7 steps to generate leads on LinkedIn in the RIGHT (and effective) way

I got this question a few days ago: “Manca, is it OK, if I find my potential clients on LinkedIn and send them my offer?” I smiled, gathered my thoughts, and gave the answer: NO. And then continued….

Her question reminded me of a cold call I got a few weeks ago. It was from a woman, who wanted to sell me some bottles of wine for a business present. I have no idea who she was, or which wine cellar she was calling from…. All I knew that a stranger interrupted my work flow in the middle of a working day.

And the sad (or should I say bad?) thing was - her only goal was to sell me some stuff. I couldn’t help but ask her: does this cold calling still work for you?!

She responded with an uncertain yes, but I could feel that she didn’t actually know what my point was. I politely ended our conversation and immediately decided to write this article.

Because I surely want you to know what my point is here, so you will not make these "cold calling" mistakes here on LinkedIn.

We just need to face it – we do not buy the same way we used to.

Because the internet gave us power to do the research. The sales reps do not wear the crown of ?I got all the information, let me tell you all about our products/services?. Buyers got the crown. And the throne. And the kingdom. OK, sorry, I got carried away, you got the picture. ??

Sooo, we as sales reps are not in the position to preach, but to help make those decisions. Help with giving value. This is guiding light, now let us dive deeper into that concept.

So what is social selling? Let us start with some nerdy definitions.

Social selling with LinkedIn is far away from traditional sales approach.

“Social selling is the modern way to develop meaningful relationships with potential customers so you’re the first person or brand a prospect thinks of when they’re ready to buy” (Hootsuite).

It is a process of building and nurturing relationships with social media and utilizing these relationships in the entire sales process, from finding, connecting, understanding and gaining new prospects to reaching sales goals (superoffice.com).

Social selling is when sales people use social media to find and engage with new prospects. Sales people use social media to provide value to prospects by answering questions, responding to comments and by sharing content throughout the buying process – from awareness to consideration, until a prospect is ready to buy.

Social selling allows salespeople to laser-target prospects, establish rapport and with their networks, and possibly even ditch the dreaded practice of cold calling (Hootsuite).

Social selling is the new sales model or sales 2.0. like we can see on this photo (source: superoffice.com):

Social selling is certainly not about bombarding strangers with salesy private messages. It is spam and we shouldn’t do it.

Social selling is all about relationships. Sales, as well, of course, but …

• Conversation first, conversion second.
• Relationship first, transaction second.
• Rapport first, closing sale second.
• Listening and providing value first, talking about solutions second.

People want to buy, they just don't want to be sold to.

The thing is: clients are already engaged in social buying. They are using social media to research potential vendors online, evaluate which company is the best fit, read the reviews and testimonials (recommendations on your LinkedIn profile will help you here). And all of that before they contact the seller. Remember the crown and the throne? ????

4 pillars of social selling:

In order to use social selling successfully, we must take these ongoing 4 steps and actions. Learn all 4 together with activities on LinkedIn (by LinkedIn). I took these steps and activities from LinkedIn blog.

1. Establish your professional brand – YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

• Complete your profile with the customer in mind
• Add rich content - examples of your work, portfolio etc.
• Increase visibility with posting and interacting with relevant content
• Generate endorsements for your skills

LinkedIn profile is not your resume, but a source of relevant content for your buyers.

For your profile aim for 100% profile completeness. Include examples of your work on your profile in rich multimedia to share with prospects and customers in an interactive way.

The key of this step is to build credibility.

2. Connecting to the right people – YOUR LINKEDIN NETWORK

• Use search tools and filters (use boolean search – NOT, AND. “ “)
• Leverage warm introductions with mutual contacts
• Research potential prospects
• Take advantage of Who's viewed your profile section
• By connecting with prospects always add a personalized message

Expand your reach with 2nd degree connections, which can transform cold outreach into a warm introduction. Leverage warm introductions to expand your network.

