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In the previous blog post, I discussed some ways staffing companies can use Linkedin to develop their sales and staffing professionals.  The first step is building a Linkedin profile, followed by joining and participating in professional groups with valuable discussions taking place.

Recently, when gearing up for a cold call campaign, I posed the following discussion question in the SalesBlogcast.com group, “When cold calling, how do you handle voicemail? Do you leave a message - if so, what type of message? Do you also send a follow up email? Or do you just hang up and try back later?”

The response was overwhelming as 50+ sales professionals added 61 thoughtful and valuable comments to the discussion - some wrote borderline essays in response.  Here are some of the highlights from the discussion:

·         Many people found the voicemail-email combo to be effective in getting a response. Make sure the message stays consistent between the voicemail and the email.

·         Emails and voicemail should be brief, to the point, and about the prospect.

·         The point of the phone conversation is to advance or move the relationship forward – get an appointment – not to sell them a product or service within that phone call.

·         Know what you are going to say on the voicemail and make sure you believe it.

·         Come from a mind-set of trying to help and solve problems instead of trying to sell products and services.

·         It is best not to mention the past, like “I called you last week and now I’m following up…” Just get your name and message out there and into the forefront of their minds.

·         Key is to peak the prospects interest with valuable information that can do something for them – solve what they perceive to be an important problem.

·         In the voicemail, include something personal showing that you are familiar with them/their company – something from their website, location, industry, etc…

·         Standup and maintain good posture when delivering the message – even smile.

·         Leave something short that is provocative and gets them thinking.

·         Put yourselves in their shoes before you call and then look to appeal to their desires, motivations, and values.

Discussions like this one with other staffing professionals in the trenches can give you and your staff critical and timely feedback to meet specific challenges, strategies, and issues you’re facing.  Linkedin discussion groups, webinars, and podcasts should be just as much a part of your staff development toolkit as more traditional (and often more expensive) resources such as books, conferences, and video and audio training courses.

Everett Reiss

Business Relationships Development
The Staffing Cooperative
Check me out on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/evreiss
Check us out on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StaffingCo_op

Social media sites, such as Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter, have been all over the news about the number of participants they attract, and how companies are recruiting and marketing through them.  Within your staffing agency, you should encourage your salespeople and other staffing professionals to sharpen their sales and recruitment skills through a disciplined use of social media.

A great place to start is getting your salespeople and staffing professionals to build  Linkedin profiles and join relevant Linkedn groups.  Here are some Linkedin professional groups that are worthwhile for your salespeople and staffing professionals to join:

·         SalesBlogcast.com

·         The American Staffing Association

·         Temporary Staffing Professionals

·         Client Loyalty in Staffing & Recruiting

·         Openreq.com

Recently, when gearing up for a cold call campaign, I posed a question about leaving voicemails when cold calling.  The response was overwhelming as 50+ sales professionals added 61 thoughtful and valuable comments to the discussion - some wrote borderline essays in response.  We’ll highlight the discussion and responses in our next blog entry.

Participating in compelling discussions can energize and help you and your staff think creatively and discover new ways to provide staffing solutions.   Once you have a Linkedin profile and are part of some groups, set attainable weekly goals and develop a daily/weekly routine for participating on Linkedin.  For instance, you may commit to set aside 15 minutes during lunch to either start or contribute to discussions in your groups.  A great way to discover groups to join, is to browse the profiles of other people in your network or in staffing.

Everett Reiss
Business Relationships Development
The Staffing Cooperative
Check me out on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/evreiss
Check us out on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StaffingCo_op