What Have You Done For Me Lately?

You know those people who only reach out when they want something from you—the ones who drop off the face of the earth until they need a referral or a favor? After a while, don’t you find yourself thinking, “What have you done for me lately?”

It’s easy to get so caught up in developing new relationships that we forget about the existing ones. Big mistake! In sales, relationships are your bread and butter. So why would you let them go stale?

Stay in Touch and Top of Mind

Once you’ve done the groundwork to earn someone’s trust and friendship, don’t waste that effort by neglecting to stay in touch until you want something. Make an effort to reach out to all the people in your professional network on at least a semi-regular basis. Find out what’s going on with them. Ask how you can help. Share your insights.

And while you’re at it, ask for referrals. Relationships are about give and take, which means it’s OK to do both. In his book, The Start-Up of You , LinkedIn’s executive chairman and cofounder Reid Hoffman says the best way to strengthen a relationship is to ask how you can help another person. He writes, “The second best way is to let yourself be helped. As Ben Franklin recommended, ‘If you want to make a friend, let someone do you a favor.’”

Don’t Get Off to a Bad Start

Social media is a great way to share information with your contacts, and to position yourself as a thought leader. But it is not the place for a sales pitch. If you’re sending sales offerings to strangers on social media, you’re pretty much cold calling.

That is NOT the way to build relationships. That is how you get “unfriended.”

Want a Referral? Pick Up the Damn Phone

Social media is also an excellent tool for researching prospects and referral sources, but when you’re ready to ask for the referral, get offline. Never, ever ask someone for a referral on LinkedIn. You’re jeopardizing your relationship by assuming the person even wants to refer you. Most people only refer people they know well and trust. After all, their reputations are on the line. And until you actually talk to your connection, you can’t even be sure the person knows your prospect well enough to make a referral introduction.

Asking for referrals is honest, upright, and how business has always been done. It’s not taking advantage of a relationship—at least not if you actually have a relationship with someone.

Step Away from the Computer

Remember the days when people accepted every LinkedIn invitation? We felt special and included. It was like we were back in high school, vying for acceptance and popularity, and any invite was a good invite. We were finally going to the big party!

Well, sales is not a party. Selling is about building relationships, not having the most LinkedIn connections. For social selling, you actually have to be social, which means getting off your computer.

Make nurturing relationships a priority. Keep reaching out and preserving your most valuable sales asset—your relationships. Remember, relationships are your bread and butter. So keep them fresh, and they’ll keep your pipeline full of hot leads.

Research has shown that “challengers” win more deals. Are you a challenger? Visit our website or download the free e-book to find out.

What Have You Done For Me Lately?