Use unlimited profile search – up to 3rd degree – and advanced filters that reflect the way you naturally prospect on Sales Navigator (this is a payable business plan on LinkedIn, I will write about it in the future posts).

Look for commonalities to establish a relationship, join LinkedIn groups and save leads that you want to receive updates.

The key of this step is to build network.

3. Engaging with insights – YOUR LINKEDIN POSTS

• Share relevant resources
• Leverage industry data and new to post timely content
• Engage in discussions with thoughtful comments
• Use relevant information when reaching out

Post relevant content that can help you become a trusted source of insights and engage with insights from others. Share relevant resources to strengthen personal connections.

Leverage industry data and news on LinkedIn to stay up to date.

Leave thoughtful, constructive comments on content your prospects share or join LinkedIn Groups. Engage in discussion where your connections are.

Always customize messages using relevant information you have learned about the person on LinkedIn. Use relevant information when reaching out.

The key of this step is to build trust.

4. Building relationships – YOUR LINKEDIN SALES OPPORTUNITIES

• Build your contact network to increase reach
• Focus on decision makers
• Connect internally to leverage warm introductions
• Nurture relationships

A larger network gives you greater leverage in finding new prospects and getting in the door with clients.

Focus on building relationships with senior-level people at your prospects and customers. Focus on decision makers (but do not forget that on everage 6.8 people impact a B2B decision, so include different seniority level).

Connect internally so your colleagues will be able to provide warm introductions. Senior leaders are more likely to have decision maker connections for you to leverage.

After connecting, develop the relationship just as you would have before LinkedIn existed, reaching out periodically at appropriate times and adding value by providing relevant information and solutions to your prospect or client’s business problems. Nurture relationships over time to keep your services top of mind.

The key of this step is to create business opportunities.

Now, let us dive even deeper into what can we do to do this right.

7 actionable steps to generate leads on LinkedIn in a right way right 

1. THE GOLDEN RULE – HAVE A GIVING MINDSET

The crucial first step is to have a giving mindset. Enter LinkedIn with ?how can I help you? instead of ?how can I charge you? mindset. It is always giving first, asking second.

We cannot use LinkedIn as simple as finding potential buyers, sending them a sales message and hope for the best. You will invest some time in creating that list, sending the generic messages, ending with a low conversion rate and saying LinkedIn doesn't work.

It works, but you need to use it right.

I should say – you do not use LinkedIn - you talk to people.

2. UNDERSTAND YOUR POTENTIAL BUYERS

You do not need to start with all your target group segments. Start with one, it will be easier. Understand their needs and what content could help them. No pricing lists here!

What products and services will you sell on LinkedIn? You do not need to sell everything. You can start with on service and one target group. Do not forget the unique selling proposition.

Example: HR managers

Better example: HR managers in Serbia in companies between 50-200 employees

The main point here is to understand their challenges, so you know what value to provide.

3. OPTIMISE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

LinkedIn profile is not your resume, but a source of relevant content for your potential buyers. What is the content your prospect need to see, before you talk?

Portfolio, testimonials, list of references … use Featured on your profile.

Your profile is your avatar, you send to a business meeting. And I am not exaggerating here. If your profile is empty or only screaming ?buy, buy, buy?, your potencial client will run away.

I strongly recommend taking a lot of time to edit your profile, it is your foundation of selling on LinkedIn.

4. POST RELEVANT CONTENT

Regulary post updates, so your buyers will know you have the credibility, and knowledge so they can trust you. This is very important. Your profile activity should help your buyers and eventually they will want to talk to you.

Why this step is so important?

Your profile and your posts are like landing page and ads – you advertise with content (posts) to attract visitors (prospects) to your landing page (profile).

Need 140 ideas what to post on LinkedIn? Download an e-book here >>

Try posting how to video, so your prospects really get to know you. That is why we talk about video so much - because you take your personal brand to the next lever. And this level is trust.

