The LinkedIn Edge

21Always Be Connecting

Too many sellers treat networking like a temporary fix—something they do when the pipeline dries up, deals fall through, they get desperate, or a manager says, “You need to be more active on LinkedIn.”

They send out a flurry of connection requests. But when their calendar fills back up, they go dark. The activity stops. The relationships go cold. And when they eventually circle back, they're starting from scratch. Reactive desperation never works.

Network building isn't a point in time, a box that you check, a one‐and‐done activity. It isn't something you do only when it is convenient. It is an infinite game.

To play the game at an elite level requires that you are intentional, aware, disciplined, and consistently focused on adding the right people to your network.

Opportunistic by Design

Top sales professionals look at every interaction—on‐ or offline—and consider if it has the potential to expand their reach or open new doors. When interacting with people, they ask themselves:

• Is this an ICP prospect and sales opportunity?
• Is this someone I can help?
• Is this someone who can help me?
• Is this someone I want to learn from or stay on the radar of?

Whether in sales conversations, at events and conferences, while traveling, or even at church, school, and sports activities, they’re always looking for people who should be in their network.

They're opportunistic by design because they have done the hard work to identify their ICP and know who should be ...