Tips From LinkedIn Experts

Hello Community members, As we continue to navigate the evolving world of work into remote collaboration and virtual selling, knowing how to connect with your customers and peers without the face-to-face interaction is more critical than ever. Last week, @Nadia Vieira​ shared a timely and relevant post on “Top Tips to Give a Great Product Demo.” Today, I will be diving into another similar topic: How to Create Compelling Slides. 1.    Know your audienceFirst and foremost, you need to know who you will be presenting to in order to build a sound and fitting slide deck. Just like writing InMail messages or sending emails, the information you want to deliver and how you deliver it depends on your audience. 2.    Focus on the message and the bigger pictureBefore you start building your slides, know what ideas and information you want to share so that you can structure and design the deck accordingly. Don’t get caught up with the smaller details like number of slides, transitions, etc. at th

Hi Community members, About a month ago, we shared the 29 LinkedIn Learning courses for sales professionals during challenging times — and guess what? There’s more! Today we are sharing four courses from sales experts that will help you understand how to ask great questions, identify sales growth opportunities, make the most out of Sales Navigator, and effectively manage your sales pipeline. These courses are free until the end of the month, so be sure to check them out and add them to your learning/watch list! Asking Great Sales Questions by Jeff Bloomfield — As we continue doing business in the Buyer First era, it’s imperative to shift your mindset from “selling” to “serving by solving.” Storytelling and effective communication are key to understanding your buyers’ needs and goals so that you are in the best position to solve their problems. Jeff’s course will help you gain insight into your customer’s business problems and objectives and use them to guide your sales questions. Learn

Hi Community members, We’re all familiar with InMail messages and use them daily to connect with a prospect, follow up after a meeting, or perhaps invite them to an event. No doubt many of us have been on the receiving side as well. However, do you know additional features such as creating Smart Links directly in a message or forwarding an InMail? If not, you’ve come to the right place as I’ll be going over some specific features in InMail messages you might have missed: Search your Sales Navigator Inbox — For sales professionals in a hunter type role where you’re reaching out to multiple new prospects in a day, your inbox may become crowded fast. Fortunately, you can type in the “Search messages” bar on the left, both names and keywords, to find a specific message quickly. Take a look at this Help article for more information.Create a Smart Link from within your message window directly — This is one of the two ways you can create a new Smart Link in Sales Navigator. Once created, the

Hi Community members, Earlier this month, I wrote about the best practices for providing a great virtual experience for the webinars you are hosting. In the current climate, live webinars are the main, and often the only, medium for hosting large-scale events right now, from tech conferences to industry summits and more. So today, I will be talking about how you can leverage Sales Navigator and the LinkedIn ecosystem to drive registrations and increase attendance to your virtual events. Read on to find out how you can fill as many (virtual) seats as possible at the events you and your team worked so hard on! Before the EventYour main goal before the actual event is to maximize the number of registrations so that it results in the highest attendance rate possible. This is also true for an in-person event. To achieve a high registration and attendance rate, make sure you are generating and building awareness among your targeted audience. Here are a few simple ideas to amplify the event:W

Hi Community members,  By now, I’m sure the vast majority of us have heard of the term multi-threading and have even adopted this practice when it comes to staying on top of important deals. However, why don’t we refresh our memories and make sure we know everything there is to know about this important sales strategy and share our very own best practices? First, as recap, multi-threading is the practice of staying connected with multiple key decision-makers on the purchasing side. And, why is this important? Well, there are certain reasons, but the main one relates to potential lost of contact with influencers in the purchasing organization during an important deal. We all know that employees move around within organisations, or that their responsibilities inside the company might change, so the person who was involved in the initial buying decision might not be the one who will be involved in the operational aspects of closing the deal and implementing it later on. This is why it’s c

Hi Community members,  Hope you’re having a great week and getting ready for the holiday season that is approaching.  Today, I’d like to discuss with you something I hear frequently from our Community members, especially the ones who are brand-new to Sales Navigator. When we start using Sales Navigator it’s important to understand the differences between leveraging Linkedin.com and this platform. Of course, these two are connected and feed each other, but the way you would take advantage of them can and should be different.  This said, let’s look at the differences between these two: LinkedInSearch: basic filters onlyResults: depend on your network (1st and 2nd degree connections + limited pool of 3rd degree connections)Updates/Alerts: only about your LinkedIn connections activityFeed: updates from prospects/customers mixed with your network, not filteringMessages: connections only  Sales NavigatorSearch: robust search engine with advanced filters Results: no restrictions, you’ll see e

