Influencing rfp´s the power of linkedin by jens edgren salesmakeover

Salesmakeover AB +46 651 25 00 (switch) Fredrikslundsvägen 2 [email protected] 168 51 Bromma, Sweden www.salesmakeover.se

Influencing RFP`s: The power of LinkedIn.

Salespeople who have spent countless hours answering to RFP´s, waiting for response and

evaluation – finally loosing without given a “fair chance” to influence the process and explain

the suggested solution might find this blogpost interesting.

LinkedIn offers golden (untapped) opportunities to influence the people creating, evaluating

and taking decisions based on RFP´s:

Open the eyes of the customer for new ways of seen the needs

Create curiosity & credibility for the solution offered

Create credibility for the team behind the RFP

Increase the positive status of the vendor

And influence the real decision makers directly without contacting them.

The nature of RFP´s

RFP´s (request for proposals) are only about control, ensuring that the procurement decision

is based on logical reasons only. That means defining the needs, collecting data about possible

solutions on the market, ask vendors to present and offer and, finally, compare the bids to

select the “best” offer. You can set up parameters in a spreadsheet, with columns for each

vendor. You can make a checklist of the requirements of the “best” solution, put values (+/-)

for how the vendor performs at each item.

But at the end of the day the largest part of the decision will

be based on feelings. It is how the procurement team perceive and feel about the vendor, the

quality of the solution, what other people (in the organisation) will say and think about the

decision.


So in a close race between vendors the X* factor is the attraction of the offer and the vendor.

To stay neutral and fact based the customer does not want sales people to run around in the

organisation, influencing people to their favour. Once the RFP is out on the street, the door to

the customer is closed. The key is in the pocket of the procurement officer. In fact, in

government buying the consequences of neglecting the buying procedure described by law

can mean that the tender process has to be redone. And that is connected with both costs and

loss of face.

This is a part of the RFP process sales people hate the most, no access to the customer. I have

heard stories about secret meetings in bars, customers wearing disguise, private hunting trips

where the customer and the vendor spends time together etc. Creative ways to organize

meetings outside the protocol.

New ways of creating influence (in a safe,

legal and honest way)

The power of social networks is well documented**, over 70% of C-level managers utilise the

communication capabilities that LinkedIn offers to gather information about solutions and

vendors to support a buying decision.

Most people on LinkedIn check in to the news feed every day or at least a couple of times a

week. They follow the news flow, read blog posts that are interesting to them and they keep

updated important topics. Can we use LinkedIn to influence them? Absolutly!


Back to basics, 5 strategies for the brave new thinkers

1. Who do we want to influence?

We will have to do research on the people form the customer who is involved directly into the

information gathering, RFP evaluation and in the final decision making. Sometimes we may

want to include end users as they can influence or block a decision.

We can use LinkedIn (pro version***) to find them and make a list. We can put a tag on each

profile (see example) with the name of the RFP project. That will make it easy to find them

and follow them.

You can choose to follow each person by clicking on the “follow” button. Now everything

they do will be visible in your news feed.

2. Where do they search for information?

On each person’s profile you will see who they follow, which groups they are members of and

recent activity. This will provide an opportunity for you to join the same groups and start

following the same people. Also will you be able to see how you are connected to them,

directly or indirectly. Often someone else in your company have a direct contact or someone

you know. That person could be both a source of information and a potential influencer.

Now you can summarize your findings and select the most important groups to join and the

people you may want to ask to help you influence the RFP team.


Important: count on that the people you want to influence will visit your profile (people at

your company). Make sure that the profiles look professional, updated and the summary of

each person contains the information you want to communicate.

3. What topics do we want to address?

First do a competitive analysis and find you “killers”, differientors where you really have a

competitive edge. Next step can be to find you weak points. Can you make them less weak?

Winning in competition is about winning on your strengths and avoiding loosing on you

weaknesses.

The themes to address can be:

The needs perception, are there other ways of viewing the needs than the customer

have done? Are there other perspectives? Maybe other clients have addressed the

situation in another way? Maybe industry experts have published reports that supports

your viewpoint?

The solution the customer are looking for. Can you create trust for your offer by

publishing reference stories or white papers that can influence the buyer? Are there

group discussions you can join/start that supports your standpoint?

Your company, your team. At the end of the day it is all about the people. People you

trust. Can you reinforce the status of your team? Updates, news, awards, recognitions?

FUD**** (fear, uncertainty and doubt). Sometimes you want to shake the customer up

a bit, highlighting risks of failure if certain things are done or not done. It could be

about using a certain technology, method, business policy or type of agreement. FUD

stories are best communicated by neutral, highly recognized sources. You can find

evidence for your standpoint and post that.

3. How to influence in an honest way?

Since your customers don’t want to be directly engaged or contacted you will make a few

assumptions. From your research you know where and how they engage on Linkedin. It is

also likely that they check up profiles they are interested in. Honesty is very important as you

want to influence in an intelligent way so your arguments eventually will come from the

customer. Too obvious or aggressive posts will backfire.

1. Start with updating all profiles on your team; make sure they are broadcasted to

contacts

2. Find relevant group discussions and share your opinion, backed by third party research

(and link to that research)

3. Create new group discussions on the topics you choose. A good thing is to use a

challenging headline, a question or statement that would encourage people to read and


comment. Always refer to third party research (Gartner/Forrester etc) to increase trust

and credibility.

4. Create blog posts with your topics, in the form of a white paper: challenging headline,

a good picture and short introduction with your standpoint backed with third party

research.

5. Link blog posts to your homepage and offer downloads in return of a mail address.

6. Update several times and share each other’s blog posts.

7. Ask permission from your customers to post updates about reference cases where the

key message supports your opinions, topics you want to influence on.

8. Visit your targeted peoples profiles, that will create curiosity and they will look at you.

9. Ask your connections to share your blog posts to the people you want to influence.

10. Finally invite to an open breakfast or lunch seminar to discuss the topics.

Try to work in cycles of three days, very active Monday – Wednesday, and repeat next week

for 1-2 months. Spread the responsibility in the team.

5. How to know we have succeeded?

The final answer to this question would be that you win the tender. In the mean time you can

create a dashboard and follow:

“Who viewed your profile”, did your key people check you out?

“Who viewed your updates”, did you reach beyond your connections?

Number of views, comments and likes on your articles

New followers, from people you target

Summary

Influencing a group of people on LinkedIn requires a focused approach, regular activities and

team work. LinkedIn is still not used as a sales channel. That’s why an “influence plan” can

make a huge difference.

Good luck!

Jens “Salesmakeover” Edgren

Jens is the CEO of SalesMakeover, a Solution Selling certified business partner. Jens Edgren

have been training sales organisations since 1989 and is the author of 3 books, amongst them

the best seller “How to sell the answer to a problem” found on amazon.com

[email protected] +46 707998800 www.salesmakeover.se

http://www.amazon.com/Answer-Problem-Great-Ideas-Sales/dp/9198006711/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421857125&sr=8-3&keywords=jens+edgren

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.salesmakeover.se/


*The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent, contested

by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. The person with most talent and public

attraction is elected by the viewers.

**Research Discover Org,2013)

***LinkedIn´s pro-versions offers search capabilities, tracking capabilities and increased

view