You can use either a shotgun or a sniper rifle. Early on my career, I used the only prospecting weapon that I had at my disposal was … the shotgun. I picked a street and knocked on every door hoping to find the jewel buried in the dirt.
Times have changed. I’ve grown smarter and we now have smarter tools. With a little preparation, prospecting is now much easier and more effective, to focus on those who are most likely to do business with you.
Benefits
One of the largest benefits of discriminating connecting is that “focus” word. Let me ask you this. When you go to your news feed on any social network, are the updates that you see dominated by people you know and who provide you with value (measured in different ways) or by folks who you do not know and who have no potential of bringing you new business? Be honest.
That’s a problem particularly when your important connections are being drowned out. How will you get to know those people better, learn about their interests, and build the kind of long-term relationships that will lead to win-win scenarios? Focus.
A “clean” news feed will allow you to do that and more. It will allow you to discover new opportunities and new like-minded people (2nd degree connections on LinkedIn). As a result, you will achieve a more effective use of your time and your resources.
How to do it
There are many ways to discover those who you are most interested in connecting to. An “Ideal Client Profile” will define specific individuals. “Target Buyer Personas” can be used to specify ideal companies for your products or services.
Regardless of what you want to call it, you know what it is and what you need to do. These profiles will help you to make that important decision on whether to extend an invitation to connect or to accept one received.
If, for example, I say that I only want to do business with people in Idaho and that is a hard criteria for me … I likely will not connect with someone in Bora Bora, although I hear that it is very nice!
Next, filter your news feeds to focus on the chosen ones. I am not going to suggest that you disconnect from existing people. That would be short-sighted and things may change. Instead, create “lists” on Facebook and Twitter and you will have to “mute / stop following” individuals on LinkedIn. Voila! Clean news feeds.
Now it will become incredibly easy to follow the day-to-day activities of your favorite peeps and … do not squander that opportunity. Discover what and who is important to them. Learn! Engage! Like and comment on their shares where appropriate.
Seek to provide them value where you can. Perhaps a referral or introduction? Maybe the heads up on a new business development that might present them with an opportunity? Now, I love me some donuts but do you want to know what I love even more? Opportunities to sell more of my stuff = all the donuts I want!