How To Use LinkedIn To Get New Clients

While everyone is engaged in posting pictures of their pets and making up with friends over on Facebook, serious-minded business professionals are adapting to LinkedIn as a way of staying connected with business associates. They are also exploring the benefits of employing LinkedIn to extend their own customer/client base. There was a time when committed salesmen would have to “work the phones” to make new leads.

Today’s internet savvy sales force understands how to work the social media networks. Here we will list a few tips to assist you to use LinkedIn to get new clients.

Tips to assist you to use LinkedIn to get new clients

#1. Share the News

The worst thing that a dormant new client or even a long time business associate should ask is, “What have you been up to lately?” If that happens then it’s crystal clear you’re not using LinkedIn to its absolute extent. Whenever your business has a new product or ventures you should post the pieces of information on LinkedIn.

You can additionally send industry news that is related to your network or contacts. You can boost that announcement by adding a follow up direct message to your contacts requesting for the time to catch up through a call or email.

#2.  Make the Connections

After you’ve discovered your social circle of professional contacts on LinkedIn, next it’s time to go investigating. Spend some time every day analyzing who your contacts are correlated to. Possibly someone you once worked with is friends with a CEO you’d like to get in front of.

Provided with this information you can ask for an introduction or manage that connection as your “conversation starter” with the new contact. Either way, you’re growing your reach which is what LinkedIn is all about.

#3. Track Down Former Co-Workers

Over on Facebook, mostly everyone is digging up old colleagues from as far back as kindergarten. You should be doing the equivalent thing on LinkedIn but keep it concentrated on business. Take a trip down memory lane and go looking for past business associates or fellow college grads. Where are they operating today? Would that be a relevant connection to make?

#4. Ask for Introductions

Making a connection is simple but what if you want to obtain an introduction to a company where you have no network? You’re making an old fashioned “cold call” reaching out to that company. Your network is the most reliable bet to be introduced to someone within a company.

Find out who knows who and ask for an introduction. The most useful thing about LinkedIn is that it enables you to see who is related to whom. This doesn’t mean you make direct contact and then go for the hard sale. Let that relationship build. (Check out hint #1!)

#5. Join the Groups

Every member of the LinkedIn community has the chance to join groups built around common interests. Here is where the community comes to life through continuous discussions. Those groups could all include potential clients. Get involved but keep it professional.

The most trustworthy way to connect with strangers is to build your own LinkedIn group. Turn the group around a particular industry/category and invite your peers to connect and share.