I shouldn’t even have to say this, given we’re all adults and common sense should rule the day, but here goes …
It is one thing to CLAIM authority.
It’s quite another to DEMONSTRATE it.
The LinkedIn Gold Rush
These days, I can’t click a mouse or swing a cat without hitting a “Guru,” “Ninja” or self-proclaimed “Expert” in my LinkedIn news feed.
I call it the LinkedIn Gold Rush … people are starting to realize just how powerful this platform is, and everybody is rushing in to capitalize.
I realize too it’s become hip these days to call yourself a “Ninja,” or “Guru,” “The Chuck Norris of Sales Training” or something similar. (And I’m not here to put others down who brand themselves that way.)
But here’s some free advice for those folks (including myself) who make our living trying to identity as an “expert” on a specific topic, industry or niche … we must PROVE IT before we can CLAIM it.
Teaching Sells
If you want to win more people over, if you want to sell more of your product or service on LinkedIn (or anywhere, really), you need to go back to school.
You need to teach people. And what I mean is this: Give your ideal clients or prospects fun, free and informative lessons on how to achieve THEIR GOALS using your product or service.
Or, alternately, give people a reason to pay attention to you – SHOW them you are an expert. If you do, they’ll be eager to read every post, video or piece of content you publish moving forward.
That will earn you copious amounts of attention and trust, which is critical.
I’ve never forgotten this advice from John Michael Morgan: Your “ask” must be in direct proportion to the amount of TRUST you’ve earned with a prospect or potential client.
It’s one thing to ask someone to sign up for a free webinar based on a blog post or series of free tips … it’s quite another to ask someone to pay for a premium training program.
With all that in mind, here are several steps you can take to utilize the “Teaching Sells” approach with YOUR brand or business.
With the list below, notice how each step builds more trust and offers a proportionate “ask” of your audience.
Level 1 – Small Share, Small Ask
The tactic: Free blog post or quick tip via video.
The “ask”: Sign up for my email list or attend my free webinar.
Level 2 – Bigger Share, Bigger Ask
The tactic: A free training series (multiple blog posts, emails or videos) done via email autoresponder or a series of blog posts or videos housed on your website.
The “ask”: Sign up for my free webinar, jump on the phone for a free consultation, join me for a free product demo, etc.
Level 3 – Biggest Share, Biggest Ask
The tactic: A free webinar, training session, speaking engagement or similar long-form teaching.
The “ask”: Purchase my product or service.
Remember the Bait!
Please understand … you CANNOT sell until you EARN someone’s trust.
And your good looks and winning smile aren’t enough … you must have something of VALUE to give your prospects before you ask for anything in return!
Here’s a simple analogy … if you want to use LinkedIn to go fishing for prospects, you need bait!
It’s not enough to just drop your hook and line into the water. We see this WAY too often – people asking for our time, attention or money without first earning it.
You might as well spot a fish in the water and just yell, “Seriously, bite that hook! Dude, I’m telling you, you won’t be disappointed! Trust me!”
Imagine instead if you slipped a fresh, fat worm onto the hook … wriggling and writhing, doing the dance it does to attract the attention of a hungry fish.
I guarantee you’ll get way more attention – and bites – when you use better bait.
Put serious effort into creating great content that not only demonstrates your credibility, expertise and authority, but also helps your ideal customer move closer to his or her goals.
The Best Bait
As much as I enjoy writing (I spent 15 years as a journalist and have authored 7 books), Public Speaking, Podcasts and Video are the fastest way to build up the trust needed to sell products and services.
The reason is simple: People buy when they’re emotional.
When people see and hear you (video and audio), they react more emotionally then when they just read words you’ve written on a page.
People will hear the passion in your voice, see the expressions on your face … and as a result they’re able to connect with you on a much deeper, more emotional level. It moves them more quickly into the “Know, Like and Trust” zone that is the sweet spot for all things sales.
Testimonials Trump Most Everything
One last thing: When we talk about what our product or service has done for others, how it has transformed their life or business as a result, it makes selling much easier.
There’s a reason every infomercial since the dawn of television features one “real” person after another touting the incredible benefits and transformation of a product or service.
Potential buyers or clients want to know that other, regular people “just like me” have had success not only understanding and using your product or service, but have actually achieved remarkable results in the process:
- I lost 40 pounds!
- I generated 500 new leads in 60 days!
- I saw revenue increase 210 percent!
Understand this: You can NEVER have too many testimonials. Ever. I’ve talked before about how to double the value of the testimonials you get here on LinkedIn, and I’m obsessed with collecting as many legitimate kudos as I can.
I have testimonials EVERYWHERE … on the signup page for my free webinar … on my sales pages … anywhere I can find a place to put one!
Better yet, I work hard to feature the work of my most successful students – professionals who have used my product or service. When I can point to someone like Karen Nierlich or Chad Rippy and show you how they are crushing it on LinkedIn, it provides critical social proof.
To go back to the beginning, it helps DEMONSTRATE authority instead of just CLAIMING it.
Your Turn
Are you demonstrating authority? Or just claiming it?
Also, what type of bait are you using to court customers on LinkedIn? Have you created any yet? Let me know in the comments!
I’ll end with an email just came in from former NFL player Romeo Bandison, who took my tips on headline writing and turned his LinkedIn blog into a monster:
“John – I had over 4,000 views on my blog. But now I have to respond to all the comments. How do you do it? I blame you for teaching me how to write good titles!”
I’ll take a note like that any day … wouldn’t you?
Want More Tips Like This?
Click the image below to download my Free eBook “8 Secrets to Selling More on LinkedIn” and register for my Free Webinar on using LinkedIn to generate more sales leads, clients and revenue:
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