Chapter 11
Develop
Scaling Up Your Social Networks
Succeeding in business is all about making connections.
—Sir Richard Branson
In Chapter 6 we discussed how growing your social networks can provide you with massive opportunities. Jill Rowley is correct in saying that “your network is your net worth.” 1 In fact, if you read Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, you'll see that he has attempted to calculate how long it takes to monetize a new personal network. Tony found that it can take upward of two years for a new connection to become a valuable relationship. Why is this timeline important? Because many sales professionals ask themselves, “Which is more important in growing my network? Quantity or quality? I don't necessarily have a large target market, so why should I build my network beyond those accounts?”
I've already helped you understand the importance of quality through expanding your social reach, where you will grow your social networks to mirror relationships in your CRM accounts. Now, I'd like you to understand why quantity can also play a large part in your success. I want you to recall our digital newspaper analogy from Chapter 6. Your personal network (think of that as your newspaper subscriber list) is what fuels your ability to virally attract new buyers. When it comes to evaluating new, organic connections, some of the arguments I hear most often from sales professionals are: “They're not a decision-maker,” or “They aren't in my target market. Why should I connect with them?” I want you to ask yourself: Where were you two years ago? Who have you met over the last two years who has added value to your life? I also want you to recognize that these potential connections change and grow their authority over time. They change jobs and industries, and can one day be decision-makers in your target market. What about the connections within their network? Ignoring a quantity of connections is a huge miscalculation for sales professionals. For all you know, that person asking to connect with you on LinkedIn could golf every Wednesday with the CEO of your top account. That person could have been a university roommate to a future advocate in an account you're chasing. People buy from people, so don't discount the relationships that other people have! Use the following steps to scale up your social networks.
Step 1: Check Your Digital Voicemails
Every day, there are people checking out your social profiles. They're curious to learn more about the person who has been consistently sharing valuable insights. It may be a buyer you called last week or a lower-level functional person doing research who works inside an account you've been targeting. Either way, there are people showing expressed interest in you! Every single one of these people has a story and connections, and could help you be one step closer to your goal. Find this list of people on LinkedIn by clicking “People who viewed your profile.” Take a moment to write them a custom LinkedIn connection request and add them to your social network. Now, they will be able to much more consistently see the insights you share. Here is your opportunity to build your subscriber base.
Step 2: Check Your Content Engagement
The same principles apply for checking content engagement as your digital voicemails, except this takes the form of likes, comments, shares, mentions, retweets, and favorites your insights are having on social media. Each one of these people should also be added to your LinkedIn and Twitter networks. These people are already expressing an interest in helping you go more viral.
Step 3: Grow by the Power of Three
Set a goal for yourself to grow your social networks (beyond the required social reach) by at least three people each day. Over the course of 250 business days, there will be 750 new advocates in your network. You will have exponentially changed your exposure and personal brand.