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If you’re in the Business to Business (B2B) market, LinkedIn is where your sales team needs to be.  That’s right, LinkedIn is one of the most successful social networks for selling.  According to LinkedIn, over 62% of B2B buyers respond to salespersons that connect with relevant insights and opportunities.  Currently, there are 610 million members on LinkedIn with approximately 303 million monthly active users.  If we only look at the 303 million monthly active users, that’s 188 million monthly active users who are open to new opportunities.

SalesGig believes that your network is your net worth.  And a great way to expand your network is through social selling on LinkedIn.

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What is Social Selling?

Social selling is prospecting for potential clients on social media through connecting and building relationships to help achieve your sales goal.  When conducted effectively, social selling can eliminate the need for cold calling.

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Social Selling Best Practices

Define your target audience.  Sounds simple, right? Some opt to send friend requests to everyone and anyone.  However, if you’re looking to build relationships and make lasting connections to expand your network, that’s not necessarily the best way to do it.  Determine who your target audience is.  Are you looking to network with those in a particular industry?  Or perhaps those who have a certain job title?  Narrowing this down can help you effectively network and build lasting connections.

Provide value - not just sales pitches.  It’s tempting to find people and lay your sales pitch on them from the start with “Hi, buy my stuff”, but you may not find the results you’re looking for with that.  Engage with your connections on LinkedIn by sharing insights with them and other relevant industry content.  Provide value to your connections to building lasting relationships that are more likely to convert.

Engage with insights.  What does that mean? Well, it means going out there and positioning yourself as a thought leader (aka subject matter expert) in your industry by engaging and responding to other posts, news articles, etc. while simultaneously building your professional brand.  Showing up out of no where and expecting people to recognize you as an authority on a subject isn’t likely to get you very far.

*92% of B2B customers are willing to engage with sales professionals who have positioned themselves as thought leaders in their respective industry.

Ask for introductions.  LinkedIn conducted a survey which found that professionals who were introduced by a mutual connection on LinkedIn had left a favorable impression with 87% of buyers.  So, don’t be afraid to ask a mutual connection for an introduction via LinkedIn!

Double check your profile.  Social selling means that people will likely be viewing your profile.  Make sure you put your best foot forward by having a complete and accurate profile.  And don’t forget about your LinkedIn Summary!  The summary is a great way to showcase your passion, personality and most importantly, your successes!

SalesGig creates seamless lead generation with limitless opportunities by connecting companies with referral partners.  Sign-up today and Get Connected.