Do you use LinkedIn to prospect for new business opportunities?

Recently I showed a client relatively new to using LinkedIn some ways she could use it to prospect for more clients. She was thrilled, having never considered doing prospecting on LinkedIn before.

When we were done, she told me she thinks that strategic and focused prospecting on LinkedIn will be a good use of her time. In fact, she decided to spend less time at networking events and groups and more time on LinkedIn.

She raises an interesting point. Unless you find just the right fit in terms of networking groups or events, this approach may not generate that much new business. And there’s a lot of time, travel, and sometimes money involved.

On the other hand, with LinkedIn there is no travel involved and no money spent, unless you opt for a premium account.

Certainly, there’s a time commitment involved in prospecting on LinkedIn. Yet you can spend this time whenever your schedule permits and when you feel like doing it. With networking events and groups, you have to show up at a certain place and time.

 

Prospecting Within People

  • Start by typing in a key word or phrase your potential clients are likely to have in their LinkedIn profiles. Once the results come up, scroll down toward the bottom of the screen. Click on “search all results for (whatever key word you typed).”
  • To narrow your search, apply filters. Typical filters people are the location and connection level (whether the person is 1st, 2nd or 3rd).
  • There’s also an option called “All Filters.” Examples of filters there are school attended, current companies, past companies, and industries. Once you select your filters, click on Apply.
  • Always start with your 1st level connections, as these are folks you typically know. I suggest you call or email them to propose meeting for coffee or another kind of introductory visit.
  • The next step is to select the 2nd level connections (remember to uncheck the 1st level people). Review the shared connections between you and them. Ask one or more of these people to make an introduction.

 

Prospecting Within Companies

  • Find the company’s page on LinkedIn by typing the name of the company into the search box.
  • Read the About Us section, the Company Details, and any posts.
  • Click on the number of employees who are on LinkedIn. From there, you can set filters, just as described above.

 

How About You?

Have you been using LinkedIn to prospect for new business opportunities? How has that worked for you relative to attending networking events?

 

About Joyce

 

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 45 and up, to become more effective and productive using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

She works with business owners, business development professionals, coaches, business consultants, job seekers, and more – ranging from entrepreneurs to people in large corporations. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com