Hi Community members, One thing that’s true about sales is that it is always evolving – the industry, the technology, and the needs of the buyer. Thus, it is important for sales reps to be at the top of their game and stay ahead of the trend. We’ve found that professionals have been learning at record rates since Covid-19 hit earlier this year and have added more than 140 million skills to their LinkedIn profiles. Here are the five fastest growing skills for sales professionals:Data AnalysisTechnical SupportCustomer Relationship Management (CRM)Sales ProcessConsulting Are you also interested in adding these skills to your toolkit? The good news is that there are courses on LinkedIn Learning designed to help you sharpen those skills. Take a look at this blog post for more information and to access them! Thank you & happy learning,Eva C. P.S. For those in the U.S. who celebrate it, have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Hi Community members,  Oftentimes in a sales cycle, nothing gives sellers more headache than an objection. However, many may argue that an objection is actually a blessing in disguise — after all, would you rather have no response at all and be left in the dark without any explanation? Furthermore, more often than not, a “no” simply means “not yet” in sales, especially after you ask follow-up questions and understand the underlying reasons why the buyers said “no.” For many of you, facing objections probably isn’t new territory for you, but today we will break down how you can handle objections in five simple steps and how you can continue the deal even after hearing “no.” Change your perspective and attitude – Stay positive and don’t be afraid of objections. In fact, challenge yourself to welcome objections and see them as opportunities to learn more about your buyer so you can be even more prepared in the future. If anything, future prospect as well.Understand the why behind the obje

Happy October, everyone! Even as we approach the final quarter and months of the year, with restricted travel still in place, many of us are still having customer meetings and attending conferences virtually. A couple of months ago, @Nadia Vieira​ and I shared tips on creating compelling slides. Today, I will be sharing best practices on yet another parallel topic: How to Turn Webinars into a Valuable Virtual Event Experience. Whether live or on-demand, webinars have long been here even before the current times of Work From Home / Remote Work. And while you may be presenting your demo and sharing a presentation in a webinar, webinars encompass many other areas important in the customer journey as well. For example, our own Education and Customer Experience teams have on-demand training webinars (i.e. CRM Integration for Admins & Program Managers and live office hours for Sales Professionals. As you can see, webinars go beyond more than just a customer meeting or a product demo. Let

Hi everyone, As the world continues to operate in a virtual, remote setting, the popularity and breadth of online learning also trend upward. While most of us have been working from home in the last 6+ months, the good news is that we also have more time on our hands. That is why, today, I am sharing LinkedIn Learning’s 10 Most Popular Courses Among Sales Professionals! They range from personal branding to time management, from marketing foundations to mastering Excel, all of which are great toolkits to add to the most important asset you can bring to the table— yourself. Additionally, here are 10 more technical courses on selling among the plethora that are offered on LinkedIn Learning:Creating Your Sales ProcessManaging Your Sales TerritoryKey Account ManagementAnalyzing Sales CompetitorsSelling to ExecutivesSales: Handling ObjectivesThe Persuasion Code: The Neuroscience of SalesFollowing Up after a Sales MeetingSales ForecastingCross-functional Sales Teams Bonus: Here’s an additiona

Hello Modern Sellers, If you're looking for unique and engaging InMail templates that will guarantee a reply, then you came to the right place! Today, I'm sharing an incredible pocket guide that includes different InMails templates that you can leverage. Here are 3 of them: 1.The “common ground” email Research the prospect online. Look for mutual interests, hobbies, or acquaintances. You could discover common ground and a reason to reach out. Approach with caution. You want to come across as having done your homework, not creepy. Subject: [Prospect Name], Jessie recommended I reach outMessage:Hi [Prospect Name],Our mutual connection, [connection name], and I were talking recently about [hot topic]. She said you were an expert on this issue.I’m writing an article about [hot topic] because it’s relevant, timely, yet confusing to many of my customers.Can I include your perspective, [Prospect Name]?Regards,[Your Name] 2. The “problem solver” email Prospects are looking for guidance and adv

Hi Community members, In one of my previous posts, I talked about the rise of video marketing as well as other forms of thought leadership. As we are all aware, as current times continue to trend towards remote and virtual, video has become more popular than ever. Here are more stats around video consumption and marketing: In 2019, the average person viewed online video for 84 minutes per day, or about half the time we spend with conventional television. By 2021, it’s estimated that this figure will increase to 100 minutes per day. [source: Marketing Charts]88% of marketers using video reported a positive ROI from it. That marks a 5% increase from 2019 and a whopping 55% increase since 2015. [source: wyzowl]99% of video marketers will continue to use video in 2020. 95% plan to increase or maintain spend. Of those who don’t currently use video, 59% intend to start in 2020. [source: wyzowl]86% of people want to see more videos from brands in 2020. [source: wyzowl] Now that you’ve seen th

Hi Community members, We are always selling, whether we realize it or not. Even beyond the business landscape and monetary transactions, we are often selling. Selling what, you might ask? You have probably heard of the saying "People buy from people" or "People buy because of the why" – they are both true, and yes, you are always selling yourself even if you don’t realize it. When customers make purchases, they are not only buying your product or service, but they are also subscribing to your knowledge, personality, and charisma and building upon the connection and rapport you had with one another. In today’s post, I will share the most common qualities I’ve seen from salespeople and in the many articles and lists I’ve read. However, by no means are these written in stone and hold the same value for everyone. They may be prioritized differently across different industries and in other regions. As a matter of fact, I would like to turn this into a discussion and invite members to share

