Linkedin Social Selling Ebook 2016

1. HOW TO USE LINKEDIN AS THE Ultimate Social Selling Tool Ken Krogue President & Founder InsideSales.com Ralf VonSosen Former Head of Marketing for LinkedIn Sales Solutions

2. Page 2 Introduction Sometimes a little controversy sparks amazing progress. The webinar generated so much buzz that it broke the record for the biggest webinar InsideSales.com had ever done with 5,648 registrants. LinkedIn’s research shows that sales professionals who use social selling are: When Ken Krogue, president of InsideSales.com, teamed up with LinkedIn’s Ralf VonSosen on a webinar about the death of cold calling in 2013, they had no idea how much impact it would have. Some in the industry expressed concerns over associating LinkedIn with cold calling. • 51 percent more likely to achieve quota So, naturally, Krogue and VonSosen joined forces again in 2014 on a new webinar that revealed how you can use LinkedIn as the ultimate social selling tool. This topic clearly appeals to modern sales teams. This webinar crushed the previous record, reeling in 6,930 registrants. We’ve cap- tured the highlights in this ebook for your reading pleasure. • 3 times more likely to go to president’s club • Promoted to VP 1.6 times faster Professional sales teams use LinkedIn to do pre-call research and build relation- ships, but “cold calling” remains a popular term because nobody knows what else to call it. Krogue and VonSosen shared the social selling best practices that enable salespeople to stop cold calling and start connecting with more prospects and customers. In this ebook, you’ll learn how to optimize your LinkedIn profile to enhance your pro- fessional brand, identify and nurture your ideal prospects, measure and improve your performance using LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index, and close more deals with less stress. With more than 300 million profession- als using its platform, LinkedIn is the single most powerful tool ever invented for sales. It is creating incredible economic opportunity by connecting the world’s business leaders. InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

3. Page 5 The 6 Basic Skills of Social Media If you want to leverage LinkedIn for sales, you must first master the basics. One of Krogue’s most popular articles on Forbes offers 27 LinkedIn tips, and that’s a good place to start. Now we’re going to cover the six basic skills of social media. This is the foundation on which you should build your LinkedIn social selling strategy. Skill No. 1: Complete Once you know your purpose, you can complete your profile. Koka Sexton has compiled The Epic List of LinkedIn Profile Tips. It includes links to 36 articles with lots of important dos and don’ts. Before you begin using social media, ask yourself a series of questions: • What is my purpose? • Why am I doing this? • What is my plan? • How am I going to go about doing it? • Am I prepared? • Do I know how to use the LinkedIn platform? One of the best tutorials for salespeople is 10 Tips to Help You Maximize Your LinkedIn Sales Profile. To avoid common mistakes, check out 22 LinkedIn Secrets LinkedIn Won’t Tell You and The LinkedIn Settings Mistakes Most People Still Make. A lot of people just jump in and think, “Well, it will be fun to follow a lot of famous people. I’ll just follow Obama and Shakira and see what’s going on.” One of the most obvious LinkedIn profile tips that many people overlook is simply to upload a professional photo. Displaying a picture of yourself will help you establish a connection and develop trust with others in your network. If you don’t have a clearly defined purpose and strategy, you won’t achieve a lot of results. Make sure you answer the ques- tion, “Why am I doing this?” Profiles with photos receive a 40% InMail response rate. InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

4. Page 6 The 6 Basic Skills of Social Media Skill No. 2: Content Here’s what it looks like when you add content to your profile: LinkedIn allows you to share all kinds of content that provides value to your net- work. You can post audio, video, ebooks, links and other types of media. Find something cool that you want to share about you and your company and add it to your profile. Remember that LinkedIn is no longer just a resume. It’s a promotional tool where you can offer important information and valu- able insights. Ken wrote the #1 eBook Used by LinkedIn: C… 42 LinkedIn Inside Sales Tips eBook done wi… Krogue lists his two most popular ebooks – “Cold Calling Is Dead, Thanks to LinkedIn” and “42 LinkedIn Inside Sales Tips” – right on his profile for everybody to see. When people click on one of these images, it takes them to a landing page on the InsideSales.com website, where they can download an ebook. It’s a great way to generate highly qualified leads. #2 on The Top 30 Social S… Forbes Article Cold Calling… #1 Forbes article on Twitter… The best sales leads raise their hands and say they need what you offer. LinkedIn gives you a place to promote content with calls-to-action. Take advantage of that. InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

