Last updated on Mar 19, 2024

What do you do if you want to connect with sales managers outside your company?

If you are a sales manager, you know how important it is to network with your peers in other companies. You can learn from their experiences, exchange insights, and find potential opportunities for collaboration or referrals. But how do you connect with sales managers outside your company, especially in a remote or competitive environment? Here are some tips to help you expand your professional network and build meaningful relationships with other sales managers.

1 Identify your goals

Before you reach out to other sales managers, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from the connection. Are you looking for advice, feedback, mentorship, or partnership? Do you want to explore a new market, industry, or product? Do you want to share best practices, challenges, or solutions? Having a specific goal will help you narrow down your target audience, craft a relevant and personalized message, and follow up with value.

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Ravi Kiran

4x LinkedIn Top Voice | Proven FMCG Revenue Growth Strategist | Visionary Sales & Marketing Leader | Trade Marketing Expert | Management Consultant | AI & Emerging Tech Evangelist
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To connect with sales managers outside your company, start by researching industry events, conferences, or networking groups where they may be present. Attend these events to meet and engage with them in person. Utilize professional networking platforms like LinkedIn to reach out and initiate conversations, expressing genuine interest in their work and expertise. Offer to share insights, collaborate on projects, or simply exchange ideas. Follow up consistently and respectfully to nurture relationships over time. By demonstrating genuine interest and value, you can establish meaningful connections with sales managers outside your company.

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Kumar Shubham

Driving growth with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Navision | Business Central & Customer Engagement Application for Small and Medium Businesses.
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Sales data is very easily available for promotion, visiting the surrounding exhibition. Purchasing the industrial directory easily gives you access to coordinate with the sales manager and you yourself being a manager you know what all things you would have looked for.

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Wladimir Teles de Oliveira

Sócio Administrador na Áureo Consultoria | MBA em Gestão Exponencial
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Alguns dos objetivos que você pode ter em mente incluem: - Gerar leads e oportunidades de vendas: Conectar-se com gerentes de vendas pode te ajudar a identificar novos leads e oportunidades de vendas para sua empresa. - Criar parcerias estratégicas: Estabelecer relações com gerentes de vendas pode abrir portas para parcerias estratégicas com outras empresas. - Aprender com outros profissionais: Conectar-se com outros gerentes de vendas pode te ajudar a aprender com suas experiências, melhores práticas e insights do mercado. - Manter-se atualizado com as tendências do mercado: Interagir com gerentes de vendas te permite ficar por dentro das últimas tendências e inovações do seu nicho.

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2 Use online platforms

One of the most convenient and effective ways to connect with sales managers outside your company is to use online platforms that are designed for professional networking. For example, LinkedIn, SalesHacker, or Sales Management Association are great places to find and join groups, events, webinars, or podcasts that are relevant to your field, role, or interest. You can also use these platforms to search for sales managers who have similar backgrounds, skills, or goals as you, and send them a connection request with a friendly and customized note.

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Abhishek Rai

I help salespeople turn 'Do we need this?' to 'Why do we have 50 of them?'
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Joining groups on professional networking platforms, such as LinkedIn, is a great way to connect with sales managers who share your interests and goals. If you specialize in selling enterprise software, you can join groups such as "Enterprise Software Sales Professionals" or "Software Sales Strategies." Remember, when sending a connection request to someone on LinkedIn, it's important to personalize your note and make it relevant to their interests or background. If you notice that they recently posted an article about sales enablement, you can mention that in your note and start a conversation around that topic.

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Wladimir Teles de Oliveira

Sócio Administrador na Áureo Consultoria | MBA em Gestão Exponencial
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Utilize plataformas online: - LinkedIn: Utilize o LinkedIn para pesquisar e conectar-se com gerentes de vendas de outras empresas. Participe de grupos relevantes, envie mensagens personalizadas e utilize a ferramenta de busca para encontrar os profissionais que você deseja conhecer. - Outras plataformas de networking: Explore outras plataformas como Sales Hacker, Upwork ou Meetup para encontrar gerentes de vendas e participar de eventos online ou presenciais. - Ferramentas de busca de empresas: Utilize ferramentas como o Google Search ou o ZoomInfo para encontrar empresas em seu nicho de mercado e identificar os gerentes de vendas responsáveis por elas.

