This article is a transcript of the above lecture I hosted. I share with you tips from my training The Proinfluent Method to find clients with LinkedIn™ without paying for advertising.
LinkedIn™ prospecting: why LinkedIn™?
Prospecting on LinkedIn™ is essential in BtoB for the development of your business.
And so, why LinkedIn™? First of all because it is THE professional social network in the world. Imagine, 800 million users, a database of 800 million professionals. Before, you had to pay for it and it was expensive! And the bases were not qualified. There, we have THE database of professionals which is updated in real time by the members themselves. They provide as much information as possible on their profile; you have the keywords, you even know who they follow, what they liked and what they commented on.
LinkedIn™ is present in more than 200 countries and translated into more than 24 languages. And it’s only progressing since there are more than two new members registered per second, it’s gigantic. And in France, that represents 23 million users, or one in two professionals, out of 54% of the active population.
See all LinkedIn™ key figures .
So, if you work in BtoB, it would still be a handicap not to go to LinkedIn™ for your commercial prospecting when half of the French companies, your target, are there and for free. LinkedIn™ in France also has 10 million active users per month. We can thus see that not all users are active and that must be kept in mind to carry out prospecting.
Prospecting on LinkedIn™: who is on LinkedIn™?
The composite portrait of the user of the social network
I like to do a little sketch of the LinkedIn ™ user . Well, we see that there is no perfect parity. 56% of users are men and 44% women. And what is interesting to see is that the average age of the network is 44 years old, it is the highest average age of social networks!
What is just as interesting is that there is an American study which showed that the level of trust people gave to content that came from LinkedIn™ was twice as high as other social networks, because on LinkedIn™, there are a lot of seniors, founders, decision-makers, directors, who embody, let’s say, a bit of authority and who have a certain know-how. And so, we consider that content that comes from LinkedIn™ is more credible than on Facebook, for example.
I found this stat interesting because it shows that there are, in the majority, CSP+ (Higher Socio-professional Categories). There are all kinds of professionals, but there are also millionaires, I’m thinking of the boss of Virgin Galactic who inspires his community through the production of content. There are all kinds of people including politicians. The French President is currently also an influencer on LinkedIn™ etc.
A small important point to evolve in your career, you should know that 92% of recruiters are on LinkedIn ™. So don’t be there if you are tuned in to opportunities you shoot yourself in the foot. I am digressing because we are here to talk about prospecting .
What approach to adopt on LinkedIn™?
LinkedIn™, is the leading professional social network in the world, also in France, it is well ahead of Viadeo , which did not succeed in its internationalization shift. You will be able to build relationships and above all multiply the points of contact in discussion groups, on the LinkedIn™ company page , on someone’s post, on your LinkedIn ™ profile, you will be able to interact with people and also influence and bring value. Providing value is something you will see that will come back regularly today. Via the content, via the posts, via the comments.
Make comments that bring value to people and your contacts to show your expertise, to show your community and your target that you are the right person to solve their problem, that’s the whole point. You build an image of expert to make people grow. That way, people will come to you or when they have a problem, they can either recommend you or contact you.
And then it’s a human-to-human network, that’s why it’s important to take care of your LinkedIn™ profile picture , it’s the only thing that brings a human visual to your profile, it’s is important, it will humanize the relationship. So we see that the LinkedIn™ business page, if you have a VSE, SME, well it will work less well than your LinkedIn™ profile, since people prefer to talk to a human than to a logo.
Prospecting on LinkedIn™: mistakes not to make
We will then talk about some mistakes and good practices not to commit and to commit on LinkedIn ™, it will be cold prospecting. If you contact people directly with the old method by selling your product to them as soon as you add them, you say: “Hello, sir! I see you are a decision maker, I have this for sale”, well it won’t work, you will still have the famous mediocre 1% conversion rate. And again I am surprised that there is still 1% who buys …
Automate the addition of contacts without customizing, it’s over. Today, we have the tools that allow us to personalize the message. We want people to talk to us in a personalized way, that’s it, at least the first name: personalize. And when you are in BtoB on qualitative exchange, you will also contextualize your approach message.
For example “I just followed your latest news, I see that you have acquired … Congratulations. I am from the same region, I invite you to join my network to share our news”, you see. It didn’t take me a minute. And there, I will begin the interaction, the exchange with this person in a qualitative way by taking it into consideration.
To read :
- STOP! Stop Making Those LinkedIn ™ Prospecting Mistakes
- Examples of LinkedIn invitation messages .
- LinkedIn invitations: should we accept them?