5. Page 7 The 6 Basic Skills of Social Media Use Shared Experiences to Build Rapport. frequency of your posts. You will experi- ence more success if your network knows what type of content to expect from you. You can find networking, industry and regional groups on LinkedIn. When you meet new people at events, you can add them to your network too. You can also share content as updates in your news feed. Gabe Villamizar, who launched his career as the social media guru at InsideSales.com, recommends the 4-1-1 formula. Skill No. 3: Community LinkedIn shows you groups, skills and experiences you have in common with your connections. For example, Krogue and VonSosen discovered that they attended the same university. Once you have your content, you’ll need to figure out how to deliver it to the right people. You’ve probably developed some natural communities over the years, such as family, friends, classmates and co-workers. 4: Share four pieces of content around the core value that you offer. 1: Post one piece of content that reveals who you are as a person. 1: Publish one piece of content that promotes your company or gen- erates leads. Use shared experiences to build rapport and engage in meaningful conversations. When Krogue started his sales career, he used to go to breakfast clubs. A couple dozen people would meet at a restaurant to share leads. That’s pretty hard to do on a regular basis. It takes a lot of time. Popular Sales Groups on LinkedIn: Inside Sales Experts Association of Inside Sales Profession- als (AA-ISP) B2B Sales Take some time and develop a content strategy. Establish your identity so you can provide value to your professional network. Create consistency in your topics and the LinkedIn groups are like breakfast clubs on steroids. They make net- working so much easier. InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

6. Page 8 The 6 Basic Skills of Social Media Skill No. 4 Connections Another cool feature is called “People Simi- lar.” In the sidebar of a prospect’s profile, LinkedIn shows you people who are similar. So, for example, if you want to meet Ken Krogue, you might be able to get an intro- duction if you already know his business partner, David Elkington. Instructions for Tagging and Untagging Your Contacts With more than 300 million members, LinkedIn has become the go-to place for connecting with like-minded profession- als. As you meet new people, you can turn your connections into valuable relation- ships that help you close more deals. Instructions for Sorting and Filtering Your Contacts Identify opportunities to connect with prospects using LinkedIn’s Connected app. Strengthen your connections with others by following their updates, liking and commenting on their conversations, and sharing their content. The Connected app notifies you when people in your network hit important mile- stones like these: People Similar to Ken • Job changes • Mentions in the news • Work anniversaries • Birthdays PRO TIP: Follow the company first. LinkedIn will highlight any of your existing connections who work there. David Elkington CEO and Founder at InsideSales.com View Profile • 1st 383 If you have LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can quickly discover prospects at your target accounts using lead recommenda- tions. When you visit a prospect’s profile, LinkedIn automatically surfaces similar decision makers to provide multiple paths into the company. This app sends you highly relevant and timely push notifications for pre-meet- ing intelligence. It’s a valuable tool for sales reps. Organize your connections with LinkedIn tags. Tag people with keywords that remind you how you met them or when you might want to reach out. InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

7. Page 9 The 6 Basic Skills of Social Media Skill No. 5: Comment commenting on other thought leaders’ blogs, and they quickly reciprocated. Treat your LinkedIn connections the same way you would treat them if you were at a cocktail party. You don’t want to come across as inappropriate or phony. If you normally wouldn’t wish someone happy birthday, you probably shouldn’t do it on LinkedIn. Worthwhile connections on LinkedIn start with effective communication. Believe it or not, there is actually an art to commenting. Use trigger events to find opportunities to leave meaningful comments. Krogue loves to reach out to people on their birthdays. He spotted a LinkedIn birthday notification for an old friend, who was one of the best bosses he’s ever had. So Krogue quickly left a heartfelt comment and an open invi- tation for lunch. PRO TIP: Avoid making meaningless drive- by comments. Don’t make dumb, trite or gushy comments you wouldn’t want to read a week later. Invest some thought and feeling. Share your insights and expe- riences. Keep it real. You can congratulate people when they change jobs, receive a promotion, have a work anniversary, or appear in the news. Comments matter. Some websites track the number of comments to help deter- mine the most popular articles. For example, on Forbes a comment is worth the same as almost 450 views. Commenting is about nurturing your exist- ing networks. It’s about giving back. It’s about being a net exporter of goodness. Always remember to remain thoughtful. If you automatically act on every alert, that will probably lead to some disingenu- ous comments. Prime the pump by commenting on other people’s posts and con- tent. When Krogue launched his blog, nobody ever commented. So he started InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

