Step 1: Leave comments that include INSIGHTS
Salespeople may not be content creators, but they can definitely do one thing: They can make comments.
If you’re a salesperson, you have expertise and insights on your products, services, and industry. And no one knows customers better than you do. You work with them every day. You have a strong point of view. You have opinions. You have INSIGHTS. And that’s why people are on LinkedIn. They want to gain insights not only from the videos and articles they see on the platform, but also from the people who are reacting to them.
So, join the crowd: Start leaving comments on other people’s posts.
Every day, I spend at least a half-hour on LinkedIn, commenting on other people’s content. And my comments aren’t just clicking the Like button, or leaving a statement like, “Great post!” I’ll build on what they’ve said and add my own unique insights.
But that’s just the first step. Now you’ve got the opportunity to start building that referral network.
PRO TIP: For this tactic to work, you need to find posts where there are tons of comments. Look for the influencers in your field who post a lot of content. Leaving comments on their posts is a win-win situation for you and the influencer. It gets them more engagement, which helps their post, and it gives you access to their followers.
Step 2: Connect with other commenters
You’ve left your comment and now you’re part of the conversation. You immediately have a warm intro to the other people who have left comments on the posts. So now you can reach out to them and make a connection.
Read through other people’s comments after you’ve left your own and look for potential referral sources. For example, we are a digital marketing agency that works with sales-driven manufacturing companies, so I’m always looking for sales leaders as potential referral sources.
Identify your own referral sources and look for their comments on LinkedIn. Comment on their comments.
After you’ve made your comment, go to their profile and invite them to join your network. You can reference the post you just commented on; you have something in common.
PRO TIP: DO NOT just send an invite to connect, especially from your phone. Connect via your desktop interface on LinkedIn because this gives you the opportunity to leave a short message when you send the connection. In that message, refer to the comments you both made on the post as a memory-jogger.
Step 3: Move from connection to conversation … and then add value
If your referral source has accepted the connection request, don’t stop there. Take it to the next level and set up a Zoom call or, even better, meet face-to-face.
That meeting will be a great opportunity for you to learn more about one another’s businesses, but your goal isn’t to get a referral during your first get-together. It’s to provide your referral source with value. And there’s no better way to do this than by helping someone.
I try to find three ways to help a potential referral source. You can do this by:
- Introducing them to someone in your network
- Posting about them on LinkedIn and getting them some exposure
- Providing them with a link to some helpful content
- Sharing some of their content on LinkedIn
There really is no limit to how you can help someone, so be creative. Be a go-giver, and they’ll want to return the favor.
PRO TIP: You can add your referral sources to Sales Navigator and set alerts for whenever they are posting on LinkedIn. Then you can jump in and leave comments on their posts to continue paying it forward.
Step 4: Ask for referrals
This sounds so obvious, but you’re never going to get a referral if you don’t ask. After I’ve been a go-giver and helped out someone, I make sure to ask if they know anyone who might benefit from my services. I clearly identify the type of customer we help, and I also provide them with a link to our Approach and Pricing page.
This does two things:
- It clearly defines what we do and who we’re looking to help. No matter how clearly you state what you do, people likely don’t truly understand it until you really take the time to explain it to them.
- The referral source might actually need your services as well, and this is a no-pressure way to get them to learn more about what you do.
You can’t forget this step. Most people don’t get referrals simply because they don’t ask. So build it into your process.
Take it to the next level: Integrate with marketing
Commenting, connecting, and conversing with referral sources is a simple but effective way to build up your connections and extend your list of potential clients.
And if you really want to ramp up your approach, integrate your referral-based approach with your marketing team. Those mass communicators should be able to support you in multiple ways:
- They can create content for you to post.
- They can run Thought Leadership ads on your profile to drive awareness.
- They can integrate your results into the overall metrics.
Not only will this integrated approach generate more business for you; it will also enhance your value in the eyes of the organization. And more value equals more dollars on your paycheck, right?
I’ve used the referral-based approach to build my own business, and I see it work for others on the LinkedIn network every day. I highly recommend it not only for the quality of leads you can generate but also for the quality of life you’ll lead. But if you prefer the cold calling method, I have a sales manager and a roll of tape that could help you there as well …
Greg Mischio is the Founder and CEO of Winbound. Winbound is a digital sales and marketing agency that helps sales and marketing teams use content to create a “Digital Twin” of their sales team. The approach includes collaborating with clients to produce sales-driven content, then using marketing to distribute the content to prospects. He can be reached at 608-445-0683 or on LinkedIn, of course.
