It’s officially September, which means it’s unofficially the end of one of the strangest business summer seasons I can remember. While it certainly feels like a recession in many ways, several economic markers would allow one to disagree. 

For all of the sentiment out there about companies being a lot more tight-fisted with their cash (I see a lot of it), most of the companies I’ve spoken with have been doing quite well.

Who doesn’t love a good inbound lead? They’re a sign that you’re doing something right. Your SEO is on point, there’s some thought leadership that sent people your way, or someone specifically passed you a referral. Hey, maybe it’s pure dumb luck! One way or another, people are coming to you. 

You’re in sales. You’re proud to represent the company you work for and the solution you sell. That’s a great place to start. 

The problem is that many sellers are so proud of what they sell, it’s all they talk about. They run around from prospect to prospect offering their solution and hoping that they called on someone with the right problem. 

This is totally backward. 

Earlier this week, I was advising a colleague to take a direct approach to his LinkedIn connections- a tactic I’m starting to use myself.

“When they accept your request, send a message back or even a video message that says, ‘I connected with you because I help companies like yours with these types of issues. I'm a good follow on this platform, I provide a lot of value for free, and I’m happy to connect in real-time to discuss your specific situation if you ever feel like that would be helpful.’”

“Wow, that seems really direct, and a bit salesy,” he said.

This is where the conversation got interesting. I said, “Compared to what?”