Are you a salesperson looking to unlock the potential of enterprise accounts?
Look no further than LinkedIn, the social media platform with over 774 million users. But with so many features and users, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Don't worry, we've got you covered!
In this article, we'll show you how to use LinkedIn to connect with decision-makers, establish yourself as a trusted advisor, and ultimately win new business. Whether you're a seasoned sales pro or just starting out, get ready to unleash the power of LinkedIn for enterprise prospecting!
The workflow:
- Step 1: Build a saved search based on a shared passion
- Step 2: Review LinkedIn profile to confirm passion / fit
- Step 3: Send make it or break it personalized connection request
- Step 4: Save lead into Lead list “Passion Connect”
- Step 5: Once they reply, move to “Priority” lead list & continue the conversation
Bonus workflow:
- Create separate Passion Connect and Passion Priority or Passion Reply lead lists to track the success of each campaign / keyword
Connection Benchmarks
- If you’re getting less than a 30% connect rate: you need to work on your profile
- If you’re getting 30-50%: you need to dial in your messaging
- If you’re getting more than 50%, you’re in the top 1% and start your own experiments aligned with your goals
Scenario
Let’s go through example together using 3 of the BIGGEST Technology companies: Google, Microsoft & AWS.
I’ve created an account list called “Super Scalers."
LinkedIn shows 500K+ leads 😳
Let's make it ridiculously easy to start conversations with a quick search on Sales Navigator (w/o having to map the account)
What should we search?
Passion:
- Professional: I focus on the future of the role with niche keywords
- Personal: I try to find hobbies that we can nerd out on
Huh?
Think about the topics you can NEVER get tired of talking about or can completely nerd out on for hours
The key --> go 2-3 layers deep
If I just search "Beer" = 900
If I search "Craft Beer" = 111
If I search "lambic" = 1
You have to think of the terminology that ONLY people that TRULY love that topic would understand. Think: “Tell me you’re (blank), without telling me you’re (blank)”
Use that to start a conversation --> personalized connection request
"Let's talk lambics --> Can anyone outside of Belgium ACTUALLY brew something comparable? - Nick"
Simple yet INSANELY effective.
Rules of Engagement:
- Vampire sales (don’t pitch unless invited)
- The Flip (go from vendor/seller to expert practitioner by offering learning & development material or real insight into their company)
- 15 minute rule (98% of meetings book in 12-15 minutes, the rest circle back because of insightful content in feed)
WARNING: This will completely fall apart if you don’t follow Vampire Sales. That means no mention of your company, product, solutions OR anything else until you’re invited.
This most common invitation is: “So what do you do?” OR “Tell me about yourself?”
Practice how to answer those questions & this workflow will turn into a goldmine.
Happy prospecting friends!