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3 Provide value first

When you connect with other sales managers, you want to avoid being too pushy, salesy, or self-promotional. Instead, you want to provide value first and build trust and rapport over time. You can do this by offering useful information, resources, referrals, or introductions that can help them solve a problem, achieve a goal, or learn something new. You can also ask insightful questions, show genuine interest, and give positive feedback or recognition. By providing value first, you will demonstrate your credibility, generosity, and professionalism.

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Wladimir Teles de Oliveira

Sócio Administrador na Áureo Consultoria | MBA em Gestão Exponencial
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Ofereça valor e construa relacionamentos: - Compartilhe insights e conhecimento: Compartilhe informações relevantes e úteis com gerentes de vendas em suas redes sociais, blog ou website. - Ofereça ajuda e suporte: Ajude gerentes de vendas com seus desafios e problemas, oferecendo dicas, conselhos ou recursos relevantes. - Construa relacionamentos autênticos: Conecte-se com gerentes de vendas em um nível pessoal, demonstre interesse genuíno em seus objetivos e busque construir relacionamentos duradouros.

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4 Follow up regularly

Once you have established a connection with another sales manager, you need to maintain and nurture the relationship by following up regularly. You can do this by sending a thank you note, sharing relevant updates, inviting them to join a conversation, or asking for their opinion or advice. You can also suggest a virtual or in-person meeting, depending on the situation and the level of rapport. The key is to keep the communication consistent, relevant, and respectful, and avoid being too intrusive or demanding.

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5 Expand your network

Finally, you can leverage your existing connections to expand your network and reach out to more sales managers outside your company. You can do this by asking for referrals, introductions, or recommendations from your contacts who know other sales managers who might be interested in connecting with you. You can also participate in online or offline communities, forums, or events where you can meet and interact with other sales managers who share your interests, challenges, or goals. The more you network, the more opportunities you will create for yourself and others.

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Elivaldo Bispo 🚀📊

Top Sales Management Voice | B2B | Key Account Manager | Gerente de Contas | Negociação | Liderança e Treinamento de Equipes | Marketing | Vendas Consultivas | Gestão de Indicadores | CRM
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O próprio linkedin já é uma poderosa ferramenta para networking profissional. Além de conectar-nos com gerentes de vendas diretamente, podemos também participar de grupos relacionados a vendas, seguir influenciadores do setor e compartilhar conteúdo relevante para atrair a atenção de outros profissionais. Não devemos ter medo de iniciar conversas e fazer novas conexões. Ser proativo ao enviar convites para se conectar, enviar mensagens personalizadas e acompanhar regularmente nossas interações para manter o contato faz toda a diferença.

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Fernando Fernandes

Carrer Mentor | Executive Mentor | Commercial Manager Mentor | Personal Branding | Trainer and Speaker
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Expandir a rede tem dois benefícios: Melhora a empregabilidade e também pode fornecer mais ideias e insights do que está acontecendo no mercado.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Abhishek Rai

I help salespeople turn 'Do we need this?' to 'Why do we have 50 of them?'
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While connecting with people on LinkedIn, there are a few things you must keep in mind: 1. Don't make the mistake of sending the same message to every person you connect with. Instead, take the time to personalize your message, highlighting why you want to connect and how you can be of value. 2. Avoid being too pushy or aggressive in your messaging. Instead, focus on building a relationship and providing value by sharing professional insights and experiences. 3. Don't send too many messages or connection requests to the same person in a short period of time. This can be viewed as spammy and may even result in negative feedback from other users. This way you can make a positive first impression and build meaningful connections.

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What do you do if you want to connect with sales managers outside your company?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your goals

2 Use online platforms

3 Provide value first

4 Follow up regularly

5 Expand your network

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sales Management

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What do you do if you want to connect with sales managers outside your company?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your goals

2 Use online platforms

3 Provide value first

4 Follow up regularly

5 Expand your network

6 Here’s what else to consider

Sales Management

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