Striking Gold: Prospecting on LinkedIn
You can see them just up ahead, glimmering in the social media sun like gold nuggets—your potential clients. You may know who you wish to target, but how do you entice them to get to know you…without fruitless cold-calling and a potentially obnoxious hard-sell?
Social networking allows you to establish camaraderie and build a rapport, literally from scratch, without ever leaving your desk. It’s never been easier to get in front of your dream client…if you know how to leverage the power of LinkedIn.
Grab Your Prospecting Pan…We’re Going IN!
During the gold prospecting days of the 1800s, the gold pan was the tool of choice, used to sample the soil to find the richest areas. But a pan was only a pan if you didn’t know how to use it correctly. The skilled prospector had to shake the pan just so, to allow gravel to slough away, revealing any valuable gold nestled beneath.
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Fast forward to 2010. You are the prospector. LinkedIn is the gold pan… excellent for prospecting, but only if you know how to shake away the time-wasters and find the gold… people who are looking for your products and services.
How do you demonstrate your value? By optimizing your profile. Here are four ways to make your profile work for you:
- Tagline: Found right under your name on your profile page, the ‘tagline’ tells people what you do, who you are, and the value you provide.
- Web links: Link to your website, blog or articles to show, not tell, what you’re all about. Perception is reality, right? Don’t make people dig for what they want to know. Put it out there where they can easily see it.
- Summary: Tell your story! Let your potential clients know who you are, how you can solve their problems and what differentiates you from the competition.
- Recommendations: Satisfied clients will tell your story many times over, and more effectively than when it comes from you. Let others sing your praises.
Bring Home the Gold
You’ve got the right pan. You’ve shaken and sifted and sampled the soil. Now it’s time to bring home the gold! Social networks like LinkedIn are great for prospecting, establishing common ground and starting wonderful business relationships. Of course, not every pan-full will yield gold, but like the prospectors of old who hiked to the hills day after day to make that one valuable find, don’t give up. With time, patience and perseverance, fields of gold can be yours.
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Ontogeny, Inc., a full service Internet marketing firm with an emphasis on copywriting and social media. She welcomes your questions and comments about optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Look around the Green Buzz Agency Blog for her other excellent articles on Linkedin.
Feel free to send an invite to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers, Tod Plotkin, Brittney Grove, and Jennie Ryon. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
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Totally depends on the business you are in. If you are a specialists, people are not on LinkedIn looking for in. In some cases they do not even know they need help, thus classic networking, connecting or WOM is more important.
@Victoria, makes total sense. @Jim, also makes total sense. I think the ideal is an approach that encompasses both . . . . which can include guest blogging, speaking engagements, a more disciplined approach to pitching, brushing up your presentational skills, networking, as well as good old fashioned seach engine optimisation and social media marketing as Victoria mentions.
Thanks Victoria, you’re bang on the gold.
Me and LinkedIn are intimate gold hunting buddies, made millions together. The key is in the true understanding of what you do and what the person your interacting (yes interaction not talking at!) really wants or needs.
Matching the two up, even if it is introducing them to a third party via LinkedIn starts the reciprocation.
LinkedIn isnt a replacement for face to face networks, or SEO (although SEO is important within LinkedIn to as Victoria suggests) it is another channel to engage your audience and to profit from if you have things or services to sell.
If the people you need aren’t on LinkedIn I wonder if the people they know or want to know are? That way you to could add some value and start the reciprocation all over again.
Great article thanks
James
James@thelinkedinman.com
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/jamespotter1
Thanks, everybody, for great comments!
@ Jim: Hey buddy! not sure I understand your comment. Can you clarify?
@James: I’m right there with you…great to connect with someone else who can ‘prove’ LI is all we say it is.
@ Sanjit: You’re absolutely correct. Keep up the good work in all of these areas!
Victoria Ipri´s last blog ..“Are We Having Fun Yet” Social Media Planning is The Starting Point