Lesson 1: Using LinkedIn Network for sales

[Paul Okoduwa]

This is my first post and it's going to be about using LinkedIn for sales and marketing.

LinkedIn can be extremely powerful — especially when you’re aware of all the platform’s hidden features that don’t get nearly as much attention as they deserve

On other communication platforms or social networks, you will find people without clear intentions and goals. But the same is not true for LinkedIn, where people are looking forward to connecting with you, giving you a job offering or even becoming your business partner.

LinkedIn used to its fullest potential will improve your brand awareness, build your network, boost leads and conversions, increase revenue, and anything good you can think of.

The aim of this first psot isn’t to turn you into a Jedi but to show you the power of LinkedIn and explain why its the best network you need.

Here are a few reasons to explore LinkedIn for sales:

Target Market
According to HubSpot LinkedIn has 650 million users and 40 million companies on its platform. That’s the number of persons and businesses waiting to do business with you every second of the day.

Establish a Strategic Partnership
It has never been easier to establish relationships and partnerships on a global scale. Finding people in-line with your kind of business, and associates with the right experience begin with a simple connection.

You can partner with anyone from anywhere simply by sending a connection request

Leadership Influence
The the platform presents an easy way to gain confidence and increase revenue streams. If you are someone in a position that requires you to show and tell, LinkedIn is a perfect place. Here are a few advantages:

 

[fisicx]

Where are the advantages? You didn’t post any,

However....

Linkedin doesn’t work for all businesses. Of those 40 million on LinkedIn maybe a handful will be useful. The rest are of no value.

 

[Paul Okoduwa]

I want to make a followup post on the advantages subsequently. A handful of 40million people is a lot to any business especially if you providing a service.

 

[Mr D]

Perhaps would have been better to include advantages in the first post rather than simply advertising the network.

 

[fisicx]

A handful of 40million people is a lot to any business especially if you providing a service.

That’s not what you said. Your post suggested all 40million were potential clients. There are other problems with a lot of the statements in your post. For example you say it’s as simple as asking for a connection. If that’s how you suggest we use LinkedIn you fall into the same trap as most other users.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I have been on there since the day it was invented and I don't see the point
When I post a picture of a sheep or a tree it does look very nice on the platform So it is good for that

 

[Clinton]

Paul, no, you can't partner with anyone by connecting. You can't partner with me, for example.

I don't like sales people at the best of times. When one wants to join my network of friends in Linkedin, so they can pitch whatever crap they are selling, I ban their asses.

Social networks exist for people to be social, to exchange information, to chat with peers. Why do you sales people have to infect everything and ruin it?!

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

LinkedIn has gone to the dogs. The other day the post I saw which got more traction than anything was someone getting opinions on why toasters didn’t toast a full slice of bread.

 

[Clinton]

I'm finding LinkedIn has improved substantially. I don't see toast making posts. But then I'm very, very fussy about who I connect with. If I get something in my feed that seems better suited to Facebook, I delete the person who made the post.

I now have an awesome feed. I get great industry news, serious insights from industry leaders, wise advice and counsel from senior people in corporate finance and corporate law and interesting conversations with peers. I start my day with my LinkedIn feed.

You need to be ruthless in disconnecting with sales people and recruiters! Ruthless, ruthless, ruthless. Then disconnect from people you don't know personally. Then disconnect from people you do know but who post rubbish.

Your feed is only as good as the connection network you've built. Why did you see that toast making post? It's because someone in your network "liked" it. Start by deleting that person! Then keep deleting people who are responsible for such junk appearing in your feed.

And deleting all sales people. You don't need any excuse to delete them. Just do it.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Personally I use LinkedIn a lot, and see lots of benefits. I'm also aware that I could learn and use a lot more.

Unfortunately, your post doesn't resonate with me at all (TBH I was expecting a clumsy link/sales pitch at the end)

650 million is a random big number. And a totally pointless one. Nobody needs 650 million contacts, so the very existence of 99.9999% of them is just a distraction from your purpose.

It has never been easier to gain contacts on a global scale (assuming that's relevant to your marketing plan). The downside of easy is volume. Thousands of people wanting to connect and spam - which makes it all the more important to focus, differentiate and build quality in your network

 

[Mr D]

As a method of building up social media business contacts its good. I have particular interests that I like to keep abreast of, have a number of business friends that I keep up with on there. And there's give and take - the relationships aren't all one sided.
May have noticed some people are just in it for themselves, take take take.
Has proven useful in the past and have occasionally had job offers from the profile, usually stuff I turn down anyway. Not always.

 

[ethical PR]

I want to make a followup post on the advantages subsequently. A handful of 40million people is a lot to any business especially if you providing a service.

Can you provide case studies on actual businesses that have benefitted financially from using Linked In.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Can you provide case studies on actual businesses that have benefitted financially from using Linked In.[/QUOTE)

Linkedin

 

[billybob99]

I didn't even read any of this but I can say LinkedIn is a goldmine for B2B leads.

A lot of people I know got it twisted that you close sales on LinkedIn - which you don't.

You build connections, build trust and provide value with the end goal of taking them off LinkedIn for a face to face meeting (in my case) or telephone call, or whatever and closing the deal.

 

[fisicx]

I didn't even read any of this but I can say LinkedIn is a goldmine for B2B leads.

A lot of people I know got it twisted that you close sales on LinkedIn - which you don't.

You build connections, build trust and provide value with the end goal of taking them off LinkedIn for a face to face meeting (in my case) or telephone call, or whatever and closing the deal.

Indeed, but the OP said:

This is my first post and it's going to be about using LinkedIn for sales and marketing.

Which isn't how it works.