#LinkedInLifeLive Episode # 08 – Four Business-Killing Mistakes Sales Professionals Make on LinkedIn
| May 5, 2021
In this episode…
In this episode, the Social Sales Link Team talks about the four business-killing mistakes that sales professionals make on LinkedIn namely random acts of social, post and ghost, connect and pitch, and connect and forget.
Did you know that sales professionals make mistakes that can kill their business? Sally Jo talked about one of the four mistakes which is posting random acts of social on LinkedIn. Consistency is key when you want to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. When growing your LinkedIn profile and connections, it pays to have a plan in place and sticking to it. You can do a few things with your LinkedIn account such as accepting connections, asking people to connect, posting purposeful content, liking posts, and so on.
As for Bob, he said that posting and ghosting is another mistake that sales professionals make on LinkedIn. This happens when you post content on your profile and then when someone comments on your post, you just ignore his comment altogether. It is good practice when you reply to your posts’ comments even if they are just the generic “great post” or “thanks for sharing” comments. It is also great to reply with a new insight that gives value to your audience. Remember that when you post content, the goal is to start conversations with your prospects.
In addition, Bill discussed that another no-no is when you connect and pitch to your prospects. You have to put in the effort to qualify and get to know your prospect. Some of the things that you can do to get to know your prospects are visiting and following their profile page, engaging on their content and posts, providing additional insights about the content they follow, checking your mutual connections, and asking for introductions. The bottom line here is, do not connect and pitch!
Finally, Brynne said that another mistake you may commit on LinkedIn is when you connect and forget. It is important to take inventory of your existing connections, export them on a spreadsheet, and start to re-engage with them using a video message. In this digital setup, do not connect and forget! Always treat your connections as you would treat them if they are on the other side of the table.
Connect with Brynne, Bill, Bob, and Sally Jo on LinkedIn or you can also visit our LinkedIn page to watch this episode again and get daily tips from the Social Sales Link team!
Important points on this video
Things you will learn in this episode:
* Don’t just add people to your network and not do anything about it, because one of the worst business-killing mistakes you can make is what we call the random acts of social. Be consistent, have a plan, and stick with it!
* Do not post and ghost because your content is meant to start conversations with prospects. Engage on every comment. Use your post and additional insights to be seen as a collaborative subject matter expertise.
* Do not connect and pitch because it is a bait and switch. You have to earn the right to a conversation. You can do that by simply being of value and sharing insights, leading them to your solution. Consider engaging first by visiting your prospect’s profile, engaging in their content, providing additional insights about the content they follow, checking your mutual connections, or even asking for an introduction.
* Do not connect and forget. Take inventory of your existing connections by exporting them to a spreadsheet and identify the valuable stakeholders that you’ve been ignoring! Send them a personalized video message from the LinkedIn mobile app. You will not only grab their attention but start a conversation.
