Virtual Sales

Why is LinkedIn so important?

Here is a quick list of the top reasons why LinkedIn is the world’s #1 professional network:

• LinkedIn is the largest online professional network by far. It has more than 950 million users worldwide, which illustrates the global importance of the network. In many industries, a LinkedIn profile is now a must, especially if you want to network internationally.
• LinkedIn is technically a social media site, but it was designed specifically for professionals. That means you’re not networking with friends and family or posting what you had for dinner. You focus on your professional life, such as what new career goals you’ve achieved, what kind of work experience you have, and how you network with other professionals.
• You can use LinkedIn to find the right job or internship, make and deepen professional connections, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career.
• You can access LinkedIn from any browser or app, making it easy to check in and stay updated with information relevant to your professional life.
• A professional LinkedIn profile helps you make connections by showcasing your professional history through experience, skills, and education. For most users, the free version of LinkedIn should be sufficient, as it includes the most important basic features. 

What should your LinkedIn profile look like?

Your profile is not just a resume but a comprehensive business card, so make sure your profile picture and banner look appealing. A professional photo is vital because it is a visitor’s first impression of you!

The banner, which also serves as the background for your profile photo, helps you stand out visually. Design your profile photo and banner in the same colors. Many companies also provide ready-made background images with company logos for your employees. The banner can also include slogans or a specific call to action.

If you want to create the banner yourself, Canva has many custom designs for LinkedIn and other social networks. Adobe Express also offers easy banner design options.

If you want to get noticed in a particular industry, ensure everything on your profile points to that. LinkedIn is an excellent place for networking. Join a few groups that are relevant to you and connect with people in your industry.

Be sure to update your title and edit your About section. Both are primarily about using keywords for search results and conveying a clear, concise message about who you are. This is your elevator pitch, where you explain what industry you’re in and why it’s worth contacting you. You have 2600 characters to do this, but only a little over 300 characters are immediately readable. Therefore, your core message should be at the very beginning.

The web address where your profile can be accessed is at the top right of your profile page. You can change it by clicking on the pencil icon. Spaces, special characters, emoticons, and the word “LinkedIn” are not allowed in the URL. You can change your URL up to five times in any six-month period. However, you should only do this if you make typos, as it takes time for search engines to pick up your new URL.

The basics of communication

First, let’s take a look at new content and the different ways you can use LinkedIn: From the menu on the home page, you can start a text post, add documents, or upload photos or videos. While videos are the most effective, other types of posts can also be effective. Make sure that all shared content includes a call to action, discussion, or comment. The easiest way to do this is to ask a question.

But why is this important?
Many users assume that your posts will automatically be seen by everyone in your network. This is not necessarily the case. For example, if you have 500 followers on LinkedIn, only 50 or 100 people will initially see your post. LinkedIn will continue to expand its visibility as they actively interact with your post. In addition, as more people like, comment, or recommend your post, you will gain more visibility beyond your immediate network and reach second and third-level contacts.

In short, LinkedIn tries to pre-qualify your post based on several criteria. The first hurdle is to make sure your post is not considered spam. The following tips are mentioned in the article:

– Use good grammar 
– Do not include multiple links
– Do not tag more than 5 people
– Do not post more frequently than every 3 hours
– Do not use hashtags like “follow,” “comment,” or “like.

You can learn more about the LinkedIn algorithm by visiting   https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-algorithm-explained-how-make-work-you-courtney-johnson

For what purposes are social networking posts helpful? Here are a few ideas and examples:

First, it’s an effective way to spread the word about an event. These days, many events take place online, making it easy to attend. Connect with customers or prospects in person before and after the event.

Second, it is a platform where you can promote your products. This works exceptionally well for new products. Video is a great resource to share.
You can also build trust in your company by sharing customer testimonials. After all, we all like to learn from the experiences of others (social proof).

Finally, it’s good to share personal insights and positive professional accomplishments. This positions you as an expert and builds your reputation.

I encourage you to use Linkedin, Xing, or other media to interact with stakeholders. But be aware of the risks. Information shared on social networks can spread quickly and widely. Do not post anything false, offensive, or embarrassing. Comments about competitors, religion, and politics are also taboo. Published is published! Avoid creating a shitstorm about your company!

Let’s take a quick look at some of the best practices for posting content.

1. Stay authentic and honest!
2. If you are going to post, try to do it regularly. That doesn’t necessarily mean every day or every week, but keep your network informed continuously.
3. Start a conversation or share your point of view. Ask yourself: What reader response do I want?
4. Don’t just use text. Images and especially videos get much more attention. For images, use image galleries with no more than five images that people can click through.
5. Last but not least, support others and create an opportunity for reciprocity. Comment on your colleagues’ posts, and they will do the same.

TIP: POST REGULARLY

• It’s essential to post regularly so that people recognize your face, name, and title.
• Use # hashtags to make your comments more accessible to find.
• As you continue to post, other users will connect with you and send you messages to open up direct communication.
• Be sure to engage with these people and respond to comments or messages.
• Check Google News regularly for news in your industry, post a short comment on the news, and link to the article. (Pro tip: If you link to articles, videos, or other content outside of LinkedIn, include the link in the first comment on your post. LinkedIn is less likely to share posts that take people outside of LinkedIn.)
• Try asking a question at the end of your post to encourage others to comment.

Social Media in Virtual Sales

There are three topics we will cover:
First, researching the contact beforehand. What can you find out about your prospect that will help you get your message across concisely?

Second, consider how to make a compelling case for why a prospect should work with you.

Finally, we’ll spend some time structuring a direct approach and bringing it to life.

