How to use Linkedin to get your next client’
YOU
Invest in a good photo.
How do you want to be perceived? There’s the old saying “It’s great to put a face to the name” – and with good reason: humans are geared toward body language and are highly visual. Your prospective clients can then look you up, see you in ‘context’ in your world environment happy to be there and looking warm and welcoming. Just like you might when meeting someone new, your clients are thinking “do I trust this person to do what they say they are going to do”.
Smile and your clients will smile back.
Consider detail.
Think about the values which mean something to you. What you hold dear. Be yourself. Don’t be someone else. This profile is the written version of you so give it colour, texture and personality, metaphorically speaking – read it and see that’s it’s you (the professional version of you) don’t be something that you’re not. Be happy with your authentic self.
Check out my profile on LinkedIn here if you need some inspiration – make sure you connect with me: I’d love to hear from you!
YOUR CLIENT
There’s always a question which I get which is ‘is it ok to let them know you’ve stalked them’ so let me answer that. You are checking out if their business aligns with yours. You are checking they are the right person. Eliminate those negative, sabotaging words. Yes, let them see you are looking, why be cagey about that? Are you embarrassed that you sell something? (see other articles on this)! It makes total sense you are looking them up before reaching out.
Reaching out.
Now, here’s the beauty of LinkedIn. Its still, for many, a separate ‘system’ to emails. You want to email a prospect, go ahead, I’m delighted that you’re using your initiative. LinkedIn might be viewed in a different context. Compartmentalise if you will. If we email we get a certain hit rate. (Our emails are good we have a high cut through). And if that message is sent Via LI its quicker. They are not reading it amongst staff issues and invoice queries.
So, how to reach out – what to say and how to ‘say’ it. Well that’s down to all manner of variables.
Some guidelines though, would be helpful:
a) What’s your purpose for reaching out? (get a meeting, provide assistance, guidance, share knowledge, provoke curiosity)?
b) Why would that person want to connect with you? There is a ‘add a message’ and I would strongly suggest you use it. Wonderfully,you have upto 160 characters for your message – which forces you to condense and sharpen your message.
Be polite, get to the point with a clear purpose. Or upgrade and cut all that out and give a full message – but make it relevant!
c) When they have accepted your wonderful introduction, you can then message them.
Again, the basics: a) have a purpose and b) get to the point.
See related articles
‘Prospecting: To email or to LinkedIn’ and ‘Why Cold Calling fails’