Relationship Building on LinkedIn
Build relationships on LinkedIn
When you are using the LinkedIn platform, Pam Case who is this week’s guest, explains that your focus should be all about relationship building.
Your Brand Advocate
Pam Case helps bring in leads for companies. Which means, she is filling the sales pipeline. Not through selling though.
Her clients say “Pam just understands the business. She doesn’t sell.”
She is selling without selling. People buy people. Or do they? Pam says people buy people they like.
Online and Offline Relationships
Online – how do you start the conversation? Select people on LinkedIn – your target market and SYNERGY people. These are the people that can introduce you to a sector they know, but aren’t competitive with you.
We recommend you listen to the LinkedIn episode we did with Ian Denny. #114 Ian Denny – How to Write a LinkedIn Post That Gets You Noticed
If you create interesting posts and someone leaves you a comment, be sure to go back and comment on theirs. In real life, you would answer, not just turn away. When someone connects, ask about them, their business and how you can help them. If you see something that is interesting to them, send it to them.
Are you a relentless LinkedIn spammer?
Are you sending an endless set of adverts on LinkedIn? Or sending direct sales messages through the messaging system?
You might be one of those LinkedIn users who concentrates on writing great posts to get noticed. Whilst that is important, Pam reminds us that there are so many functions on the platform that people are just not using.
For example:
You target the same market as others. There is a synergy. If you take the initiative and introduce the other party targeting that sector, then it is a quick, efficient (not requiring a phone call) method of introducing someone, who can help you similarly.
Don’t have enough time to do this?
What’s interesting about this, is many people will spend a couple of hours each week in networking forums. Plus more time trying to set up leads for their network. You have to have time. LinkedIn is a larger pond.
Pam recommends that building relationships with people outweighs a strategy of writing good posts. Ask people to engage you.
It is important to meet people face to face. So, physical networking can work alongside online networking.
How to set up a meeting using online platforms
The most effective posts are the ones where you DON’T talk about your own business.
Pam wrote a post about her not tanning. 18,000 views later, she received 2 quotation requests.
Are you looking for help?
Pam comes into the business and teach. Or you can organise several businesses together. Pam can organise an event in your area. In 3.5 hours, she packs a lot in.
Linkedin is a NETWORKING tool. An advertising tool, a database and a search tool.
Pam also does a Peter Kay impersonation.
The point is – YOU HAVE TO GO ON ONE OF HER COURSES!
Ok, the more you perceive a brand to be big, the more we perceive it to be quality. Peter Kay, talks about not having quality brands. However, the quality is not a whole lot different from quality brands. If you can be seen more often, it provides a purpose to social media presence. It’s the difference between marketing and sales.
Be sure to back up your claims.
People buy people? Right? Not if they don’t know you are there.
Location Targeting
Pam says you want to post and tag people in a comment underneath your post. Start a group and gather them. Ask others to invite others.
The Next 100 Days
What can we all do?
Don’t send lots of connection requests. Make sure you find the right people, using filters. When you connect, PERSONALISE your introduction.
Can you personalise on a phone? Yes.
Sales Navigator is good, but do you really need it? At the moment.
Sales Navigator – allows you to track your connections. You can create a filter and stay in touch with the connections you want to create a relationships. A bespoke timeline.
What about Premium? At some point perhaps, but right now, have you optimised your free membership?
Will you use the platform more? After training, 50% will not take advantage of the platform’s benefits.
Are you a Hippie? As Pam says,
“You can lead a Hippie to water, but you can’t make it wash!”
Don’t be a Hippie.
Don’t be a Lurker, be active in the Next 100 Days
- Make sure your profile sells what you do.
- demonstrate you understand their pain
- good photograph
- post authentically, not just sales
- Think about target market, synergistically how you can help them.
- engage on the target group’s posts
Timeline Tip
If someone keeps getting in your timeline and you’d prefer to see less of them. Click the ellipsis and unfollow them.
You are still connected. But you are just not seeing their posts. You might want their connections.
TYPICAL PROBLEM – No profile picture. Not a logo. This is a relationship with YOU. You wouldn’t talk behind a banner and talking to people from behind the banner.
- HELP OTHERS
- SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS WELL
- BE RELATABLE
Can you be provocative?
Stay away from religion, sex and politics. Same applies on the platform. But, remember your FIRST LINE. It must draw people.
I.e. Pam’s opening “How soon after you’ve left a company can you publicly speak about them, I’m going to do that now.”
It turned out to be a very positive programme. 36,000 viewed the post.
LinkedIn seems to like when people click show more. Finish with a question!
Connect with Pam Case
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamcasecommunications/
Website: https://yourbrandadvocate.com
