10 Quick & Dirty Skills You Need to Succeed with Social Selling

In this ongoing series on social selling, we cover topics designed to help you grow revenue through authentic connections, specifically using LinkedIn as your social platform.

In previous posts, we’ve talked about the importance of serving, understanding the concept of social selling, and how to grow your LinkedIn into a profit-generating machine. We took a deep dive into LinkedIn “Dos” and explored some LinkedIn Don'ts.

Today, we’re going to get to the point with some quick and actionable skills you'll want to succeed at social selling - best of all, and they're skills you already have! Score. Check them out!

Social Selling Tips Using LinkedIn

While our LinkedIn Do's & Don'ts covered a lot of essential information, there are some fundamental skills, you likely learned in grade school, that will keep your profile a lead-generating machine.

1. Use Your Manners - Just Like Mom Taught You!

Common sense and good manners will get you a long way. Show gratitude, say please and thank you, acknowledge folks who engage with your posts. In the era of online everything, it can be easy to forget that one fundamental rule. Remember, you want to treat people how you would in real life.

2. Step Slightly Out Of Your Comfort Zone

If you were at a work networking event, you'd likely be sure to connect with at least one person you don't know. You'll want to do the same on LinkedIn, because communication is KEY to relationship-building. It's ok - and encouraged! - to send personalized messaged and connection requests to potential clients.

3. It's Ok to Make Mistakes 

Have you let your profile sit dormant because you're scared of making a mistake in a post, messaging, or otherwise? Don't let fear hold you back from being active! If you make a mistake, learn the lesson and move on, but you'll never know unless you post, test, engage, repeat.

4. Request Connection Requests

In other words, ask for help. Is there a connection you'd like to make and noticed they're in your extended network? It's on to request a connection.

5. Be Respectful

LinkedIn is not the place to get into a heated debate on a sensitive topic. If you do find yourself in such a situation, it's best to be professional, polite, and respectful and move on.

6. Have a "Collaborative" Mentality

A powerful business-building strategy is collaborating with folks with complementary products and services. Be mindful of potential collaborative opportunities and open to ways in which you could work the people in your network.

7. Be Helpful

Nothing makes a stronger and more genuine impression on somebody than when you give selflessly, generously, and (most importantly) without expecting anything in return. This can be as simple as sharing a great piece of content produced by someone in your network.

8. Ask Questions and Express Curiosity

Be curious. Be interested. Asking questions or commenting on the posts and comments of your connections is vital to starting a conversation. This is where real relationship-building begins.

9. Share Ideas

LinkedIn Publisher is a fantastic way to establish your authority and expand your reach on LinkedIn. The ability to share information in a way that is easily understood or relatable is crucial when creating content on LinkedIn Publisher.

When you write, you need to make sure that you write your post from the point of view and at the technical level of your audience (and potential customers).

10. Tell Stories

While it might not be appropriate to share a lot of personal information on LinkedIn, it is an excellent place to share professional or work-related stories and experiences.

Engaging storytelling makes people more interested and emotionally invested in what you are sharing. So, draw your readers in (if appropriate) with a funny, poignant, or thoughtful post that humanizes you and makes you more relatable and likable.

This list of LinkedIn best practices will provide you with a solid foundation, and increase trust throughout your social selling activities.

Need help with your social selling strategies? Reach out!