COMPLETE GUIDE 14°) BOOST YOUR SALES USING LINKEDIN nics rea Beco oel|Digital transformation, and especially social networks, have changed the way we work, the way we relate to each other and, of course, the way we buy. Consumers are no longer passive and now seek to control the buying process, to feel that they have the power to make decisions. Let's face it, cold calls from sales reps are a thing of the past. Today we consider them an intrusive method that seeks to sell us something aggressively. To be honest... The truth is that we love to buy... But we don’t like to be sold to. Which is why we don’t want to buy a product or service from a salesperson, we want to buy it from a person we trust. So how can a salesperson convey that trust to potential customers? The answer is very simple: through social media. In this guide we explain EVERYTHING about Social Selling and how LinkedIn can be your best ally when it comes to boosting your sales. Mee business schoolWhatis Social Selling and why is it important? We can define Social Selling as the use of social networks to obtain quality leads and customers by attracting their attention and building relevant relationships with them. And this is achieved through the implementation of branding, communication and content marketing strategies, providing value and luring them to what we can offer. In other words, we don't sell them something, they buy something from us, since they are the ones who approach brands because of their awe-inspiring content ‘on social media. So, with Social Selling, social media networks become a means to create trust through engagement and to obtain leads. In this sense, it has become one of the most effective sales techniques and more and more professionals are implementing it in their sales strategies. Even though it is a technique that can be implemented in any social media network, we recommend that you pay special attention to LinkedIn. You'll see why later! (fy) Me business schoolWhy is Social Selling so important? There are many benefits to applying Social Selling strategies in your business, let’s see some of them: 0 YOU REDUCE THE SALES CYCLE Through Social Selling you can manage different conversations in social media networks and find out at the same time all about the users’ doubts, preferences and pain points and focus on that to bring added value to customers, thus reducing analysis time. 6 YOU INCREASE BRAND RECOGNITION With the amount of supply available today, creating a powerful brand that users can identify with is a key differentiation strategy. Social Selling humanizes brands and brings them closer to potential customers. With regular interaction through social media you can show that you care about them and build that trust that is essential today. © you attract Quauiry LEADS By avoiding invasive Social Selling techniques you attract potential customers, offering valuable content that they find useful (fy) Me business school© conVERSION RATES ARE HIGHER By generating greater visibility and traffic through Social Selling the business gets more conversion opportunities. Plus, you hook in that audience that is truly interested in what you offer through the content you share and the relationships you develop with the consumers. rs) YOU CREATE SATISFIED CUSTOMERS Users love to feel they are being listened to and love to receive personalized answers instead of automatic ones. Answering the questions that users ask via social media will improve their experience by far, increasing their satisfaction and turning them into loyal customers © vourepuce costs Most of the actions in Social Selling can be used either organically (for free), or for a much lower investment with a more relevant impact than with traditional advertising. 1 AC ISOCIAL SELLING] Ty uO Led pee (fy) Me business schoolWhy use Linkedin for your Social Selling strategy? As we mentioned at the beginning of this guide, Linkedin is the ideal network to establish a Social Selling strategy. Here are some of the reasons why we dare to make this bold statement: - With more than 610 million active users and 30 million company profiles, Linkedin is the world’s leading professional social network, - Knowing this, we have no doubt that your potential customers are on this social media network. - Linkedin provides great options to increase visibility and give authority to your brand - It allows building trust and establishing relevant bonds with users. - Social Selling on Linkedin is more natural than with other social networks and users are more receptive to messages. - It offers you great segmentation opportunities - As well as content dissemination opportunities (for example in certain social groups) (fy) Me business schoolHow to optimize your Linkedin profile for Social Selling No matter what people say, first impressions do matter. A lot. And, when it comes to sales, you can rest assured that they play a KEY role. On Linkedin, that first impression will depend on the content you publish, the contacts you have and, above all, how your profile looks. So ask yourself, if your potential clients were to see your Linkedin profile right now, what would they think? Most people use Linkedin to talk about their studies, their professional experience, the milestones they have achieved throughout their career... And if you are looking for a new job, to be hired as a speaker for an event, ete. You are on the right track But if you want to use your Linkedin profile to sell, change your strategy NOW! Because let us tell you something: your potential clients are not interested in your resume. What they really want to know is what you can do for them and how you can help them. (fy) Me business schoolSo let’s see how to optimize your Linkedin profile for Social Selling: #14 professional profile picture. You should be looking at the camera, smiling and wearing the kind of clothes you'd wear to work, with a plain background. Also, don’t forget to crop the picture from the top of your shoulders to just above your head. #2 Abanner Where you explain to your potential clients how you can help them and how they can contact you #3 Asummary Target your potential clients rather than recruiters, use industry- related keywords, and include your contact information. Also, in the featured section include your best pieces of content, customer testimonials and product information sheets #4 Recommendations Given by your customers, not your co-workers or former bosses (fy) Me business schoolHow to boost your sales with Linkedin. 