Let me set the scene…
You’re a decision-maker just going about your normal busy working day. Suddenly a connection request notification pops up on LinkedIn.
“Ooh, a new connection, that’s exciting,” you say
You have a quick look, it’s not someone you recognize but you’re keen to grow your network so you click ACCEPT.
Moments later, a new message notification pops up
“Ooh, a new message, that’s exciting,” you say
You click the messaging button on LinkedIn excited to see who has messaged you
Then BOOM, there it is, like a wet fish slapping you in the face…
A big fat juicy unexpected SALES PITCH
This is happening ALL OF THE TIME on LinkedIn and it really needs to stop.
Let me tell you something VERY important
THIS APPROACH RARELY (if ever) WORKS
I saw an amazing post shared by a company Founder yesterday which sums it up perfectly:
(Original post by Finn Thormeirer)
I’m genuinely struggling to understand the logic behind this messaging strategy!♂️♂️♂️
My inbox gets messages like this all of the time.
When I speak to decision-makers, VP’s, C-Level execs, they all share the same frustration. Terribly written LinkedIn messages and InMails sent on a daily basis either straight after accepting a connection request or within the first 24-48 hours.
Now let me make something clear here, LinkedIn messaging and InMails are a very effective communication tool for salespeople that can offer amazing response rates and can open up amazing sales opportunities WHEN USED CORRECTLY.
Telling your sales team to use approaches like this, or letting your team use approaches like this is causing a lot more harm than good
It’s not about “SPRAY AND PRAY“
It’s not about “THROW AS MUCH AT THE WALL TO SEE WHAT STICKS“
It’s not about “SEND 100’S OF MESSAGES EVERY DAY AS A KPI“
It’s about having REAL conversations with REAL prospects that you have qualified and believe that you can genuinely help with your product or service
Here are my TOP TIPS for getting LinkedIn messaging and InMails right…
1) QUALIFY FIRST! I cannot stress this enough if you want to increase your reply rates to LinkedIn messages and InMails, qualify your prospects first. Spend a minute reading their profile, looking at their company and make sure you’re confident that they fit your ICP (ideal customer profile)
2) KEEP IT SHORT & SWEET. LinkedIn messages and InMails are NOT emails! Yet so many messages come through that are clearly copied and pasted from email templates. Messaging on LinkedIn is similar to text, a Whatsapp message, or Facebook message. Try to keep them short and sweet, no more than 75-100 words max.
3) FOCUS ON THEM. Most LinkedIn sales messages and InMails are focused on the salesperson and not the customer, you need to switch that right. It’s not about your product, it’s about THEIR problem. It’s not about your features and benefits, it’s about what THEY could achieve with your product or service.
4) HYPER-PERSONALIZE THEM. It’s not enough to just make sure you include their name in the message, you need to do more. You need to find real relevant information about them that you can include that will support your belief that you can help them.
5) USE THE RIGHT BAIT. If you want them to reply to you and to have a chance of creating a sales opportunity, you need to make sure you use the right bait. This means finding the right way to incentivize their reply. The “what’s in it for them” needs to be strong and specific to them, their role, and their company.
Remember…
DO NOT send spammy LinkedIn messages or InMails
DO NOT send a sales pitch straight after connecting
DO NOT copy and paste the same message over and over
- Qualify your prospects first
- Keep the messages nice and short
- Focus the message on them
- Hyper-personalize it with relevant information
- Use the right bait for each prospect
I hope you enjoyed this blog!
Have you received sales pitch messages like these before? Let me know in the comments! Any funny examples or stories are very much welcome 🙂
If you did enjoy it please do click LIKE and click SHARE to share it with your network, thank you.
Would you like to learn how to get MORE from LinkedIn? More Leads, More Sales & More Revenue?
On Tuesday 6th October I am running the first-ever LIVE online LinkedIn Masterclass!!
This 2-hour webinar will cover everything you need to know to start generating more from LinkedIn from as little as just 15-minutes per day.
For more details and to secure your place, head to the event page right here.
If you’re interested in generating better results from LinkedIn messaging please also take a few minutes to check out my book, “The Million-Pound LinkedIn Message” which is available on Amazon on paperback and Kindle.
The book shares the story of how one well-written LinkedIn message opened the door to what became a sale worth over £1,000,000. The book also includes 25 tried, tested, and proven LinkedIn messages and InMail sales templates to help you and your sales team send better messages and achieve far better results.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this blog! If you enjoyed this post please click LIKE and click SHARE to share it with your network. If you enjoyed it please do take time to read some of my other recent posts:
Just Pick Up The Phone and Call!
The Modern-Day Sales Prospecting Stack
The 10 Things That Will NEVER Change In Sales
About the author:
Daniel Disney is one of the world’s leading Sales, Social Selling, and LinkedIn experts and is the author of the #1 Amazon Best Selling book, “The Million-Pound LinkedIn Message“.
Daniel is currently delivering LIVE LinkedIn Social Selling virtual training sessions for businesses and salespeople around the world. For more information please email contact@thedailysales.net
