LinkedIn, in contrast to many other social media platforms, focuses on business networking. A LinkedIn profile does not necessarily mean that you’re “on LinkedIn,” however. It’s not going to happen overnight that the leads and deals start rolling in. It’s vital to be fully present.
Prospective customers will look for information about your company and you on the internet. Nevertheless, simply being present isn’t good enough. As a sales prospecting and customer engagement tool, you need to be active and consistent on the network, make yourself visible, provide value and speak with your customers and potential customers alike, as well as be social.
Let us be honest. It’s all about trust when it comes to selling! And you want to establish trust early on, as first impressions count. Everything on your LinkedIn page should be designed to foster trust between you and your prospects and clients. While your profile page is not completely full, but you need to work with it – just use LinkedIn Private Mode, which allows you to hide your presence on the Internet and not be noticed by other users of the network. You must demonstrate an understanding of their issues, provide value in the form of free tips or tools, and motivate them through client testimonials. These are elements that you should use throughout your LinkedIn profile.
1. Profile photo and cover photo for LinkedIn
Generally, a clean, professional photographer with a smile and a simple background will suffice. However, if you want to stand out more, you might choose a more vibrant background.
Highlight the problems you solve, your target audience, and anything else that demonstrates your authority as a go-to expert in your header photo. It serves as the profile’s hero image and contributes to your audience’s important first impression.
2. Inform Prospects
Utilize lead capture assets (“also known as high-value content”) to increase response rates. If your organization has published a blog that you believe will interest them, inform your prospective clients via email.
Carry out the same procedure for a report, case study best practices guide, and so forth. When you offer something important to your clients, you move the focus from selling to giving, which results in increased sales.
3. Real-time monitoring of your customers’ activity
Customers’ public activity will appear in your newsfeed if you are connected to them. Keep an eye on the interests and updates of your contacts to ensure that you remain in their thoughts and provide them with necessary information.
4. Identify your highest-value consumers
Despite the fact that sales are a people business, it takes time to build strong relationships. By searching by name, company, or position, LinkedIn makes it simple to connect with and build stronger relationships with your customers.
5. Be selective with your content sharing.
In the early stages of content creation, focus on “lightweight” and relatively simple content – such as blogs, short video clips, podcasts, infographics, and dot-it-as-you-go research. You definitely shouldn’t advertise your products, and also stay away from late-stage content – large-scale case studies and work with reviews.
6. Seek to converse first, not to sell
The success of InMails must be viewed in context. InMails are a component of your sales process; they do not constitute the entire sales process. When sending InMails, your goal should be to initiate an interaction, not immediately close a deal. When you craft your message and concentrate on a theme that will quickly capture the recipient’s attention, keep this in mind.
For instance, why not search their profile to ascertain their unique interests—the institution they attended, a cause they are passionate about, or a hobby? Are you able to pique their interest with these tidbits of information?
7. Obtain recommendations and testimonials for your abilities
Individuals want social proof. Endorsements and suggestions are an excellent method to demonstrate your authority and are especially effective when they come from a diverse group of persons (co-workers, supervisors, and past clients).
Client testimonials are critical for sales. A fantastic strategy to increase this number is to request previous clients complete a recommendation form to share their thoughts. The more social proof you can demonstrate, the more credible and trustworthy you appear in the eyes of your client.
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile for sales is the first step; you now have a wonderful, believable, and trustworthy landing page. It lays the groundwork for a successful social selling business on LinkedIn. The next steps would be to constantly connect with prospects and share information on your LinkedIn page to broaden your reach and create value.