6 Tips Once you have understood the importance of Linkedin regarding Social Selling and you have adapted your profile for it, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Follow these 6 tips 1. Participate and create discussion groups. One of the greatest opportunities that a network like LinkedIn provides is being able to participate in certain discussion groups, or you could even create your own! Where you can chat, connect and share with other professionals and interested parties in the industry by giving your opinion, selling your brand and working on your personal brand. 2. Develop a keyword strategy. Using keywords (you can include up to 20) will allow you to optimize your Linkedin profile to make it easier for users to find it. Think about what you offer, your value proposition and your potential customers’ search intentions. 3. Get users’ data using gated content. This type of content is hidden so that in order for the user to get it, they will have to enter their contact information. A great lead magnet! (fy) Me business school4. Be as quick as possible with your answers. As we have said, sales can only be achieved if you build trust with your customers and that is closely related to how you communicate with them. Providing fast, practically immediate, answers gives a great impression and generates a completely satisfactory experience. 5. Use Linkedin features that you may find useful. This might be the case of Sales Navigator or InMail, but we will talk about it in more depth later in this guide. 6. Create a content calendar One of the best tips we can give you to boost your sales using Linkedin is to periodically share content on your profile. it may sound obvious but it is ESSENTIAL. So, create an editorial calendar, plan your posts, think about what you can publish to create value for users and keep in mind that posts should be between 1,900 and 2,000 words long to generate impact. Pay KEYWORD re 5 A Puy ae (iia Carey Pr Nis Pe Pressel GATED CONTENT fo tele Cf ee Cd CLA ia Ae Co YOU MAY FIND re a ‘CALENDAR (fy) Me business schoolSales Navigator, your best ally to find leads Have you heard of Sales Navigator? It is a Linkedin tool that allows you to find your target audience and leads much faster. A real ally for sales teams that can bring numerous advantages to the table: It makes the process of searching and researching potential leads and customers a lot simpler, you can find instant information. It allows you to interact with users in a more organized and efficient way. It builds trust in relationships. You can choose what segments to target easily. You can interact with customers closely and in a personalized way. It allows you to connect with users who are not in your contact network. You can do a complete follow-up of your relationship with users. This is a paid tool, but you can opt for a free trial Among the outstanding features, we recommend for you to pay special attention to these: The Lead Builder: will allow you to create an endless number of advanced filters to help you find the ideal audience you want to reach. Integration with your CRM: by integrating Sales Navigator into your CRM you will be able to have a fully automated record of your customers. Integration with your email: in the same way, you can integrate this tool with your email and be able to keep track of both on the same platform. Periodic reports with which you will be able to evaluate your commercial activity and make any corrections, if necessary. (fy) Me business schoolLearn how to send effective messages to your customers through InMi Have you heard of LinkedIn InMail? This is the LinkedIn feature that allows you to contact any Linkedin professional by sending them a direct message when you invite them to connect. It's super useful when you've found your potential leads via the filters and search methods we talked about before. Now.. It's time to reach them effectively! And this involves knowing what to say to them when adding them to be able to get them to accept There are many salespeople that have high rejection rates on their connection requests. This is because when someone sees that a salesperson is adding them to their network, they know that if they accept, it is very likely that they will later try to sell them something and, as we have said, nobody likes to be sold something So, if you want your prospects to accept your request follow these tips: @ END APERSONALIZED MESSAGE A personalized message is NOT a sales pitch. So make a thorough check of the profiles you want to reach out to, think about what can pique their interest, what hooks can you use to illustrate the value that your proposal can bring. (fy) Me business school© cueck THE PEOPLE WHO VISIT YOUR PROFILE Another effective technique to get them to accept you with your messages is to contact the people who have already visited your profile. These people have already shown interest in what you offer and reaching out to them can generate a lot of sales opportunities. © pon’T seND LONG MEssacEs InMail is not an ordinary email. Condense your messages, less is more, get to the point. © Don’T sEND MESSAGES THAT ARETOO SHORT Likewise, don’t send messages that are too brief. They are not your friends so you should take the time, and space, to tell them who you are and why they should be interested in adding you to their network. © von'T Pass ouT CALENDLY LINKS TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS You have to earn the right to have a conversation with that potential client you want to add to your network. (fy) Me business school© Exptain AND SHOW THEM WHAT YOU CANDO FOR THEM. Only then will you create relationships that allow them to see the benefits of adding you to their professional network. Yes, Social Selling is becoming more and more consolidated, especially among sales leaders. Ready to boost your sales to infinity and beyond with Linkedin? Let's get to work! ee aek sbi ga 3 MESSAGES TO YOUR CUSTOMERS THROUGHIDIVU4 a fon y erect Penta Pod Pacer Pectin MEETINGS Qe conrseno - ea hae Tene