Did you know that you can use LinkedIn to boost sales for your company? LinkedIn is a social media platform most used by businesses and professionals, especially those in telecommunications. Knowing this, you can use LinkedIn as a prospecting tool to improve your business and increase your sales.
According to shapeironegotiaions, sales prospecting helps you improve your sales by “identifying potential customers, developing a database of prospects, and then communicating with leads with the goal of converting them into customers.” Here are some simple tips and tricks to use LinkedIn for sales prospecting.
Buyer Persona
You can think of a buyer persona as a target market. Who do you want to sell to? What are they interested in? What is their job? In LinkedIn, you have the option to search for specific characteristics of your chosen buyer persona. This can be anything from CEOs of companies to marketing specialists. Whatever your buyer persona’s job title is, that is what you should search for.
As you search for potential leads, keep in mind that you do not want your search to result in people you are already connected to. In order to filter out your current connections, you will need to find the 2nd and 3rd connection filters. Once these filters are selected, your search will result in a fresh set of eyes for your sales efforts.
When you think of your buyer persona, you also need to think of your target company size. This is not something that you can filter in your search efforts. When you perform your search, you will need to do additional research on those people. Their company name will be listed in their profile. A quick search in LinkedIn or Google will tell you what your need to know about company size.
Helpful, Not Pushy
Remember, people are often turned off to sales pitches in their inbox. This applies not only to regular email, but also to social media inboxes. You need to be very careful when approaching possible leads through LinkedIn.
If possible, offer something valuable to them in your first contact. This gives your potential lead something of value. Once you have created an initial connection, you can start to promote your services.
It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know
Social media is all about networking. You can use your current customers and connections to help you create new connections. A great way to use your current connections is to ask for introductions. While you are doing your search, you can see connections you share. An introduction from a trusted friend can get you a lot farther than a cold email.
Another way your current customers and connections can help you is by interacting with your posts. If potential customers see your current customers engaged and excited about your offerings, it can encourage them to jump on board.
Hip Hip Hooray
Again, networking is a key aspect of social media. Be the company that’s known for going above and beyond. Send the congratulations to not only your current customers and leads, but also your potential leads. People love being recognized for their hard work. A simple message can be the start of a positive relationship between you and your potential customers.
Creating Contacts
Keep in mind that using LinkedIn search to create your contact list can be tedious. Any contact with these people will be a cold contact. When you do reach out to these potential customers, remember to give them value first. Create a message that is relevant and helpful to them. This will help you stay out of the trash bin while getting your foot in the door to start a wonderful business relationship.
Let GreenStar Marketing Help You With LinkedIn
Here at GreenStar Marketing, we want you to use LinkedIn to its full potential. If you are still unsure of how to use LinkedIn for sales prospecting, we would love to help you out. Not only can we help you create a great LinkedIn campaign, but we can also help you manage your LinkedIn profile for your company. Contact us today to learn more about our services and what we can do for you.
