4 Benefits of LinkedIn Training for Your Sales Team

November 19, 2015 - By Aaron Hockel

If you’re in charge of managing a sales team, you’re probably always looking for new tools and sales tactics to give your team a competitive edge. LinkedIn sales training can be an invaluable resource for your sales team as you navigate a free network full of professionals and potential clients. With the power of LinkedIn, you can avoid cold calling in favor of more effective methods and techniques.

1. Rebuild Neglected Customer Bases

With LinkedIn, you have an easy means of rebuilding a neglected customer base. If your leads are old, your potential clients may have switched employers, houses and states. Using this professional network, you can check the individual’s profile and make your connections from there. If you just called the contact’s former employer, it would be the end of that lead. However, LinkedIn offers you a greater chance of fostering a beneficial dialogue.

2. Connect Before Your Call

In sales, the first conversation is often the most challenging, but using LinkedIn effectively can provide your sales team with all the information they need to maximize the initial impression. Through an individual’s profile, you can learn more about his or her professional goals and personal interests. This gives your team a chance to connect and start building a relationship before the first conversation.

3. Gain Access to a Specialized Network

The LinkedIn network provides the opportunity to join industry-specific groups filled with like-minded professionals. You can also join conversations and groups based on topics or other common themes. Your sales team can use these smaller spaces to focus on particularly receptive audiences and as launching points for reaching broader consumer bases. To maximize this feature, your team needs to learn how to operate effectively within these groups.

4. Make the Most of Cold Contacts

When cold calling was the rule of the day, there was simply no better way to keep your name on the minds of potential clients. However, LinkedIn allows you and your sales team to create a warmer initial contact. As members of the team learn to communicate effectively through this platform, they can drive professional conversations and have a greater opportunity to build the company brand.

If you want to increase your sales team’s efficiency, give members the gift of a new skill set with LinkedIn sales training. They’ll learn to effectively navigate a professional networking platform and maximize their conversion rates. Once you learn to use LinkedIn, you’ll have an excellent tool for gathering important client information and finding promising new leads.