How to prospect on LinkedIn: start the conversation

[tonmoypramanik]

In this process, we almost always use LinkedIn and thus obtain significant results, notably by multiplying the number of appointments made by our clients by an average of 3.

Prospecting well on LinkedIn: the prerequisites
Before trying to start a conversation and prospect on LinkedIn, it is important to work on two points, the methodologies for which you will find below:

Create and optimize your LinkedIn profile for business prospecting ;
Identify qualified prospects ;
Now that you have validated these two points, you are ready to prospect on LinkedIn and start a conversation with your new prospects.

For this and in order to thank our readers, we offer you today the LinkedIn prospecting methodology that we use for our agency and our clients!

cta training prospect on linkedin SLN Academy
Start the relationship before the LinkedIn contact request

It's a mistake we all make: we notice an interesting profile on LinkedIn and automatically peru email list add them to our network without even personalizing the contact request.

Concretely, this works since you should know that more than 2 out of 3 contact requests are accepted without batting an eyelid on LinkedIn. However, what is the point of operating in this way? None!

To prospect on LinkedIn optimally, I recommend that you engage in a relationship with your prospect before sending your contact request.

How would you tell me? By interacting on one of his publications, by leaving a comment on his blog or by regularly sharing his posts.

Go fishing for information

Your prospects are over-solicited on social networks. If you want to have a chance of retaining their attention, you must do everything to stand out and personalize your approach as much as possible.

Before engaging in a LinkedIn conversation with your prospect, take the time to analyze their profile and take note of all the important elements that will allow you to personalize your message.

Plan a 3-part exchange sequence

To engage in conversation with our prospects or our clients' prospects on LinkedIn, we rely on a 3-step sequence of exchanges in order to 1) meet the prospect's expectations and 2) validate their commitment and maturity.

I recommend that you allow between 2 and 5 days – depending on your target – between two messages (unless of course your prospect responds to you before!).

Time #1: Thank your new contact
Very often, I come across salespeople who add dozens of LinkedIn contacts to bulk up their network and that's it. They never thank their new contact for accepting their request.

Thanking your new contact is a polite gesture but also a very simple way to start a conversation on LinkedIn.

This is simply a matter of thanking your prospect for the connection and letting them know that you are at their disposal.

Time #2: Add value
Prospecting well on LinkedIn is above all about helping your prospect rather than promoting your offers to them.

Your prospects now prefer to search for information on the Internet themselves to make their purchasing decision.

They think on their own and expect you to show them that you are not just a salesperson but that you are THE person who will help them solve their problems and achieve their goals.

To do this, you need to start a conversation on LinkedIn by providing added value to your prospect. How? Nothing could be simpler, you can share a blog article, a white paper with your prospect or give them some sound advice to solve their problem.

how to start linkedin conversation
Time #3: Get to the point
Now comes the time to tell your prospect about your intentions. He is certainly not fooled, but if he has not taken the trouble to find out more than that, he will not yet really know what you can bring him.

In this third message, introduce your prospect to your field of activity and the solutions you provide to companies like theirs.

Finally, end this message by suggesting a telephone conversation or a physical meeting.

After engaging in conversation on LinkedIn via this sequence of 3 messages, you need to analyze your prospect's feedback to note their engagement and validate that they are indeed a qualified prospect.

Surf the news of your LinkedIn contacts

If, like all of us, you have already added LinkedIn contacts without using this method, all is not lost.

Follow your prospects' news and take advantage of the slightest opportunity to start a conversation on LinkedIn : a change of position, a shared article, a mutual relationship, etc.

Stop the contact race

To conclude, I strongly recommend that you stop the race for LinkedIn contacts which is really not productive.

As you can see, prospecting on LinkedIn requires time and personalization work. It is therefore important to focus on your most active and qualified prospects to prospect successfully!