You might be wondering “How can I convert my LinkedIn connections into clients?” The answer is simple: You must engage them
LinkedIn has a lot of benefits to offer, but it’s not the only social media site out there and you need to take advantage of all your opportunities in order for your business to thrive.
If you’re looking to reach more people who are in need of the service you offer and who have the means to take you up on it, this social media site would do you wonders.
However, you know getting clients would need balance because if you rush the connection too fast, you might scare them away instead. So if you’d like to know exactly how to convert your LinkedIn connections into paying clients, here’s what you should do.
P.S. If you just started and looking to grow your network on this social media platform, you can use this service to get connections on LinkedIn.
Look for potential connections to convert to Clients
It’s important to establish a list of strong prospects you could connect to. If you would like to have a connection secure enough to be able to convert them into clients, you should first know who you should exactly reach out to. Connect with someone whose needs align with what you’re offering.
There are 2 ways you could look for potential LinkedIn connections you could convert into paying customers.
Conduct a targeted search.
There are many ways to conduct a targeted search for possible connections. You could do it on your own. But if you’re looking to save some time so you could focus on other things, there are services or platforms that could help you with this.
LinkedIn also has features that could assist you to search for users on their platform that could be perfect for you to connect with. On their site, you could use a search filter and simply input or choose the type of person you’d like to connect with. The amount of customization you can do on the search filter does depend on your level of membership on LinkedIn but you can still do a lot even with a free membership.
Improve your network to get more introductions.
If you managed to connect with someone or a group of people who could connect you to more potential contacts, it would be a great opportunity to expand your network. The quality of service you offer and even impressions would help a lot. It’s why word of mouth is very important. With basically no investment, it would promote yourself and your service.
Reach out for your initial contact with your potential clients
It’s time to send out that connection request. Once you’ve established who you’d like to connect with, you can now send out a request on LinkedIn. If you’d like to connect with your potential clients more effectively and not sound too much of a salesman, take the time to review their profiles and write something more personal so you could establish a better connection with them.
Make them feel like it would be worth their while and that you’re absolutely sure you’re who they’re looking for.
For example, if you’re a financial advisor and your potential client is looking for someone to help them with their retirement, don’t just say something like “Hi ____! I’m interested in connecting”. Instead of that, you can say something like “I read your post about retirement and I found some unique ways you can save on taxes. You might find it useful to connect with me.”
Talk to your connections
Your initial contact, if successful, would be a great step to achieve this. Engaging in a dialogue would help you establish a connection. One way to accomplish this goal is by doing a follow-up.
Send a “welcome” message after they connect with you or express your desire to learn more about them. Don’t forget to be natural and avoid overselling yourself! Remember that the goal of this step is just to start a conversation with your new connections so it’s better to avoid looking for something in return immediately.
Strengthen your relationship with your new connections
Now that you’ve started a conversation, don’t just leave it at one welcome message. Continue building your relationship with your new connections by sending additional messages to keep the conversation going. You can talk about a lot of things but it’s better to avoid sales pitches that are too obvious. Talk to them about your goals and your industry or initiate a conversation about their milestones and advocacies.
Think about what they’re interested in, or what are the problems they’d like to solve. In these initial stages, it’s better to avoid selling your product or pitch immediately.
Connect with them offline
To be able to discuss what you’re offering, connecting with your prospects offline would give you a better opportunity to convert your connections to customers. Once you’ve established and strengthened your relationship, trust follows. If you’ve successfully proven your value and built their trust in you, your connections would be willing to meet with you offline.
You could ask if they’re available for a conversation on the phone or in person. Reaching out to them offline would help you understand them more. And after realizing what they could be struggling about, offer a solution when the time is right.
Related Post: Common LinkedIn Selling Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about sending connections on LinkedIn.
Is there a maximum number of connections on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn currently has a network size limit in place. According to their help center, to ensure a better experience, they have limited members to have 30,000 first-degree connections. Keeping only your best connections would be preferable.
How many LinkedIn connections can I send per week?
Currently, you can send a maximum of 100 connection requests per week.
Why am I temporarily restricted from sending invitations in LinkedIn?
Since LinkedIn established limits for connection requests per day, and the site would like to maintain the quality of connections made through them, you might be restricted because of these reasons. To overcome these limitations and make the most of your networking, consider learning about various LinkedIn connection strategies.
The most common reasons why you received a restriction notice would be (1) sending too many connection requests in a short period of time, and (2) most of your requests were ignored or reported as spam.
In converting your LinkedIn connections to customers, sincerity and trust are important. How you connect with your prospects on the site will dictate whether or not your connections would successfully turn to clients. By following these tips, your success rate could increase.
