culture, engagement, technology, quiet quitting and focus on retention may represent significant challenges for HR professionals in 2023. Regardless of how these challenges occur, it\u2019s safe to say that HR professionals will have to be on top of their games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Here at Kingston Technologies, we continue to focus on how to support our clients\u2019 HR departments and their unique technology requirements to better serve their company and culture, and the acquisition of the right staff members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                I would love your thoughts on this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Notice, I\u2019m not asking for a meeting; I\u2019m simply interacting\/marketing and branding myself as an educational and thoughtful resource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Boiling it All Down<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                To make things easier for you to plan, here\u2019s a schedule for how you can utilize these marketing steps in your prospecting sequencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Week 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                • Identify the companies you see as prospects.<\/li>
                • Find at least two decision makers at each company who you want to meet. This includes CFO, COO, CIO, AP\/AR executives, business managers and presidents\u2014not office managers or purchasing managers.<\/li>
                • Create a Google alert for your prospect\u2019s companies.<\/li>
                • Follow the companies on LinkedIn.<\/li>
                • Create a \u201ccustomized ask\u201d for connection and attempt connections with 100 people at those companies.<\/li>
                • Find a relevant article that you\u2019d like to share.<\/li>
                • Post on LinkedIn to your top two or three buying prospects at your prospective company.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  Week 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  • Post to your prospects on LinkedIn again.<\/li>
                  • Check to see if anyone from the companies has accepted your LinkedIn connection.<\/li>
                  • Send your relevant article with a customized email.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    Week 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    • Start prospecting the companies by asking for a meeting.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      Combining marketing into your prospecting sequencing can turn your cold calls into hot prospecting, make you more credible and ease your ability to secure more net new C-level meetings in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      When looking at how our business has evolved over recent years, it\u2019s become clear that, if you\u2019re a sales executive, you should consider adding marketing to your key initiatives and responsibilities. Combining these marketing efforts with prospecting can help you build your own business inside your technology dealership.One way to start is by changing your prospecting sequencing, adding marketing to your sales process for free. Instead of initially asking for a net-new meeting, try to \u201cpre-warm\u201d your prospect by starting with two marketing touches. Plan out your prospecting sequencing so your first two weeks include: Creating a Google Alert for their company Using connections on LinkedIn to establish credibility Posting to your prospects on LinkedIn Sending relevant articles Let\u2019s take a look at each of these steps a bit more in depth to set you up for success. 1. Creating a Google Alert for Their Company If you haven\u2019t already signed up for this, simply search \u201cGoogle alerts\u201d online and create one for the company you want to follow. Remember, these alerts work best by putting quotation marks around the company name (e.g., \u201cJohnson Law Firm\u201d) because it will create a searchable PDF for all those words in a row. If you want info about an office\/company in a specific state, include the state\u2019s abbreviation with the company\u2019s name in the search bar. Once you set this up, you\u2019ll receive an email when something related to that company happens and is posted on the Internet. For instance, if you wanted to start prospecting a large law firm, that firm may post a press release about winning a case, job openings, changes to their website, articles written about any of their attorneys, etc. You would then receive an alert about their new content. Be sure to set up your email client so that any Google alert is sent to a specific folder. Then spend some time each week to review your alerts and stay on top of information about not only your prospects, but current customers as well. For example, if one of your current customers opens a new location, you can congratulate them and ask if they need help with technology at the site. It might create an additional technology sale for you. 2. Using Connections on LinkedIn to Establish Credibility Up to 100 times in a calendar week, you have the ability to request a connection with people and companies on the site. This is true even for the non-paid version of LinkedIn. Additionally, you should always push the blue \u201cFollow\u201d button on any prospect\u2019s profile so that you\u2019re alerted to the company\u2019s successes. Let\u2019s use this credit union as an example. Below is their company profile. After following their company, you can click on \u201cSee all 188 employees\u201d and review all the LinkedIn profiles of staff members. You can also create a customized \u201cask for connection\u201d by looking at their company\u2019s blog, newsletters or website to find information that can initiate a conversation. The idea is to create something you can use repeatedly. For example, this particular credit union posted to their website that they became the sponsor of the Miami Dolphins. I chose one individual who works there and clicked the blue \u201cConnect\u201d button on their profile, which lets you create a customized ask for connection. If you notice in the example below, I mentioned the sponsorship as a way in to the conversation. I also left out the name of my company, and also was sure not to include the individual\u2019s name, as this allows me to quickly copy and paste my note to up to 99 additional employees there who have LinkedIn profiles. Imagine being connected to multiple people inside your prospect\u2019s company before you even asked for a meeting. So when decision makers for that credit union eventually check you out on LinkedIn\u2014and they will\u2014they\u2019ll see that you\u2019re already connected to 30 people inside their company, adding to your credibility. 3. Posting to Your Prospects on LinkedIn When you post to someone, whether they\u2019re connected to you or not, you\u2019ll show up at the top of their feed when they open LinkedIn. This is obviously ideal because you can get in front of your prospect with any message you want them to hear without actually \u201cknowing\u201d them. Here\u2019s how it works. When you\u2019re on your LinkedIn homepage, you\u2019ll see where you can start a post. When you finish with your post\u2014which could be new content you wrote, a repost of something from your equipment manufacturer, an article you read, etc.\u2014simply type the @ sign and the person\u2019s name who you want to reach, and then attach it to your post. For example, here\u2019s someone I haven\u2019t had the chance to work with yet, but I want him to see what I wrote as a marketing touch. Because I tagged him in the way I just described, I\u2019ll get to the top of his LinkedIn post feed. You can\u2019t always guarantee that someone will listen to a voicemail or read your email, but you know they\u2019ll see your post. 4. Sending Relevant Articles In this step, you\u2019ll want to sign up for periodicals and blogs that contain information you might like to share with C-level prospects. You can create a marketing e-mail and insert articles they may want to read, or share with customers to review and comment. Some of this information is also great to post on LinkedIn. Here are some sites to start with. CIO\/CTO https:\/\/www.cio.com\/newsletters\/signup.html https:\/\/www.cioinsight.com\/ COO https:\/\/cooalliance.com\/blog\/ https:\/\/go.forrester.com\/blogs\/ CFO https:\/\/www.cfo.com\/cfo-magazine\/ https:\/\/www.cfoconnect.eu\/en\/resources https:\/\/www.thecreativescfo.com\/blog Human Resources www.alltop.com\/business https:\/\/hr.blr.com\/ AP\/AR https:\/\/www.ap-now.com\/products\/Accounts-Payable-Monthly-Newsletter.cfm https:\/\/www.cfodailynews.com\/hrmp-content-type\/keep-up-to-date-on-accounts-payable-newsletters\/ You can also find your own relevant articles by using the Google search ideas below. These articles can be a marketing touch before solicitation for a meeting, included in a thank-you email after a net-new meeting or even a consultative touch with current customers in between your partnership reviews. 2023 news or articles about (insert industry) Articles about driving profitability for (insert industry) Addressing compliance changes for (insert industry) Articles about improving […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1866],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53614"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53614"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53710,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53614\/revisions\/53710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}