Sales 2.0 Conference Insights on LinkedIn for Sales

How traditional selling is being transformed into “social selling,” and how LinkedIn has become a key social selling tool was a widely discussed topic at the Sales 2.0 Conference in San Francisco.

Let’s face it. Nearly all of today’s business professionals and/or their respective employers occupy some sort of social media presence. 

While there are many great social networking tools (including the usual suspects of Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter), LinkedIn is the premiere social networking tool for sales professionals. And why not? There are currently 150 million members on LinkedIn and counting, to the tune of two members added per second.

Leveraging LinkedIn for Prospecting

Mike Derezin, LinkedIn’s Global Head of Sales/Sales Solutions, shared some intriguing comments and statistics at the Conference relating to prospecting:

• Only 4.5% of sales reps ultimately engage in a live conversation with a key decision maker.
• There is an 87% higher likelihood of a response from an InMail with a second degree connection (assuming you mention that second degree connection) than an InMail without a second degree connection. Note: Don’t ignore your first degree network. After all, they are the ones most likely to introduce you.
• LinkedIn generates the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate: 277% higher than other social media channels.
• LinkedIn’s exciting product, SalesNavigator, which includes:
• LeadBuilder, which helps sales professionals prospect and map a path to key decision makers
• InMail (see above)
• TeamLink, which enables companies to leverage their entire sales organization’s connections

Improve Your Social Presence

In addition to prospecting, Derezin explained how to improve your social presence during the sales process. This requires sales professionals to engage in more online conversations. Sixty percent of decision makers use some form of social media on a daily basis, so engage them. Per above, providing a strong presence on LinkedIn is a great place to begin prospecting and strengthening relationships, whether sharing Insights and/or joining various LinkedIn Groups.

Derezin further added that leaders in social selling should do the following:

1. Create strong LinkedIn profiles
2. Continually share insights or best practices
3. Aggressively build their network
4. Leverage other tools (E.g., join Groups, etc.)

And those who don’t might watch the competition pass them by.