Most people (rightly) consider LinkedIn as a platform for professional growth and networking. However, it is also highly effective for finding business growth opportunities, especially B2B sales outreach, lead generation, and relationship nurturing.
Having said that, people can inadvertently make certain sales outreach mistakes on this platform. Chief among them is focusing too much on the number game instead of building real connections with other professionals.
The fact is, LinkedIn is no sales funnel. This platform is less about transactions and more about building relationships. Use it to share knowledge and connect with people, and you will thrive. Use it to disseminate sales pitch after sales pitch, and your audience will leave. This philosophy is the key to effective outreach on LinkedIn.
Six B2B Sales Outreach Mistakes to Avoid on LinkedIn
Mistake 1: Over-Reliance on Generic Messages
The Problem:
In the age of hyper-personalization, don’t send out mass messages that no one resonates with. The last thing you want is for your business messages to be considered spam. As mentioned, you want to focus on building connections on LinkedIn. For this, you need to make each prospect feel seen, heard, and valued.
Generic messages don’t cut it because impersonal, template-based pieces of text cannot help you stand out in the crowd of businesses vying for the same audience’s attention and investment. For instance, if you plan to outreach via email, you can’t afford to not personalize it with the receiver’s name, a specific qualification, or a recent achievement.
What You Can Do About It:
Mentioning these small details can help you make the right impression. Go beyond InMail and get yourself an AI email assistant tool for optimal email automation. It’ll take care of everything: from the technicalities of drafting, replying to, and scheduling sales emails to maintaining brand identity, boosting efficiency, and tailoring content. The best part is that it can also be integrated with your usual email client.
Here’s an example of a thoughtfully-crafted message perfect for outreach on LinkedIn:
Hi <first name>,
I saw your post about the <event name> you were at last week and was intrigued by your views on <name of topic>. I’d love to connect and explore opportunities for collaboration in the future.
Mistake 2: Prioritizing Sales over Relationships
The Problem:
Nobody likes receiving sales-y messages on LinkedIn. However, this is among the most common outreach mistakes people make. Jumping into a sales pitch right off the bat can put your target audience in defensive mode from the get-go. They might find your message aggressive or irrelevant, or just feel put off by it. Do you really want to lose your chance that early in the game?
What You Can Do About It:
Lead with a thoughtful message with the potential of turning it into a conversation. Start with a greeting, a commendation of the prospect’s work, a question, or even an offer of assistance. This will show that you’re actually interested in adding value rather than just making money. Before you bring up your products or services, strike up a conversation that’s engaging as well as enriching.
Try this:
Hi <name>,
I’ve been following your work in <industry>, and I truly appreciate your approach to <name of topic>.
I’d love to discuss in detail your thoughts on this subject and explore an opportunity to supplement your efforts.
Mistake 3: Neglecting Follow-Up
The Problem:
So, you sent out a message to your target audience but didn’t hear back from them? Giving up now would be a big mistake. It could mean lost opportunities to connect with someone who missed seeing your message.
Don’t assume that no response means no interest. Sometimes, people are busy and need a reminder before they can respond. Others might not check their LinkedIn account frequently. In other words, following up is key to a successful outreach.
What You Can Do About It:
After sending them your initial message, wait a couple of weeks and then send a polite, short reminder. Doing so will not only get you their attention but also present you as persistent and genuinely interested. This, however, doesn’t mean you bombard them with follow-up messages. Any more than two follow-up messages can feel intrusive, so stop afterward.
Here’s what you can send them:
Hi <name>,
I’m writing to follow up on my previous message. I know you have a busy schedule, but I’d still love to connect if you could spare some time. Would really appreciate your thoughts on <name of topic>.
Mistake 4: Lack of a Strategic Content Plan
The Problem:
Many people make the mistake of creating random messages just for the sake of sending their recipients something. However, this can be counterproductive. Recipients might feel overwhelmed and disconnected from you, and eventually unfollow you.
What You Can Do About It:
Ensure consistency in your messages when outreaching on LinkedIn. Keep them succinct and to-the-point. Identify your target audience and share relevant content accordingly. This can be in the form of a blog, newsletters, thought leadership articles, social media posts, and more. Create a content calendar and fix a schedule for publishing your messages.
Just as you would use the best CPQ software to automate the sales quote process, consider using a reliable content scheduling tool to reach your target audience faster. It will also help you focus on the right people based on their job title, industry, skills, experience, and so on.
You can also use LinkedIn Analytics to improve your content strategy. This data can help you understand your audience, measure content performance, track engagement, identify the top posts, conduct A/B testing, and analyze competitor performance. Based on all this information, you can tweak your content strategy to stay relevant and effective.
Mistake 5: Limiting Outreach to a Single Channel
The Problem:
Are you still relying on a single-channel approach for sales outreach? You could be missing out on many opportunities to exceed your revenue goals. To succeed, you’ll need a multi-channel approach that combines LinkedIn with email and phone calls.
What You Can Do About It:
You already know that LinkedIn can help initiate professional relationships in B2B sales. It makes it easy to identify and connect with target accounts, and create personalized messages that include the prospect’s recent achievements or interests.
Follow this up with personalized emails. We’ve already discussed the importance of using an AI-based email assistant. Use it to craft compelling subject lines that mention the prospect’s name or company. Further, draft personalized emails referencing their pain points and offer whitepapers or invitations to relevant webinars.
Last but not least, don’t forget about good ol’ phone calls. Before making a direct phone call, however, prepare and research the prospect’s LinkedIn profile to customize your pitch. Start by referencing your previous interaction to create an organic flow of conversation. Use this time to explain the value of your offering. End with a relevant call to action.
Using a multi-channel approach will ensure that your outreach message is consistently reinforced via diverse platforms, boosting the chances of a positive response.
Mistake 6: Ignoring Profile Optimization
The Problem:
The most brilliant outreach message can fall on deaf ears if your LinkedIn profile isn’t up to the mark. After all, your profile is the first thing your prospects will see about you on this platform. A missing photo (or worse, an unprofessional photo), an incomplete summary, irrelevant experiences, and misleading skills can all contribute to a bad LinkedIn profile.
What You Can Do About It:
Think of your profile as your online business card. Does it present you in the best possible manner? Does it position you as a credible connection? If not, your prospects will struggle to trust you and skip you in favor of a competitor.
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile is a must before sending outreaching messages. This isn’t as complex as it sounds. Simply upload a professional photograph, create an impactful summary that emphasizes your value, and make sure your details related to skills and experience are current. Don’t forget about writing an attention-grabbing headline. For example, a profile headline like “Helping B2B SaaS companies scale their marketing efforts” is a lot more effective than “Marketing professional at ABC agency.”
Wrapping Up
Creating an effective B2B sales outreach on LinkedIn need not be complicated. However, you must show genuine interest and consideration for the prospects you’re connecting with. Avoiding the mistakes mentioned above and focusing on building meaningful relationships can increase your chances of forging and furthering B2B partnerships.
