Is LinkedIn a Good Sales Tool?

Doc uses LinkedIn to make connections, as most people do. But I've not really considered it a sales tool until I came across an interesting article by John Foley on how some people are looking at new ways to use LinkedIn.

If a once-happy customer experiences a job change, the company still has a connection with them. For example, the company may:

• Use LinkedIn to send a personal note when the job change does occur.

• Offer up a recommendation for the person.

• Refer the person's profile to companies where there may be a fit.

Along with those one-time actions, they will make an effort to stay in touch with them in the weeks and/or months that follow.

By staying connected and engaged to these folks, they create opportunities to receive future sales and jobs once that person is in place at a new business.

How so?  Well, they were already a fan of the services provided by that company. And their appreciation of them will no doubt be deeper because of the conversations and actions that took place during the process of changing jobs. Thus, they may be apt to highly recommend that company's services to their new employer.

John has quite a few good ideas about how staying connected through LinkedIn can be a great route to increasing sales. Check it out.