Hi Community members, In one of my posts last week, I listed “understanding your customers” as one of the top qualities of a salesperson. This goes without saying to all of us, of course, and is a golden rule we all live by, but let’s dive into the details and how important that is today. Mapping out the Customer JourneyIt is not enough to simply know your customer — your CRM can easily do that, capturing the customer’s history of purchases, service requests, product returns, inquiries, and more. Nowadays, it is crucial to understand the customer through customer experience, or the “customer journey,” as many calls it. The customer experience starts before the point of sale, continues through it, and proceeds after the purchase as well. The actions you take at these touch points all contribute to understanding your customers, which is part of the positive feedback loop with closing sales and delivering customer value. (Source: SOEG Jobs) Benefits of a Positive Customer ExperienceNeedle

Hi Community members, In one of my first posts, I wrote extensively about the different types of thought leadership and why sellers should also be thought leaders. If you need a refresher on why you and your organization should have a Thought Leadership strategy, check out this presentation. To expand upon that, in today’s post, let’s explore the various forms of media that can be used for Thought Leadership content. According to a survey conducted by Wyzowl in 2019, here is a breakdown of how 613 unique consumers wanted to learn about a new product in a B2B setting:  (Source: Finances Online) As you can see, more than two-thirds of those surveyed prefer learning about a new product through video. The survey also noted that 94% of video marketers say that video has helped increase user understanding of their product/service. Furthermore, 51% of video marketers have used LinkedIn video as a medium and 84% of them have found it successful.  What Makes Videos so Popular Today?You’ve heard

Hi Community members, In addition to saving searches (which I covered in the 4 Efficient Ways to Search post earlier this week), you can also create and build your own Custom Lists – of both Leads and Accounts – to keep your prospecting organized and up to date. What Custom Lists Can Do for YouCustom Lists allow you to streamline your workflow and keep track of leads and accounts that matter most to you. They are also a great collaboration tool with the rest of your sales team: not only can you share Custom Lists, but you (and anyone you share them with) can also add notes to the accounts and leads within the list. Check out the tips sheet here for more details on each of the following features that Custom Lists allow you do:Segment your pipeline based on what’s relevant to you Share your Lists with your team to collaborate more effectively Take notes and collaborate on a lead or account directly Prioritize your Lists with Sales Navigator Spotlights Receive Alerts from your ListsAfter

Hi Community members, Today I want to start a conversation about following up after any sales meeting. Why? Because recently I came across with the following statement: ''according to a study published by Harvard Business Review, 71% of leads are never followed up on.'' The question is: why aren't sales reps following up and ensuring that those leads will actually convert into customers? Knowing how to effectively stay in touch with your prospects could mean the difference between winning or losing a deal. Here are a couple of steps any sales rep could pursue in order to do a successful follow up: 1.Stay in the KnowIn order to stay up-to-date on what’s happening within a target account, follow the main decision makers and their company’s LinkedIn Page. Combined with real-time updates from Sales Navigator, your sales reps will gain a better idea of how to steer follow-up conversations. 2.Gain Insights Through InteractionsIt’s likely that during sales meetings, reps don’t interact with e

Hi Community members, Hope your week is going well! I'm delighted to share that, as of today, we'll be sharing a Community Weekly Tip! Every Thursday we'll post a quick and top tip that can help you and your sales reps to establish a successful Virtual Selling strategy.  Today I want to share a quote that I've come across recently from Ian Moyse, EMEA Sales Director for Natterbox. When asked how can we get traditional sellers, who may not be as familiar with Virtual Selling, to get more comfortable with this strategy, Ian suggested following a simple, yet, in my view, efficient approach: ''Do what you should do in sales, ‘Listen.’ Social selling is a methodology that does not require you to be a social media expert, but to apply some common sense and selling skills to using a new toolset. Research the people you are engaging with, look them up on Linkedin, Twitter; who do they know that you also know? Who do they follow and engage with online? Whose content do t

Hi all, Happy Monday! Hope you're ready for another great week. Today I want to share with you some sales perfomance metrics that can help measure the success of your Modern Selling strategy. Curious to find more about this? Then, keep reading. 😊  First, I really believe that by adopting these sales performance metrics and then tracking them, you’re building deal-landing habits that will serve you throughout the Modern Selling era. Second, by tracking sales performance metrics and gaining a better understanding of which activities are most strongly linked to success (which can vary by company and by rep), sales reps are more motivated to infuse their days with ROI-generating activities, even when they don’t see immediate results. Sales Performance Metrics for the Modern Digital Seller 2nd Degree Connections on LinkedInWhen building your network, make it a point to connect with people who themselves are connected. Think about connecting with industry consultants, channel par

3 Advanced Sales Navigator Tactics That Drive Better Results We have just released an exclusive pocket guide that shares the top 3 Advanced Sales Navigator Tactics that drive better results. We all know that Sales Navigator is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that makes sales reps’ job easier, by helping them to use their time wisely and engaging with the right prospects.  Nevertheless, there are several strategies for you to leverage Sales Navigator to drive better results. Here are the 3 actions that every Sales Navigator user should keep in mind: Build a strong professional presence with your profileDid you know that profile viewing is the #1 activity on LinkedIn? Yes, it’s true! You won’t have a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure you have an update photo, description and some media. For example, why don’t you share a Customer Success video or a compelling video showcasing your company’s products? Believe me, start with this and see how this will have a huge impac