LinkedIN is one of the most powerful business tools out there for sales and business professionals when it comes to engaging with new prospects. However, there are certain things you need to consider when using LinkedIN for prospecting which I’m going to share in this post. Hit play on the video or keep reading!
https://youtu.be/Kv_UJpBV2Qo
I receive messages time and time again on LinkedIn from people who want to connect with me. I’m always keen to connect with new people, however too many people make some vital mistakes when using LinkedIn for prospecting and this leads to me simply ignoring their request to connect and I certainly don’t want to do business with them. This means that they’ve wasted big opportunities that could have led to something if they’d only taken the time to consider the messages they send.
1. DON’T TRY TO SELL STRAIGHT AWAY
This is the BIGGEST mistake you can make on LinkedIn! I connect with someone and they immediately try to sell me a product or a service before they’ve even engaged with me! And I’m sure I’m not the only one who has experienced this. Think about it, would you propose to someone on a first date? Would you try and cross a road in on step? No! So why would you try and sell to someone the second you connect with them? You haven’t built trust, rapport or any kind of connection with me so why on earth would I buy from you? Please, don’t make this mistake. It doesn’t work as a prospecting technique and it certainly won’t win you any business. Take your time, build a relationship with the person you’ve just connected with and win their trust.
2. BE GENUINE IN YOUR APPROACH
If you’re trying to build a relationship on LinkedIn, be genuine in your approach and remember that using LinkedIn for prospecting is going to be more of a challenge than a face to face meeting or a phone call. Be sure to always think about how you can help your prospect, what can you offer them that they’ll find valuable? Offer them free content, try and help them solve a problem and identify how you can be of service to them. But again, do this over time. Ask the right questions and take small steps to slowly but surely build a genuine relationship.
3. DO YOUR RESEARCH
I’ve had people try and connect with me and they clearly haven’t done any research- they haven’t looked at my profile and have no idea what my current situation is. This is a huge mistake to make when using LinkedIn for prospecting and a huge waste of time. All it takes is few minutes to have a quick read of someone’s profile and it can be the difference between potentially winning new business or being ignored.If you just try and connect without knowing anything about the person you’re trying to connect with, you’re just going to annoy them. If, however you do your research, you’ll be able to identify common links and a way into what could be a valuable conversation.Always try and show value, have your prospect’s best interests in mind and take your time building a relationship and you will see results on LinkedIn. It’s an incredible powerful tool and one that as a business owner or salesperson, you should be using- but in the right way!
As I mentioned earlier, I’m always keen to connect with new people, so if you’d like connect with me, you can do so here. But please… don’t try to sell to me straight away!!!
