LinkedIn is one of the most beneficial social media platforms for professional networking. There’s a minority of salespeople and entrepreneurs who are leveraging it and are having great success generating leads, building their personal brand, developing relationships, as well as selling their products and services. Some of them have gotten to the point of building such a strong online network, that they have a full pipeline.

Also, in comparison to attending a networking event and perhaps connecting with 3 or 4 people in an hour or so, on LinkedIn you’re networking with hundreds and thousands of people at any time you please. One post has the potential to attract thousands of views. Now, consider this. Out of the hundreds of people either engaging or silently observing your LinkedIn activity and posts, there are dozens going to your profile to check out what you’re about. Many will also click on links to your website and services.

In this article I will show you eight best practices that have helped me and many of my clients to create more leads and convert them, just from using LinkedIn for sales with intention.

1. Create Content

Write posts, share videos, pictures or articles that add value. If you’re strapped for time, a simple post with a few paragraphs doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to create.

Share content to:

Educate– Set yourself as the authority in your field. So, share knowledge about your expertise for free. Get clear on your message and stay consistent in what you’re teaching.
Inspire- Inspire people through your story or share content that motivates your audience.
Connect – Stay real and authentic. Don’t be someone you’re not. Be open and share your failures, as well as your triumphs. People connect more when they can relate.

2. Contribute, Engage and Respond

This is a must. I never really saw an increase in followers, views, sales and business growth on LinkedIn until I started to really engage and contribute. Commenting on other people’s posts by showing gratitude towards them for sharing their knowledge, encouraging them, or sharing your own experience makes a huge difference. Only comment when you feel compelled and not out of obligation. Also, make sure to respond to comments that others leave you, or at least try your best depending on the time you have. Responses get lots more engagement. A simple like or ‘thanks’ go a long way.

3. Tag People in Your Content

If you want your content to go viral globally, tag big influencers who have lots of connections. However, if you want to target a niche market, then only tag those who are either in that niche or prospects you want to attract. There is no point in going viral when the wrong people are viewing your content. Link up with other people who want their content to be viewed and either have an agreement to tag or send each other your post links.

4. Grow your Network

Connect with people who inspire you or are in your industry, or niche. Try to connect with those who you have networked or interacted with, even through sales calls. Also, connect with all your existing clients and prospects who are on LinkedIn, so that way you can stay in contact and build stronger relationships. I have even taught some of my clients who were not on LinkedIn how to start an account. Some even reported back how beneficial they found it and how they were able to grow their network and business.

5. Send a Thank you For Connecting Note

Send those who you have just connected with a simple note such as, ‘thank you for connecting, looking forward to learning more about you.’ Now it’s not realistic to send every person you connect with a thank you note. However, if you set a target of sending 15 to 20 people a week who stand out, a simple thank you message, then at least you’re still trying to do your best to be visible and build relationships.

6. Take the Relationship to The Next Level

Jump on the phone, skype, zoom or meet face to face. Look out for connections who you may have commonality with, or who you can help or vice versa. For example; I’ve had several people who reached out to me that were struggling with sales and hitting their sales targets. When I had the time, I jumped on the phone or zoom and gave them some free coaching without expecting anything back. Some of them even referred my sales coaching or training to others. Also, you can always build relationships by inviting a connection to meet for a coffee and going out to their office. Not to try to sell anything, but just get to know them and what they’re about.

7. Map your Prospects

You can use LinkedIn to find people by title, company, location or keywords. Keep your eye out for who the key influencers and decision makers are. Use the search bar to do research on the company of your choice and it will give you a whole list of all the people who work there and their roles. Make sure to connect with the right prospect who you want to target and do your research. If your company can invest in the premium LinkedIn option called ‘Sales Navigator’ then you can even do advanced searches with a lead builder and sales insights.

8. Give 80% More Than you Ask

Successful entrepreneur, digital marketing, and social media personality Gary Vaynerchuk coined the term jab, jab, jab, right hook. Which means, give, give, give, ask. You should always try to provide value first before selling. There’s nothing wrong with promoting your services, but only do it when you know that you have been sharing engaging content, offering advice, sharing your stories and contributing to other people’s posts.

Using LinkedIn for sales isn’t an overnight results type of process. It’s more about planting relationship seeds and watching them grow as well as developing your own personal brand so you could be the go-to person in your industry. Now, remember that everyone who is on LinkedIn has the potential to be a client, or refer you to someone who may need what you have.

The key is to stay visible, and consistent. It’s no different to an advert that you constantly see. You may not have the instant need for that product at that moment, but you can be sure that once you do, it will be that advert that will first pop into your head.

IMPORTANT! I want to clarify that connecting with 100k randoms, going viral and having your content viewed by thousands of people on LinkedIn does not equal more sales. Yes, it will make you feel all fuzzy, validated and loved, but it doesn’t always help you reach your target audience. So, make sure that you are strategic in who you connect with and who is viewing your content. For example, if you’re a recruiter in Alabama and only do recruitment services in that city, then going viral and networking with people in Europe might help with your social proof, but it certainly won’t help you with finding leads and converting them. But if you’re an entrepreneur who is selling on a global scale, then by all means try and reach as many people worldwide as you can.

By Rana Kordahi