LinkedIn can be an absolute game-changer for salespeople, but only 1% of active users take advantage of it by creating content.
LinkedIn is so much more than an online resume. It is the perfect opportunity for people to tell their stories and build real relationships.
Social selling is when salespeople use social media to find and engage with new leads. LinkedIn is the perfect place to start.
More than 90% of people who make B2B purchases research their salespeople online. Imagine the impact allowing people to get to know you could have on conversion rates! People naturally want to buy. Even more so, they want to buy from people they like.
Creating content is nerve-wracking for most people, especially since it takes time and consistency and a giant leap outside your comfort zone to gain traction. By the way, the comfort zone is where dreams die. But, when people start to get traction, many of them report
- More and better leads
- Better relationships with clients
- Shorter sales cycles
- Higher conversion rates
- Hitting their sales targets in advance
Are you coaching your sales team to LinkedIn best practices? Do you know what they are? If not, don't fret. You're about to learn. You should lead by example. Grab LinkedIn by the horns, and show your people you believe in it and create a client-attracting profile.
First, make sure you have a professional photo.
Then it would be best if you optimized your About Section. Here is a mistake you should avoid. Don’t use it to talk about your company, how long it’s been in business, how it started etc.
Nobody cares about that, and it’s boring. All you need to do is use this space for a thirty-second commercial. Just mention a few common client problems and how you solve them uniquely. For the best example you'll find of how a thirty-second commercial should sound, watch this two-minute video
Next, it’s essential to build your network. An excellent way to start is to add everybody you know in real life as a connection. Your goal should be to have at least 250 contacts. One best practice is to build a network with as diverse a group of people as possible.
Now, it’s time to start creating content. Being able to tell real, relevant, and valuable stories could differentiate a salesperson from their competitor. It would be best if you aimed to post twice a week, but you absolutely must post once a week.
A mix of written and video content is recommended. Always make sure you have your content ready to go at least two weeks in advance of your posting schedule.
Here is where the fun starts, prospecting.
Below, read Sandler’s Nine Best Prospecting Practices on LinkedIn. You don’t need to use all nine, but you should find two or three that work best for you and hammer away at them.
The most important thing to remember is that all you’re doing is taking your offline process online and making small adjustments. All you’re trying to do on LinkedIn is to sell an appointment to see if you’re a good fit to work with each other. It would be the same thing if you were making a cold call or sending a sales letter.
- Search the connections of all your prospects before the meeting, and be prepared to ask for referrals.
- Create and maintain a “saved search” of ten times the amount of prospects than sales you need in a given time frame.
- Follow your likes, comments, and people who viewed your profile and start conversations.
- Check “people also viewed” and similar connections whenever you get a new client.
- Schedule posts ahead of time with Hootsuite or Buffer.
- Write long-form blog posts and post them in groups.
- Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or take the conversation offline if you see a buying signal.
- Use LinkedIn to research offline leads before a meeting for conversation starters.
- Keep in touch with people through birthdays, work anniversaries, and especially job changes.
We're beyond lucky to have this tool at our disposal. The generation before us probably would have killed for an opportunity like this.
Here are 10 additional ways to use LinkedIn for effective prospecting.