- Follow-up email: 7 examples and expert secrets to relaunch professionals
Don’t harass contacts. We are not going to raise a person 10 times. Especially if we have been commercial. She didn’t answer, that’s okay. Of anyway, with content production, you’re going to attract the people who are interested in your topic and there will be engagement in the posts, in articles or even offline, since they will contact you by email or phone.
LinkedIn™ prospecting: best practices
Build credibility on LinkedIn™.
This is essential, because the LinkedIn™ profile is not an online CV. The LinkedIn™ profile is your online professional showcase. It’s your website except that it is better referenced, because when you are on LinkedIn™, you go up in Google, in Bing and the other search engines. So, take care of your profile to develop your credibility. Don’t forget to optimize your profile URL by changing the series of numbers to a short URL of the type: first name-last name.
Another way to optimize your profile is also through recommendations: show the success of your customers. The common mistake is to talk about your product, but you have to talk about what we can have with your product, the benefits and the successes of your customers.
Develop your network
Another good practice is to develop your network, because what is important is to have an important level 2 network, so the more you have an important network, the more you will be able to reach level 2 when these people will interact.
Join LinkedIn™ groups
Third point, third good practice, join discussion groups. They number 1.6 million: there are in all areas. And what is it for, a group? This is the pool that brings together your entire target. So don’t hesitate to go there. In addition, when you are in the discussion groups, you can contact the members for free without having the premium. So, do yourself a favor.
Consult the reviews
You have search by content which appeared in 2019 in France and which allows you to search for what is said about you, search for what is said in your market. Use this feature.
Connect with LinkedIn™ influencers
Identify influencers by searching by content, seeing what works, they can be your relays tomorrow. You can identify them in your publications so that they bring value to one of your posts, etc.
How to prospect on LinkedIn™? The 6 steps of the Proinfluent Method
This slide is the most important and that is why I will end on this one.
If you had to remember one thing, it would be this slide. Social Selling LinkedIn ™, according to The Proinfluent Method, consists of these six steps (CPICAC method):
Prospect on LinkedIn™ – step 1: Identify and add your target
Identifying your target means targeting it using the platform’s search tool: sector of activity, company, geographical sector, language of the profile, subjects that inspire it, skills, etc. An effective LinkedIn™ prospecting tool that allows you to target the ideal profile according to your objectives and the keywords of your choice. This involves laser targeting your target before adding it.
When the targeting is done, you seek to get in touch with her. To do this, you will simply make contact with your leads and prospects by sending them a connection request. Concretely, this means that you want them to be part of your network, so that they can discover your business.
Don’t settle for a simple invitation! To put the odds on your side and arouse the interest of your prospects, accompany this request with personalized messages for each contact. There are different approaches and tricks, however, personalizing content remains one of the best ways to build sympathy.
Be careful, this is not the time to offer him your limited time offer or even to present your brand or your company! To carry out your prospecting on LinkedIn™, do not skip the steps! This is a contact from one LinkedIn™ account to another, not a negotiation with high stakes!
Prospecting on LinkedIn™ – step 2: Expose it to the brand
Then, once you have carried out the previous actions and your leads are part of your network, you must expose them to your brand by regularly publishing content. Not everyone is sensitive to the same types of content, which is why it is advisable to vary the publications.
An article allows you to go deeper into a specific subject. A structured summary, relevant information accompanied by figures and attractive visuals are, for example, an excellent way to show your skills and resources in your sector of activity.
The carousel is ideal for interaction, because it is up to leads to click on the arrow to view the next slide. Native video, poll and native post are also common types of content found on LinkedIn™. Depending on your target and your activity, some posts work better than others.
Posting regularly is essential to animate your community and promote your business. In addition, making attractive publications on LinkedIn™ does not require powerful and complex software! It’s also what explains why LinkedIn™ is the most used professional network in the world: everyone can publish effective and attractive content thanks to their skills and knowledge.
Prospecting on LinkedIn™ – step 3: Posting and sharing
Publishing content regularly is a formidable marketing technique when it comes to prospecting on LinkedIn™, but talking to your community is also essential. Your post is online and it’s starting to generate reactions! It’s time to be present and responsive!
Show members that you’re listening to their questions by responding to their comments and messages. In addition to boosting your publication by giving it more visibility, it is also effective, because your target sees immediately that you take their opinion and opinion into consideration.
Engaging in discussion on a LinkedIn™ group is an effective way to showcase your expertise and show yourself as a leader in your industry. LinkedIn™ groups allow you to discuss various topics with other users. This may be where some of your prospects are!
Prospect on LinkedIn™ – step 4: Connect
More than just messaging your LinkedIn™ connections, connecting here means actually meeting. This is possible when it comes to people with whom you have had good contacts for several weeks.
