ultimate guide to using LinkedIn for sales prospecting.

The usefulness of LinkedIn increases in direct proportion to the number of connections you have.  So dedicate ten minutes each day to expanding your network.  Spend time browsing the “People You May Know” listings and make a point to look up and add every person you meet in the course of your job or through work-related events.  But be sure to only add people you actually know.  Your network will only be strong if it is founded on real connections you can utilise when the need arises.

In the business world, change sparks opportunity.  So it pays to closely follow key clients and top prospects.  Watch the groups they contribute to, monitor their other social accounts, keep an eye out for new additions to their profiles, and read their blogs.  That way, when valuable sales opportunities arise (whether it means seizing an opportunity for an introduction or messaging them in response to a question they post or problem they broadcast), you will be ready to capitalise.  

Always invest the time to write recommendations for important customers and key contacts.  Give them genuine praise based upon work you have done with them or concrete talents you know they possess.  Not only will you be establishing a visible connection with them that helps promote your name and company, but you will also motivate them to return the favor in the form of a referral or recommendation.  

The rules of social networking run parallel to the rules of networking in the real world.  So use LinkedIn to make genuine connections of mutual benefit with key players in your industry.  Then keep those relationships active so that you can utilise them to drive your business forward.  If you are willing to invest in building a strong online community, your efforts are sure to pay dividends.

After identifying prospects, the next challenge is to build relationships with them.  Using LinkedIn to research the interests, experience, dispositions, and accomplishments of those we seek to influence takes the cold out of cold calling.  It gives us meaningful reasons to connect and common ground to convene in.  So use LinkedIn to introduce yourself, learn relevant info about your prospects, and ultimately craft your sales pitch to be as targeted and personal as possible.  To this end, paid account can be invaluable, as they let us see the expanded profiles of everyone, rather than only our connections. 

Cold calls and email are notoriously ineffective.  For those top executives and decision-makers whose offices get inundated with calls and emails every day, it is nearly impossible to get past secretaries and gatekeepers.  Yet because InMail goes straight to our prospects, it is upwards of 30x more likely to get a response than a cold call.  The service isn’t free, and it only provides users with three InMail messages per month (which are refunded if they don’t receive answers).  But its unparalleled efficacy makes InMail a great investment. 

LinkedIn Answers provides two excellent ways to launch a conversation.  The first involves posing a question and directing it to a number of first-degree connections we want to build deeper relationships with.  Ask about the obstacles and frustrations your prospects face.  What holds them back from attaining the solutions you provide?

The second method involves answering questions others have posed. In this way, you can use LinkedIn Answers to demonstrate expertise and relevance, while connecting in a favorable way with potential customers.