How to Engage your Sales Team in the effective use of LinkedIn

Did you know that there are over 196M+ active LinkedIn users in North America?

Here are some other interesting facts about Linkedin:

• 48.5% of US LinkedIn users are Monthly Active Users
• There are 61 million senior-level influencers and?65 million decision-makers on LinkedIn
• There are 17 million opinion leaders and 10 million C-Level executives on LinkedIn.
• 37 percent of US adults use LinkedIn

So there is a high degree of probability that for B2B businesses their clients and prospects have a LinkedIn presence, and if your audience is there - you should speak with them there!

For business development professionals it has become one of the most valuable tools for identifying and nurturing potential sales leads, provided that it is used correctly.

It is not the fact that you own the tool, but how you use the tool that's going to determine the outcomes, but does your sales team know this? Are they spending hours every day on LinkedIn?but generating few results?

Developing a robust and predictable sales pipeline is a mix of:

People + Process + Technology

The most valuable tool for new business development is worth nothing if your sales team isn’t using it — you need them to believe in it too.

So in this week's newsletter, we are going to take a look at the people component and how to engage the sales team in the effective use of the technology - LinkedIn and Sales Navigator.

Let’s Get Them On Board

Explaining to your sales team the importance of LinkedIn as a tool to generate leads might give them the push they need to start being active.?

As a sales leader - what get's talked about, measured, supported, and recognized gets done.

Preparation is key. Is there clarity on:

What are we doing? Following a clearly defined process for generating meaningful conversations with the influencers and decision-makers in the community that we wish to serve

Why are we doing it on LinkedIn? As I've already shared, if clients and prospects have a LinkedIn presence then the sales team's audience is there - they should be engaging with them there! Are there any internal success stories with your team??If someone in your company has had a successful experience converting a lead into a client, try turning it into a kind of case study. It may just inspire your team to give it a go.?

How are we going to do it? We are going to establish ourselves as subject matter experts in the problems or "pain points" our clients face, we are going to grow our network of influencers and decision-makers within the organizations we wish to serve, and then we are going to share insights, best practices, and valuable content.

Once there is comfort in using the technology and a clearly defined process, using LinkedIn doesn’t have to be time-consuming.

Whether you are spending as little as 15 minutes a day or several hours, there should be clarity on what's being done and why. Expertise is developed by being educated and trained in the technology and process and then continual practice, measurement, and review.

A great sales pipeline isn't an event, it's simply the result of many little things done well consistently over time.

We All Appreciate Clear Direction

Providing easy-to-follow guidelines can be incredibly helpful for your team.?

Sometimes users feel the pressure to write original, witty, or thought-provoking posts for everything they share, but this isn’t necessary.?

You can take pressure off your team by giving them simple steps to composing effective posts. Or, if your company is generating its own content, forward it for your team to use in their posts.?

If your sales team knows what kind of content you’re posting on the company’s LinkedIn page, they have more power to share and create their own supporting messaging.

Workshop ‘Til You Drop

Try attending a LinkedIn sales team training workshop.?

LinkedIn training can go a long way in building your team’s confidence in using the platform effectively.?

Bring in an external resource that can provide insider expertise as well as tools to help your team enhance their existing LinkedIn presence.

While We’re On The Topic…

We at Maverrik- - North America host an array of LinkedIn training sessions for businesses looking to expand their social media presence.?

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your LinkedIn profile page or you want to learn how to generate leads – We cover it all.?

Wondering what assistance to provide your team? Let's have a conversation…

https://calendly.com/grahamriley/discovery-call