Marc Halpert is an old friend and business colleague, however, he’s a new member in Adrian’s Network.
Marc generously shares his expertise and wisdom on all things “LinkedIn” with the members of the A’s Net community, and it is my pleasure to offer some insights into Marc and his business.
1. How do you get your clients for your LinkedIn coaching services?
I am pleased that I have come to the point in my career that all my new clients come from referrals, networking, hearing me speak in public, a group training session, or my writing (either via my LinkedIn posts as a thought leader or my weekdaily blog). My philosophy of telling ”why you do what you do” sets me apart from less-experienced peers. Pricing is set to attract serious prospects of a certain caliber and accomplishment level: it pre-supposes mutual respect that I will challenge them with commitment and depth of thought.
I start by reassuring them, since mature professionals are reticent to ask for help, in many cases. I hold a get-to-know-you video or phone session to evaluate what they really need, as many do not know how deeply I can take them in their LinkedIn profile until we discuss their goals and objectives, themes, and career experience. We discuss my four 90-minute session coaching curriculum, and I further outline it in a written proposal. Laying out weekly accomplishments, signed by both of us, indicating mutual commitment to the schedule and deliverables, establishes trust and clarity early on.
2. Do you like to “sell?” Do you like to network?
I always loved networking. It’s in my DNA (my father was a relationship-based entrepreneur from the 1970s) and collecting great people around me was a part of my previous big-corporate life starting in 1979, although I did not then recognize it as a personal attribute. I refined that passion as a multi-preneur, now 19+ years.
I seek to surround myself with great people, and I continually nurture them. As I network, I am actually soft-selling my high energy, I am told I exude sincerity because I truly love what I do, and offer a path to improve one’s self-branding. I describe to the prospect this is an investment in themselves, and I take this very seriously as a commitment to time, emotion, and money well spent. I am connected to over 3300 well-vetted professional people and am followed now by over 20 thousand people on LinkedIn who read me, interact with me, and gain beneficial knowledge from my lens. My efforts to speak honestly and with quality is part of my sales pitch.
3. What’s your biggest challenge in sales?
It’s a challenge to expect consumers, because we all are, to understand that LinkedIn coaching is an art, with no measurable ROI, but I am committed to what I teach them as having been successful for other LinkedIn coaching clients over 11 years. I ensure expert client service since my tag line is “I exceed expectations,” reinforced with continual support and advice while, and after, being a coaching client: providing useful updates, referrals, and bravos/bravas throughout our relationship. I help many of them years after our coaching relationship has ended, because our professional relationship has continued. “Always a client,” I tell them. Referrals result from this commitment, a rewarding continuum.