How to Triple Your LinkedIn Deal-Flow in 2022

What if there was one number that can predict your success in attracting new clients on LinkedIn?

Well, there is - thanks to the Social Selling Index (SSI), LinkedIn's algorithm that rates how effectively you are engaging other professionals and how good you are at Social Selling.

The latest research shows, that not only does your SSI have a direct impact on the reach of your content on LinkedIn (more about that later), but also once your SSI crosses 75%, your deal-flow is likely to increase by up to 3X.

The Four Components of Social Selling on LinkedIn

Monitoring members across four categories, professional brand, finding people, engaging with insights, and building relationships, LinkedIn gives users a score out of 100 (see my example below):

Your SSI dashboard also displays how you are ranking across your industry and within your LinkedIn network.

What is your Social Selling Score on LinkedIn?

To get your personal Social Selling Score, go to https://www.dhirubhai.net/sales/ssi

As a benchmark, your first SSI milestone should be to reach 60% (at which point your content will get 100% organic reach).

Here are the activities for each of your four SSI components that will help you achieve the 75% plus benchmark in 2022.

?1. Establish your Professional Brand on LinkedIn

There are good reasons why you need to build a client centric profile that clearly spells out your value proposition rather than just your previous experience.

92% of B2B buyers engage with sales professionals if they are known industry thought leaders.

Here are the top three ways to boost your SSI score for your Professional Brand on LinkedIn:

• Critically important, you need to showcase your professional successes by adding multimedia credentials, ideally video, to your LinkedIn Featured section (and your current position under 'experience').
• Also, increase your visibility by posting relevant content and interacting with content posted by members of your network.
• At least once a month, you should write a long form, well written article related to your industry and adding value to your prospective clients.

PRO TIP: Endorsing connections on LinkedIn often prompts them to return the favor

2. Find the Right People on LinkedIn

Once you have converted your LinkedIn profile to a client centric value proposition, you obviously need to reach out to the right people on LinkedIn. ?The best ways to go about finding the right people on LinkedIn are:

• Use LinkedIn's powerful search tools to zero in on decision makers (importantly, use Boolean search terms (e.g. AND, OR, NOT) in the Advanced search for combining the right keywords)
• Leverage warm introductions to expand your network (filter your search to 2nd degree connections to identify the right candidates)
• Take advantage of who's viewed your profile (your activity drives views of your profile; review often and engage with relevant viewers)

PRO TIP: Check who's viewed your profile regularly to see inbound leads

3. Engage with Insights

This is highly important to your social selling success - the reason why up to 50% of LinkedIn members are visiting the site on a daily basis, is that they are looking for insights that help them advance their career and business.

Here is how you should go about content marketing on LinkedIn:

• Post relevant content that can help you become a trusted source of advice and engage with insights from others
• Engage in discussions where your connections are (leave thoughtful, constructive comments on content your prospects share)
• Use relevant information when reaching out (always customize messages using relevant information you have learnt about the person on LinkedIn)?

PRO TIP: The New LinkedIn Algorithm rewards comments with twice as many views as likes and up to 8 times more views than shares. Leaving a meaningful comment is a great tool to to engage your prospects on LinkedIn

4. Build Strong Relationships

Relationships are obviously key to your success, be it online or offline. Here are the top three ways to connect with your network:

• Focus on building relationships with senior people at your prospects and customers
• Build multiple connections with decision makers at accounts and don't just rely on one
• Connect internally so your colleagues will be able to provide warm introductions. Use your company's network to discover the best ways to get introduced.?

PRO TIP: The NEW LinkedIn Algorithm rewards you for connecting with senior decision makers rather than peers and lower level professionals. This is key to improving your SSI.

If you wish to accelerate your success on LinkedIn in 2022, register here to join us at the upcoming Webinar on "How to Win Clients on the NEW LinkedIn"