Top 10 ways to Use LinkedIn for Sales Success

My position on using social media in sales is simple: It's a fantastic tool for building relationships and an absolutely awful environment to deliver your pitch!

Think about it...You wouldn't walk up to someone at a 'real-life' networking event and pitch them so what makes you think this works online.

As I often say: relationships are a function of the number of interactions over time multiplied by the value of those interactions to the receiver. So...
Make it your intention to add value in every interaction. Hint: conversations about YOU or YOUR product or YOUR company do not add value to the other person.

Every sales person worth 2 bits knows that LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for identifying and contacting potential buyers. The most basic (and overused) use of LinkedIn is the 'get introduced' feature but. I fear this has become less effective than a traditional cold call.

Here are some other gems you might not have thought of. Please use the comments section or email me to add tips and tricks that have worked for you.

1) Join industry-relevant/vertical groups that your customers and prospects belong to.  Other than Wikipedia, there is no faster way to increase your fluency with the language of your customer. I once worked for a client that sold to building engineers. Try a search for groups associated with building engineers...you'll be amazed at what you find

2) Identify and join groups that your prospects belong to. People participate in social media for recognition right? Responding to content your prospects have posted as well as comments they make are great ice breakers.

3) Find every prospects 'public profile' and keep this handy. Ideally, get your company to create a custom field in Salesforce.com or whatever tool you are using (this is easy!) Check their profile before every call. Recent status updates, Twitter feeds, and recommendations are all great excuses to reach out. 'I see you are knee deep in a major SAP upgrade' is far superior to 'I'm calling to touch base...' - doesn't it?

4) Send every prospect a request to connect. Why wouldn't you? Be sure to include a personal note (rather than the pre-populated one) Be honest about your relationship and intent - Let them know you are a sales professional hoping to eventually present yourself and your company to them. Tell them you are hoping to connect in order to connect to learn more about them and what might be relevant to their world.

5) Connect with each and every existing customer your company has done business with. This sounds obvious but I am amazed at the number of sales professionals that fail to do this. It's an easy way to expand your network and you have a ready made excuse to invite them. Again, be honest about your relationship and intent and be sure to include a personal note. I suggest asking them to connect in order to understand why they purchased ABC product from your company and to better understand the XYZ industry.

6) Get a recommendation from EVERY customer you have ever worked with. Rather than using the standard request, be sure to include a personal note telling them exactly what you hope the recommendation will contain. Better yet, draft it for them! Rather than taking offense' most people will be grateful to edit and refine rather than create from scratch.

7) Ask your customers if it is ok for you to write a recommendation for THEM. It s a great way to 'get back in' and who is going to say no? It is more comfortable (and far more polite) to ask for a recommendation once you have provided one of your own.

8) Get a recommendation for every PROSPECT you have every worked with as well. 'But they didn't buy from me' you say? Who cares? Ask them to reference your professionalism and industry/technical knowledge. The vast majority of opportunities you work will result in a 'no decision.' After you have put in all that effort your prospect probably feels bad they 'lost budget' or 'priorities shifted' - This is the perfect time to ask for a recommendation! If you are providing a draft for them (you are aren't you?) then words like: Professional, knowledgable, experienced, responsive, and doesn't waste my time should be in there.

9) Make sure that recommendations talk about you not your company or product or service. People by from people based on relationships and trust. Make your LinkedIn profile a source of the 'social proof' for prospects to know that you are someone they want to do business with.  

10) Proactively market your recommendations to prospects! The best way to build a relationship with prospective buyers is to share what others like them have to say about you. Make your LinkedIn profile part of your email signature. Send links to your recommendations. Cut and paste quotes into communications with the headline 'Here is what others have to say about working with Your Name.'