Using LinkedIn to double your business through cross-selling! pt1

Cross-selling – the problem

Multidisciplinary firms and companies, generally the larger ones, tend to work in deep, dark silos with little or no contact between them. In accountancy companies, law firms, property consultancies and major financial institutions there are many service lines departments and experts. When people don’t communicate, the wasted knowledge and the lost opportunities slows down the growth of business dramatically. Even when management encourage and use resources educating everybody about what services are provided, there is often a reluctance to recommend other departments. The interdepartmental culture, generally, is zero and the reason for this is simple;  it’s to do with relationships. When we build relationships we need to go through 3 key steps - knowing, liking, and trusting.

Where people are physically apart, whether it’s in the same building or a different town, colleagues often don’t know each other.

Let’s look at an example.  Suppose you’re a lawyer in the corporate finance department and your friend Janice has an employment law issue. Your firm has a department handling these issues but you’ve never actually met anybody from that section.

.... Next week - the proposed solution using LinkedIn!