We launched Randi Frank’s new redesigned website this afternoon.  The old site was designed several years ago, and the content had outgrown the site.  We gave it a new look with larger headings, more graphics and organized the navigation to make it easier to use.  View RandiFrank.com

For those of you not already Linked-In, this is a fantastic free networking site that is focused on professional networking as opposed to a more social focus such as Facebook. I have found it to be very helpful in keeping up with colleagues and associates. What I find most interesting, though are some of the people requesting that I link-in to them. You know, the people you barely remember meeting that seem to have hundreds of connections on their account.

This leads me to my question, who should I be linked-in to? At first, I was pretty exclusive, only friends and colleagues with whom I have a close professional relationship. Next, I expanded to the people I met at networking events and my best clients. Then I moved on to all prospects I meet. But do I really want to be linked-in to the person I worked with 15 years ago and never cared for?

There are two trains of thought on this. The first is, if you don’t care for the person, would you really want to network to their network as the people in their network could be similar in quality. On the other hand, if that person has a large number of contacts, over 500 in my case, should I link in to them? I don’t really have an answer; it’s just food for thought.

My colleague, Beth has  a strange and unusual personality trait.  She loves to make cold calls!   What makes Beth so successful at sales calls is that she DOES them and she’s good at them. Many, if not most people fail to make sales calls—especially cold calls.  And many of those who do make them aren’t very good at it.

You wouldn’t catch me making a cold call unless I was down to my last nickel and had exhausted all other marketing options.  My preference would be to communicate with my clients via the internet, social network sites, or email marketing.

Beth and I have a ongoing friendly debate about which is more effective–her cold calls or my online marketing. Now I haven’t actually done a formal analysis, but I can tell you this…both Beth’s cold calls and my online marketing bring in clients.

It’s not surprising since sales calls and social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are similar in that both methods put you in front of your clients, colleagues and prospects.  The advantage to social network sites is that instead of putting you in front of one client at a time like a sales call does, networking sites can put you in front whole groups of clients or prospects—on a regular basis.

Is it Sales vs. Marketing?

With a sales call you’re asking for an appointment or a job.  With regular online posts you’re making yourself, your business and your expertise known without actually asking for business.  Blogging, posting and tweeting gives you the opportunity to consistently demonstrate your expertise to your entire network.  By blogging about topics relevant to your industry or offering links to business appropriate articles, you’re demonstrating to your network that you’re knowledgeable and active in your industry.   And by having online conversations with people in your network you allow everyone in your network to learn more about you.

Or Sales and Marketing?

In my opinion, social network and sales calls strategies are complementary business tools.  Try the following strategies:

• Use your networks to help develop your call list.
• Invite call prospects to get to know more about your business by following your blog, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts.
• Provide useful informative information in your posts that will sell prospects on your expertise, style and substance.

If you develop online marketing and sales call strategies that support each other, you may find when you make the call they’re already sold.