8. Page 10 The 6 Basic Skills of Social Media Skill No. 6: Converse things you might not be able to say face to face. Give endorsements and recommen- dations. This is the art of conversing. Sales Acceleration Platform A comment is a one-way interaction. If you want to build relationships and nurture your network, what you really want is a conversation. To spark conversations, you need to encourage a two-way dialogue. Nobody wants to be cold called. But we all love getting information about some- thing that really helps our business. We all love connecting with somebody who respects and understands the struggle we’re going through and can help us with it. We love participating in these valuable conversations. PRO TIP: Ask a question at the end of your comment. It’s a surefire way to launch a lively discussion. Dialing, emailing and motivating powered by predictive analytics and machine learning Punctuation marks allow you to put your foot on the accelerator with a question mark or on the brakes with a period. You can increase or decrease the tempo of your interactions.   LinkedIn provides a place for B2B mar- keters, sellers and decision makers to gather and engage in meaningful conversations. See a Demo Ask a question. Make a statement. Be bold. Stir the pot. Don’t be afraid to be a little bit brazen on occasion. You can say some InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

9. Page 11 ACQUIRE Model Increases Engagement InsideSales.com uses the ACQUIRE model for social nurturing. Social media is at the front end of the nurturing cycle. 3 Stages of Content You need different types of content to guide your buyers through the sales funnel. Awareness Understanding First, people must be aware you exist. Social and PR are brilliant catalysts. Here you use content that appeals to a broad audience: stuff that’s interesting, useful and fun. Educate your audience on what you do and the problems you solve. Stage 1: Identifies a common problem in your industry. Interest Stage 2: Shows how you help people solve this problem. What you do must intrigue your prospects. Curiosity Relevance Stage 3: Proves why you have the best solution. Krogue recommends using research to pique curiosity. Research attracts a lot of attention, especially if it answers a tough question nobody has answered yet. As soon as they realize that what you do is relevant to them, they start to see a need. Learn more about the ACQUIRE model of social nurturing. Engagement Qualify If you’re relevant to people, they will engage. This is where good things start to happen. The qualify stage is where you start sharing content designed for specific buyer personas. InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

10. Page 12 The Real Value of LinkedIn Close More Deals, Earn Promotions Faster. LinkedIn’s research reveals that sales pro- fessionals who use social selling achieve greater success. Social sellers: The four categories are: • Produce 45 percent more opportunities. • Are 51 percent more likely to hit quota. • Are 3 times more likely to go to president’s club. • Get promoted to VP 1.6 times faster than their peers. 1. Create a professional brand. 2. Find the right people. 3. Engage with insights. 4. Build strong relationships. VonSosen points out that salespeople are investing more time in building their pro- fessional brands on LinkedIn. Attendees at a recent InsideSales.com event had an average Social Selling Index of 46, which is more than twice the industry average. But remember, the highest score is 100, so there’s definitely room for growth. Social Selling Index If you’re wondering how effective you are as a social seller, and how you can improve, LinkedIn has a tool that will tell you. The Social Selling Index measures your perfor- mance in four categories and assigns you a score from 0 to 100. In the next section, you’ll learn three keys to successful social selling on LinkedIn. InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook:

11. Page 13 3 Keys to LinkedIn Success Invest in Your Identity, Network and Knowledge. Identity: Your professional brand. How do you want people to perceive you? know with connection requests. Make sure you have a solid reason for reach- ing out. Focus on quality relationships, not quantity. Your LinkedIn profile is not a resume. It’s a place to build your brand. Include a profes- sional picture of yourself. Display valuable content. Write a summary that shows your prospects and buyers why they should do business with you. LinkedIn’s mission is to create economic opportunity by connecting the world’s professionals. All of its products, services and policies align with its “members first” philosophy. The leaders at LinkedIn always ask themselves, “Will this be good for our members?” Knowledge: What do you know? Where can you add value? Build your brand by establishing yourself as an expert in your field. Share relevant content. It doesn’t always have to be origi- nal content. Post links to other people’s insights and add your own analysis. Com- ment in relevant groups and discussions. Demonstrate that you understand your buyers’ challenges and know how to help them. Network: Who do you know? How well do you know them? The LinkedIn experience revolves around three core social sell- ing concepts: identity, network and knowledge. LinkedIn empowers you to find your own prospects. You don’t have to rely on the marketing team to send you leads. Expand your network by intelligently creating new connections. Don’t spam people you don’t InsideSales.com | LinkedIn Share this eBook: