The most common mistakes made by salespeople on LinkedIn (and how to avoid them)
- José Maria Vich
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
“Why isn't it working for me?” We hear this a lot in training sessions, especially from people who are new to social media. Learning to use a new way of approaching our CUSTOMERS takes time, and it's necessary to practice and correct bad habits. Like their teams, sales leaders should lead by example and adopt routines that their teams can follow.
Below we list some of the most common mistakes sales leaders make on LinkedIn, as well as some ideas for turning them around. If you are able to change your habits a little (while continuing to do what you already do well), you will see a big improvement in your results and connections, generating long-term sales opportunities. Share this list with your reports and colleagues; they will thank you for it.
1.- Forgetting to post regularly and posting irrelevant information; or simply limiting yourself to reposting what others publish.
Koka Sexton and Jamie Shanks, global leaders in the concept of Social Selling, say that the best way to promote your company and show your value is to share content every day. “Visibility creates sales opportunities.” There is no doubt about this. We should ALL make a habit of sharing every day. Sharing is living, as the anonymous saying goes.
2.- Stop networking.
Your network is your greatest asset. It's about building the audience you need to sell. It's also a matter of volume, and your first target should be to have 500 contacts in your network. You have to build your network (your audience) little by little but relentlessly, focusing on both quality and quantity.
As @andrea Ornelas (VP of Sales at Marsh Mexico) says, if you manage to build large networks, which in turn have lots of contacts, and do so at the highest level, you will make connections that matter, that really help you achieve your goals.
3.- Don't use LinkedIn for a while
Only 13% of LinkedIn users log in to the software every day (Pew Research). One in four visit LinkedIn every week. Logging into LinkedIn every day for a few minutes will give you a competitive advantage over other salespeople. A small comment (with substance) or a conversation in a group will increase the visibility of your LinkedIn profile and you will begin to position yourself as an expert to turn to when they need answers.
If you're not there, there are sure to be other salespeople who will be.
Only 1% of all LinkedIn users post daily, and it is these users, and no others, who get the opportunities. If your CUSTOMER is online, what makes you think that not being there will bring you opportunities?
4.- Don't ask for recommendations or endorsements.
If you don't ask for them, you won't receive them. Although LinkedIn has made it easier to get endorsements, recommendations take longer to obtain. Ask your former bosses, coworkers, university, people who know you well, and don't be shy about asking.
Seek recommendations from your CLIENTS (the best ones); all of this will help you become an authority in your area of influence. Rom Bronfman, a senior product manager at LinkedIn, says that these recommendations help you motivate your prospects: “The best recommendations tell a story; it's not about using clichés that we all know.”
Of course, if you want to be recommended, recommend others first.
5.- Send generic connection requests.
There's nothing worse than sending the default LinkedIn message, “I'd like to add you to my LinkedIn network.” If these are people you're really interested in, take the time to do a little research on them, find common ground, and talk about your previous relationship (if you have one). It won't take more than a few seconds of your time, but it's really worth it. You'll see that it makes a difference.
Koka Sexton includes a sentence in her professional summary that says: “If you want to connect with me, please customize your message. I rarely accept generic connections.” Others won't tell you, but that's how most of the network operates.
Learn from your mistakes, because each one is a learning experience, but don't love them so much that you let them go. Don't stop learning. You have to be in a continuous state of learning in this world of social selling where everything moves so fast. The biggest mistake you can make is to stay in your comfort zone.
There is a #different #way of doing #things. Follow us on Bogota Business Leadership and on our website "www.apasiona-t.co
It is good manners to be grateful, and I personally will be eternally grateful to people like Jorge Zuazola, who taught me the magic of #socialnetworks, and of course to the best salesperson I have ever known, Ronald C. Stern.
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