TSE 1291: How To Leverage LinkedIn For Better Networking

How To Leverage LinkedIn For Better Networking

 

LinkedIn is an important social platform for people looking to broaden their network. In this episode, Bobbie Foedisch will be talking about how to leverage LinkedIn for better networking. 

 

Bobbie Foedisch is the founding partner and Chief Social Selling Officer at All About Leverage. The company develops social selling, lead generation, and networking processes. Bobbie has been in the business development space for most of her career. She’s seen the power of leveraging social media and now, along with her team, they have cultivated a lead-generation process that they offer to their clients as a voluntary benefit business.

 

LinkedIn now has over 413 million users and they are growing daily. This makes LinkedIn a perfect platform for you and your business. You can use it to leverage your online and offline marketing presence. 

 

Use LinkedIn Strategies available

One of the best ways to start your LinkedIn experience is by using a picture of yourself as your profile photo. It’s tempting to use a company logo but people don’t develop a relationship with a logo the way they want to connect with people. When selecting a picture make sure the photo looks like you and you look professional. This is your first impression so make the most of this opportunity by having a great headshot. 

 

Customize your message and be yourself

The message is an important part of your LinkedIn profile as it shows effort on your part.  Don’t make it a generic.  Show your personality and let people know you care. Be yourself so people get a true sense of who you’d be face to face.  

 

Build your network right away 

The purpose of LinkedIn is to grow networking opportunities so be confident in building right away. Have a purpose to connect and know the worth of your business. Look for the people you can partner with or who will benefit from your service or product.  They are waiting to be found.  

 

The social selling process

It’s important to have your own social selling process. Here’s a process that Bobbie suggests: 

 

Put your content out there

You need content that will resonate with your network but be sure to tie it back to your subject, job, or area of expertise. Before you begin, assess how you are going to create your content. Will you create your own or curate your content? Either way, your content should be interesting or relevant to your audience. 

 

Start the conversation

As a thought leader, begin conversations that are compelling and will allow conversations to occur.  Post these “ice breakers” on LinkedIn network groups, Twitter, and add them to your company page on Facebook.

 

Time your posts well

Do your research about what days and times to post on the social platform you’re trying to engage with so you have maximum exposure. This will help ensure you are reaching at least 60% of your network. 

 

Join groups for content and networking

LinkedIn groups allow you to reach beyond your network. Having the right content can help you leverage the groups for face-to-face networking events. You can search LinkedIn groups for the niche that reflects your target audience. Search for specific details such as company name, job titles, geographic locations, and other details that will help you narrow down the search. You can then offer your message to the group.

 

Advanced save and purchase

Make use of LinkedIn’s lead generation. Do this by saving your purchase based on your ideal client profile. LinkedIn will automatically send you a lead generation list every week. 

 

Leverage your first degree connection

Learn to leverage your network. Look at your connections and narrow them down to exactly who you want to reach. Meet with your different referral partners weekly and aim for an average of five introductions. Statistics show that this type of warm lead generation has a 60% conversion rate. 

 

The following features on LinkedIn will help you broaden your reach:

• Thought leadership
• Content marketing
• Face-to-face networking
• Online and offline social activity
• Reaching people in your community and across the world

 

Effective cold-calling 

Even with everyone using social media as a way to connect, there is still a lot of value in cold calling. Bobbie suggests the following to be more effective:

• Narrow down the list
• Monitor recent activity and comment on the things you care about
• Engage with people and create opportunities for conversations. 
• Move from connecting online to connecting offline

 

LinkedIn is more effective the more you use it. Be visible on the platform and allow people to get to know you each day. Your LinkedIn profile is the first thing that pops up when somebody searches your name so make a great first impression. Match the sales process to the buying process if you want to be successful. Focus on people who are interested.

Sales is no longer just about selling but guiding people through their needs and being there with a solution. 

 

“How To Leveraging LinkedIn For Better Networking” episode resources 

As a salesperson, focus on the relationships and don’t expect things to happen overnight. Take your time and learn from your mistakes. 

Connect with Bobbie Foedisch via LinkedIn or Twitter using the handle: @linkedinbobbie. If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble for free now at www.crmble.com/tse.

This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at [phone]. 

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Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.