Advisor Elephant Hunting: Use LinkedIn to Get References and Recommendations

One of the things we work on with our Wholesaler Masterminds Coaching clients is how to effectively work a list of prospects.

Well, not just any prospects – by prospects we mean Elephants.

Advisors so large that they will make your Career Year happen…fast.

Q. How do you eat an elephant?

A: One bite at a time.

And for the great wholesaler that means that they have a plan of attack.

One element of that plan is how to let The Elephant know that you are:

• professional
• knowledgeable
• educated
• creative

Said another way, The Elephant needs to understand that time spent with you is not time wasted.

What better way to help them understand that than through a reference/testimonial/recommendation.

Here’s one great way to make that happen – using LinkedIn:

1. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is current and properly completed. If you need an example of one that is all tuned up, look at Rob’s.

2. Once the Profile reads as you wish, upload all of your contacts into LinkedIn so you can discover who is already present on the LinkedIn platform – and invite them to connect.

Here’s how to do that:

3. After inviting all of your contacts to connect, search for The Elephant that you have in your sights.

4. Make note of who they are connected to in your network.

5. If they are connected to one of your best advisors, tight COI relationships, or dependable home office relationship (your firm or theirs), write that person a note that simply says, in part:

It appears that you have a relationship with [The Elephant]. He/she is someone in my territory I’d appreciate getting an introduction to.

Based on our history together I hope you might be comfortable calling or emailing [The Elephant] and putting in a brief good word about your experience working with me and my firm.

I’m sure that an introduction/recommendation from you will carry tremendous weight with [The Elephant].

If I can reciprocate in any way please let me know.

Do this now:

Go through your list of Elephants that you covet in the year ahead.

Map The Elephant to the person(s) that you want to help you achieve the reference/testimonial/recommendation.

Good hunting!

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