Social Selling Strategies: Making the Most of LinkedIn Contacts

Imagine a buyer needs to make a purchase. They consider their choices, but not too hard. And though the buyer is sitting at their desk, the consideration process is like attending a networking event.

In that scenario, the buyer scans a gathering looking for a familiar face in the crowd. It could be someone they have known for a long time or someone they recently met. Either way, they are looking for someone with whom they expect to have a positive encounter.

When a buyer makes a purchase, they also want a positive encounter. The starting point for you to make a sale is winning a spot in the buyer’s consideration set.

For you to be considered:

1. The buyer must remember you.
2. They must have a basic understanding of what you sell.
3. They must have a positive impression of you.

Okay, that’s enough about fundamentals; let’s get to social selling.

You have a list of contacts on LinkedIn. Some buy from you now, some have purchased from you in the past, and some are leads. This is valuable data, so it makes sense to download this list quarterly to review your connections.

Downloading is easy, as follows:

• Click on the “Me” tab and go to “Settings.”
• Click on “Data Privacy.”
• Click on “Get a Copy of Your Data” and request “Connections.”

Your list will contain primary data, including your contact’s name, company, position, LinkedIn profile address, and when you connected. You may also get an email address when if their contact permits them to be included in data downloads.

What should you do next? The following are some ideas:

• Start by sorting and tagging contacts within LinkedIn. Maybe start small and just tag current customers, past customers, and leads. Tagging streamlines follow-ups, prioritizes outreach, and makes it easier to share relevant content.
• Use the contact data to strategize how to build a sphere of influence within a client organization. Tag people as decision-makers or influencers. Who do you know? Who should you know?
• Follow top prospects and get notified when they post. To enable notifications, visit their profile, click the bell icon near their name and photo, and select it to receive alerts on new posts.
• Connect with past buyers. Where are they now? If it was a great relationship and they are local, reach out for a catch-up coffee or lunch.

Today, most sales professionals have a LinkedIn profile, but few tap into its full potential. Picture that buyer back at the busy networking event in a crowded room packed with vendors all vying for attention. By downloading and strategically using your LinkedIn data, you will ensure you don’t blend into the background; you will stand out as the familiar, trusted face in the buyer’s consideration set. This will put you ahead of the competition and turn more connections into clients.

Good selling!