5. FIND THE PROSPECTS

LinkedIn search is really good, when it comes to search filters. If you have the free version, you are limited, so if you want to do prospecting properly, try Sales Navigator. It gives you information, that can be used in a very smart way. Did the prospect change the job? Did a potential client published a post in the last 90 days? These are signals you can use to your benefit.

If you want to start with a free LinkedIn version, you will do just fine, too.

This is the step, when it is smarter to start with a smaller pool of prospects. It will be easier to learn, what they need, so you know what to post.

6. ENGAGE WITH THEIR CONTENT

Social selling is all about relationships. A simple like can do magic. What else can you do on LinkedIn? We call them trigger events, when you can engage with your clients:

• Visiting their profile
• Follow them (there is a Follow button on every profile, you can find it in More button)
• Like or comment their post

You can be more direct:

• Send invitation to connect
• Send congratulations for a job change
• Send congratulations for their birthday
• Send congratulations for their work anniversary

7. TAKE THE CONVERSATION OFF LINKEDIN

Once you connect, start a conversation. Do not skip the Add a note button here. This is a crucial step! Sending invitation without a note is like throwing a business card in the face. Kinda rude, right? So, personalize the request, ask questions, build rapport, so you can see where in the buying process the person is. And another imporant thing - send value!

Use your posts, send industry articles, or posts on your LinkedIn page (now here the true LinkedIn profile + page magic happens). Be valuable and resourceful.

The goal of the conversation is taking it off LinkedIn. You will not close a deal here, but on a meeting, zoom, teams, skype, call or email.

SO AGAIN WHAT ARE THE 7 STEPS:

1. The golden rule – have a giving mindset

2. Understand your potential buyers

3. Optimise your linkedin profile

4. Post relevant content

5. Find the prospects

6. Engage with their content

7. Take the conversation off LinkedIn

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Now this is the way we need to sell in 2020 and beyond. Nobody likes salesy spam messages from strangers, we tend to ignore them. It is similar to banner blindness on websites - we have learnt not to see the ads that are not relevant to us.

Selling in this way is actually helping to solve your clients' problems, is a different story, right?

Basically social selling is building your trust by adding value that is helping your prospects.

There are different methods for doing social selling, though. Some prefer more salesy approaches, contacting a mass of people, so eventually some of them buy. Some use automation, that can be a shortcut to saving time, but when done wrong, I can harm your personal brand / trust, that you can never get back. I do not about you, but for me – trust is everything. 

This is a massive topic on LinkedIn, so I will talk and write about it much more in the future. My wish is to help building the giving mindset in B2B business sales that is helping in creating better relationships. Are you with me? ???♀?

I have been working on a nice formula or a system that will make these steps more simple. The result will be amazingly helpful for you.

In the meantime: have some more of the freebies on my website: 

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About Manca Korelc, the author of Power Around LinkedIn Magic Newsletter:

"When I first started my own business in October 2014, I asked myself a tough question: "How can anybody hire me if nobody even knows I exist?" ?? So I set up my LinkedIn profile and started writing. I jumped out of entrepreneurship a year later, but continued creating content. From October 2017 I have been an entrepreneur again with big results on LinkedIn."

I devoted my career to teaching the magic behind LinkedIn in business. In the last 6 years I have conducted more than 290 lectures.

You can read more about me on my brand new website >>

If you are eager to learn more about LinkedIn:

• follow my LinkedIn page
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• let us connect

I am a BIG lover of lakes

Three years ago I created a project Moja jezera (eng. My lakes). The story is simple: to cycle to all Slovenian lakes. The website mojajezera.si is becoming a true online lexicon of all lakes in Slovenia, or as I call it, a ??????????????????????????. At the time of this writing, it has more than 1140 lakes.

The peak of the project, and my creativity is THE book. On the 25th August my book ?????? ???????????????? ?????????? was published and I could not be more happy about it. You see, I have been dreaming becoming a book writer for almost 30 years.