Real Wealth Concepts

3 Steps to Use LinkedIn to Generate Leads

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Step 1: Identify Prospects

Identify new prospects with LinkedIn’s Advanced Lead Search feature using some or all of the following targeting criteria:

  1. Seniority in Company: Select seniority to isolate target market based on career experience or level.
  2. Geography: Isolate target prospects by ZIP/Postal code.  
  3. Industry and Company: Target specific industries or companies based on your expertise, existing relationships or location.
  4. Seniority in Industry or Company: Isolate based on whether you’re targeting high potential starters or established executives.
  5. Name: Hyper-focus on particular local wealthy families.
  6. Groups: Target C-Level Executives for events related to their passions or associations (e.g. hobbies, professional associations, peer groups).

Using the above criteria to filter and identify potential prospects, generate lead lists within the LinkedIn Sales Navigator workspace. This way you can keep track of prospects and their activities that could be a catalyst for outreach (e.g. job change, retirement).

Prospects can also be identified by first identifying target companies using the Advanced Account Search. Companies can be filtered based on headcount, industry, revenue and other parameters and saved as Custom Account Lists. From within custom account lists, you can search for individuals using the criteria in the list above.

Step 2: Research and Monitor Prospects

Once prospects have been identified, you need to track their activities, profile developments, engagement, interests and so on. The following shows what to watch for:

  1. Look for Life Event Catalysts: Use Spotlights in Advanced Lead Search to identify prospects with profile updates that might warrant a discussion with a financial advisor. Some catalysts include promotions, job changes, news and engagement. Consider the target’s current company, position and age.
  2. Pinpoint who is a 1st & 2nd degree connection or connected with your company network.
    • 1st Degree: Direct connections that you can freely contact using InMail.
    • 2nd Degree: These are your contacts’ contacts. While you can’t InMail them directly, your common connection makes it easier to connect.
    • Following your Company: These are people who follow your company splash page, but may or may not have connections to you or your connections. Source warm leads from members who follow your company on LinkedIn.
  3. Use keywords to find prospects with similar interest to help build rapport and help guide your communication strategy. E.g. are they interested in golf and you’re hosting a golf day?

While LinkedIn Navigator makes it easy to identify and track potential leads, you must avoid giving off a stalker vibe when you eventually connect. Have a reason for engaging, but don’t hint that you’ve been tracking them or know a lot about their lives.

Step 3: Engage Prospects with Warm Introductions

The initial communication can make or break the entire relationship. You have one chance to convince someone to speak with you, so you need to get it right the first time.

First, get to know your prospects before reaching out to book a call or meeting:

  • View all the information about your leads or prospects by viewing their lead page from your Custom lists. Learn about their most recent updates through Spotlights.
  • Identify how your prospects’ company is doing in Growth Insights.
  • View all the Account Alerts you may have missed.

Next, find warm paths in – avoid cold calling

You shouldn’t reach out to your prospects cold. The success rate of cold communications (emails, calls, InMail, etc.) is low. In fact, by reaching out to people prematurely you could shut down the potential for any future relationship.

  • Refine your prospect searches using Spotlights, TeamLink & more advanced filters to identify warm outreach opportunities to new prospects
  • Identify potential advocates: previous co-workers, Followers, Connections with your company network.
  • Monitor Alerts in your homepage so that you don’t miss any warm outreach opportunity.
  • Capitalize on perfect moments to reach out by prioritizing buyers who are Showing Activities that translate into Buyer Intent.

Finally, personalize and execute your outreach using the right message to break through spam

It is important to be authentic and helpful when reaching out to prospective clients.

  • Identify conversation starters in the Relationship Section in Lead Pages and Spotlights. Engage with email, phone call, InMail using commonalities, LinkedIn Activity, recent job updates, etc.)
  • Use Account Page Insights to trigger and personalize outreach.
  • Engage with leads you are not yet connected with through their LinkedIn.com posts. Comment, like & Share.
  • Follow-up with prospects who recently accepted your InMail or Connection Requests. Be careful not to badger people. Offer something you know they’d find valuable based on their profiles and activity. Don’t simply reach out to set up an exploratory conversation, as this comes across as self-serving.

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