Using LinkedIn throughout the entire sales process

LinkedIn is the Best Sales Funnel – Use it throughout the Entire Sales Process

noun: In business science a sales process describes an approach to selling a product or service. The sales process has been approached from the point of view of an engineering discipline.

The process itself can be broken down into many steps, all defined differently from the sales professional. Here is one list and how LinkedIn makes makes the funnel run smoothly!

1. Prospecting  – Prospecting has a very wide range of definition, but on every level, LinkedIn has a key role. The most powerful and proprietary feature of LinkedIn is the accessible database. It is a salesperson dream to identify who they know that can get them in the door, and LinkedIn does that!
2. Pre-call planning – We all know that learning as much about our prospect before meeting them can help give us an edge. LinkedIn for research changes the playing field. Get the full background not only on your prospect, but on many of the other decision makers prior to your meeting. In addition, we can learn what the company’s initiates are, what they are sharing and talking about and so much more about their industry and competitors than ever before.
3. Need assessment – this typically happened solely in the meeting by asking a predetermined checklist of all the information we needed to make the sale. With LinkedIn, we can learn so much about what they have and need prior to our first connection. We can start a meeting with an edge.
4. Presentation – part of a sales pitch is puffing our chests, letting them know about all the great things we have done and can do for them. Our LinkedIn profiles, recommendations and content can speak for us. We can position ourselves as the subject matter expert without saying a word.
5. Overcoming objections – We can be prepared, know objections they will have before we ever hear them. How? Connect with past employees of the prospective company, talk with them about the decision making process and challenges in past purchases. The intel can be astonishing, and you can be armed and ready with an effective objection handling moment. You can even handle the objection before they ever get to say it!
6. Closing the deal – Often, when we come in from a referral, closing the deal is so much easier. They may not even shop your products or services if you were highly recommended.
7. Getting Referrals – Now a happy client, get some referrals. Identify who they know that you want to meet and as for introductions. Yep, LinkedIn rocks!