Many people think of LinkedIn as just another social networking tool that lets them connect with people who share their career interests. Those in the know, however, can take advantage of powerful LinkedIn tips to generate sales.
Follow these 4 tips to start making your LinkedIn profile work for you.
1. Join Discussions, Groups and Associations
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The more connections you make through LinkedIn, the more people you'll meet who might want to buy items from your company. That means you should get involved.
Join discussions, groups, and associations so you can find other people working in your industry. You can even start a group to attract people who might want to buy from you.
Make sure that sales is your secondary goal. Making connections should always be at the front of your mind. If you make the right connections and get involved in the community, then the sales aspect will become much easier.
2. Select an Account Type That Meets Your Needs
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The standard LinkedIn account is free, but it doesn't give you access to many tools. If you really want to connect with more people to boost your sales, you should consider upgrading to a premium account.
Good account options for businesses include:
- Sales Basic
- Sales Plus
- Sales Executive
Even if you choose a Sales Executive account, which is the most expensive, you'll spend less than $75 a month. That's worth it if it helps you make more sales. Of course, you can start with the cheaper Sales Basic option ($15.95 a month) to see if it works for you.
These premium accounts let you:
- See who has viewed your profile
- Manage your leads to close deals
- Have LinkedIn introduce you to people who might help grow your business
- View full profiles
3. Display Your Expertise
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LinkedIn has over 200 million members. That means you face a lot of competition from other people using the site to make connections and sales.
How do you plan to stand out from the crowd?
Displaying your expertise is a powerful way to get noticed. Post insightful, well researched information in discussions. If you can teach something to other people in your industry, then they will start to see you as a leader.
Once you become an industry leader that others rely on, you should have a much easier time converting leads into sales.
4. Manage Your Flow of Information
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People want to buy from a company that offers good customer services and reliable products. That doesn't mean they want a barrage of information from you.
Don't use LinkedIn as your personal advertising forum. That will make people dislike you. After some time, it will even make them disconnect from you. No one likes to get spammed. If you become a spammer, then you will lose potential sales.
At most, you should send updates only once every two days. Anything more than that is overkill.
What are some of the most successful ways that you've used LinkedIn to generate sales?
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