The Information Gathering Process

Your research will help you create a professional lead for a conversation. What information is useful? There are several clues.
Your contact’s background and experience: How long have they been in their current position? Who are his colleagues and contacts? Do we even know some of these people?
Your contact’s interests. For example, research they have been involved in. Articles and papers they have published or commented on.
Has the contact had any experience with your company? Have they been positive or negative?

In general, anything that seems important to them – problems, challenges, or potential needs they may have. If you know this, it’s a good starting point for your approach. These can also be general priorities of the department or company. These can also give us some valuable pointers for our approach.

You won’t always need all this information. The amount of time you spend researching must be in proportion to the importance of the contact to you. You may already know much of this information. The important thing to remember is that the more you know about the person you want to approach, the better.

Where can you get the information you need? There are several possible sources: the contacts’ or employers’ social media profiles. What posts have they published, tagged, or commented on?
The company website is another source. It may contain relevant information and data about current business conditions, planned investments, new products, and other news.

Define why to talk

After researching, you can use the results to formulate a compelling approach. It should be simple, authentic, engaging, and relevant. Let’s take a closer look at each of these principles.

What you say must be easy to understand. Be clear, concise, and to the point—no wordy monologues. Your goal is to make time for a meeting or a more extended conversation. Remember the KISS principle: Keep it short and sweet!

What you say must be true. Of course, no one wants to lie, but in our enthusiasm, salespeople can sometimes over-promise. Statements like: Our products will save you 15% of your operating costs, should be avoided. After all, we don’t know the specific circumstances of the contact. One way around this is to refer to your experience and knowledge of other customers. This is not a promise you cannot keep, but it has a positive effect. 

What is the best way to make a statement interesting? Link the reason you are contacting them to a need they have. This is where your research comes in. Are there any current challenges, changes or priorities with your contact or at least in their industry? Then you have an angle.

What is fascinating to one contact may not be as attractive to another. This is where relevance comes in. The buyer is interested in price, the manager is interested in ease of use, and the controller is interested in the increase in efficiency that can be achieved with your product. Tailoring your message to the specific stakeholder you are trying to reach is essential.

Formulate the speech

Now that you have decided what you want to say, you need to put it into a message on the network, an e-mail, or a phone call. What is the best way to structure this communication?
Start by briefly introducing yourself. Then, state the reason for the conversation. Stand out from the crowd, and don’t ask for an appointment the first time you contact someone. Offer relevant information and see if they are interested. This could be a white paper on one of your solutions, a case study, a video, or an article on another website. Whatever you do, be sure to invite your contact to respond.

For example: Dear Mr. Miller, I am Martin Rings from Evident. I read the article about your new pipeline weld inspection order. Congratulations! As a welding engineer, I am sure you are interested in testing welds as accurately as possible. Some of our customers have been able to cut the inspection time in half with our scanners and create automated and complete documentation of the inspection. Here is a video explaining the technical benefits. Is this relevant to you? If so, please get in touch with me for details! Best regards, Martin Rings

This statement is what makes you stand out from the crowd. It is not a copy-and-paste message sent to as many prospects as possible. Your counterpart recognizes that you have dealt with him (welding engineer) and that you have inquired about the conditions in his company (current order). You also provide relevant content (link to video) and end with a call to action.

If your contact doesn’t get back to you, follow up a few days later and suggest a time for an (online) meeting or phone call. An excellent way to do this is to offer an alternative time:

Hello Mr. Miller. Did you find the information in the video helpful? I would like to have a quick chat with you. Are you available on Monday morning or Tuesday at noon? Thank you and best regards, Martin Rings

Do you have to make the same effort if you already know the contact person? Probably not. However, the principles are still helpful:
Your contact’s situation may have changed. Check their profile and website at least briefly beforehand. Of course, structure your message and have a meaningful reason for the conversation!

Online Meeting

Elements of a Good Meeting Invitation

Once a contact has agreed to a meeting, it’s time to put it on the calendar. By sending a meeting invitation, you have the opportunity to build trust in advance. Refer to your conversation and include additional information. Be sure to include a brief agenda in the invitation and confirm the time frame. Set a clear goal for your meeting! Then, it won’t be challenging to create a reasonable structure.

Preparation

Before the meeting, ensure you have all the materials you need, such as presentations, brochures, or videos, in a central location. Test your camera and headset. Ensure good lighting and a balanced, neutral background. Close all unnecessary programs before you start. It looks unprofessional if your personal e-mail pops up when you share your screen.

Start the meeting a few minutes before the scheduled time. It would be best if you had some free time in your calendar after the scheduled end of the meeting. That way, you won’t feel stressed if the meeting goes longer than planned. Your counterpart will notice and, at the very least, find it rude if you get antsy or end the meeting abruptly.

Conduct of the meeting

At the beginning, it is polite to thank everyone for their time. Briefly reiterate the purpose of the meeting and present the agenda. If you have been prepared, you will have discussed all of this with the participants in advance. However, something may have changed in the last few days, so it is worth clarifying this at the beginning.

Sometimes, participants prefer not to use video. Of course, you cannot force anyone to turn on the video. Explain to participants that this will help create a more personal and interactive atmosphere. You may need to introduce yourself initially if not all participants know each other. Try to keep this relatively brief.

Keep an eye on the schedule to ensure everything goes according to plan. The agenda is essential. It is your control mechanism for the meeting.

Monitoring participants’ reactions and engagement online is more complex than in person. Pay special attention to this. Watch and respond to the chat. If you notice that some people are silent, try to engage them by asking questions.

Make sure you have enough time at the end of the session to wrap up and get final feedback from your chat partners. Ultimately, it is crucial to agree on next steps, including a timeline. After the meeting, send a short e-mail to all participants. Thank them and include both the summary and the next steps. This creates a high level of commitment.