Attention to details make a difference when selling on LinkedIn, expert says

LinkedIn is a terrific way to make connections and generate leads—but only if you're doing it right.

Richard van der Blon, a LinkedIn savant, brought his "5-Step Social Selling Blueprint" to NAILBA 43 on Tuesday. The key is to take advantage of the platform by using all of the options and character limits to establish your brand and content strategy, he said.

Then cultivate connections through a few proven strategies. Often, just applying common sense is the best approach.

SEO is one of the most important aspects of a LinkedIn profile, van der Blon said. Google needs to identify you as an expert in your field, he explained. Otherwise, you end up on page eight of a search and nobody scrolls to page eight.

"In order to be on page one, become visible people, you need to influence the algorithm," he said. "So what does that mean? It means don't worry about having too much text or too many words on your intro profile. Frankly, nobody's going to read it. The search engines will."

People typically screen, scroll and decide whether to connect in as little as 20 seconds, van der Blon said. That means capturing them quickly with a crisp, insightful presentation.

"If you want to brand yourself as a thought leader, make sure you have your own unique elements," he said.

The five steps

Launched in 2003 by Reid Hoffman and Eric Ly, LinkedIn has become the go-to social network for business and employment. The site employs 18,500 people and posted revenues of more than $15 billion in 2023.

The site thrives on "connections" and van der Blon has a maximum 30,000 connections. But followers are unlimited and also important, he said. While LinkedIn can be impersonal, van der Blon encourages users to share a little about themselves. He publishes in email and phone number, but recognizes that some users are uncomfortable doing that.

"Let me be very clear. I don't believe in all the privacy anymore," van der Blon said. "I'm well aware that there might be issues. So I have my phone number and my email address there. It's also on several websites. But if you don't want people to directly call you or send you WhatsApp, this might not be a good idea."

His five steps for getting the most out of the LinkedIn experience are:

1. Identify your target audience. The first step might be obvious but it's important to know who you are trying to reach because it will determine the foundation for all that you include on your profile.

2. Actively engage with relevant content and people. Comments and reports signals that your audience is legit, van der Blon said. Likes are not as valuable, he added. Try to engage at least two or three times, van der Blon said. Asking a question is a good prompt for engagement.

"If you want to have more reach for your content, you need to aim for comments," he said.

3. Initiate thoughtful outreach when the time is right. van der Blon emphasizes the importance of building relationships through genuine engagement before directly pitching to potential clients.

Engagement opens the door to a new connection. If you ask a question and get a response, the door is open and 90% of those people respond to a connection request, van der Blon explained.

4. Build trust through valuable insights. Just because someone accepts a connection request does not mean they are open to buying, van der Blon noted. The next step is to establish yourself as an expert and, even better, someone who can be an asset. The best way to do this is via sharing some valuable insights or information.

5. Optimize your online presence. If a new connection makes it to this point, the final stage should be easy for established sales professionals. It's all about conversion, van der Blon said.

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