Offer them a phone conversation, a coffee if possible or a video. The goal is to consolidate your links and show them that you also consider them outside the social platform.
Prospecting on LinkedIn™ – step 5: Generate leads
From now on, you get down to business and apply your trading strategy. If prospecting on LinkedIn™ is effective in generating leads and prospects, keep in mind that all the actions carried out so far are aimed at finding new customers.
We have it further upstream, leaving LinkedIn™ and establishing a close relationship with prospects is beneficial. It is therefore now a question of following this strategy by making the telephone your No. 1 tool for contacting your qualified prospects.
Adapt to their level of maturity and act accordingly! If a prospect is hot don’t let them slip away, on the contrary if they are not yet ready to consider your sales pitch, don’t rush and rather prepare the ground with attractive LinkedIn™ content!
Prospecting on LinkedIn™ – step 6: Getting bought
This is the last step in your prospecting on LinkedIn™, the sale of your products, services or benefits!
And so, it is these acronyms, CPICAC, which is more important to remember and which is the LinkedIn ™ Social Selling approach, according to The Proinfluent Method. So, I wrote a sentence for you to remember. CPI, It’s Rather Intelligent, my Turnover is Growing! It’s Rather Intelligent, my Turnover is Growing! CPICAC.
Here, I leave you on that, meditate on it, and then I answer to your little questions. Thank you !
To deepen and generate 1 lead per day and 5 customers per month on a lasting basis, I invite you to discover the Proinfluent method .
Prospecting on LinkedIn™ to summarize in 5 questions
Comment prospecter sur LinkedIn™ ?
There are several actions that allow effective LinkedIn™ prospecting:
- Optimize your LinkedIn™ profile in order to be visible and noticed on the platform.
- Regularly posting relevant advice helps spread your expertise and skills. It’s a surefire way to show that your business is a leader in its industry.
- Target (using LinkedIn™ search filters), add and then engage prospects with non-aggressive prospecting messages. The goal is to establish a relationship of trust via the platform, which you can then export outside, in real life.
Comment prospecter de nouveaux clients sur LinkedIn™ ?
Find new clients through your LinkedIn™ account:
- Make sure you have a complete profile: recommendations, companies, areas of interest, recent and professional profile and cover photos, readable URL, translation of your profile if necessary, etc.
- Regularly publish content with high added value for your prospects.
- Expand your LinkedIn™ network by targeting your search to new people who match your search filters.
- Send a personalized message to break the ice and connect with your prospects.
- Join thematic groups and show your expertise by helping members in need.
- Invest in a premium subscription to benefit from InMails and advanced targeting functions.
Comment attirer des clients sur LinkedIn™ ?
Attracting customers to LinkedIn™ requires an effective prospecting strategy.
- Make sure you have a complete and optimized profile. A good profile ensures that you are visible and seduce those who visit it.
- Start by targeting users to connect with. To do this, use the LinkedIn ™ search filters (experiences, skills, recommendation, companies, geographical position, etc.)
- Offer your target to be part of your network by inviting them to connect. Attach a personalized message to your request, this increases your chances of being added!
- Distribute attractive content and advice to show the benefits of your product.
- Engage with your community by responding to comments and messages, sharing content, and participating in discussions on LinkedIn™ groups.
- Establish a relationship of trust with your prospect and offer him to exchange outside the social network (telephone, email, real meeting, videoconference, etc.)
Comment trouver des prospects sur LinkedIn™ ?
Here are three steps to finding leads on LinkedIn™:
- Step 1: Accurately identify the people on LinkedIn™ you are targeting. To do this, draw a composite portrait of your targets (Buyer Persona).
- Step 2: Optimize your LinkedIn™ profile to make it visible and also to make it attractive. That is, it inspires enough trust to make visitors want to accept the connection, get in touch, and follow you.
- Step 3: find the profiles on the social network (with the help of filters) and invite them to join your network. Using Sales Navigator gives you access to advanced prospect search functions. Don’t forget to take care of your prospecting message. The key is customization…and especially not looking to sell right away.
Comment faire de la prospection ?
Prospecting is the set of marketing and sales strategies put in place to expand its customer base. There are multiple approaches to prospecting:
- Prospecting on LinkedIn™. It is the most used professional social network in the world! It has 800 million members alone, your prospects are necessarily present! How to do prospecting?
- Phone calling (telephone prospecting).
- Sending messages by emailing.
- Trade fairs.
- Billboards.
- The website that is made visible with natural or paid referencing.
- Sending advertising mail (flyers).
