LinkedIn Lead Generation Frustrations and The Way Out - A Salesman’s Perspective

When I first started participating in social media marketing, there were many days of frustration. Often times I felt like pulling my hair out…but then, I remembered I was in my upper 30’s and my hair was already thinning plenty enough on its own. There had to be a better way to reach targeted prospects and have meaningful business conversations.

So, I began to research social media marketing, blog strategies, e-marketing concepts, lead generation ideas, connection approaches, etc. After reading countless blogs and spending way too much time in sales webinars, I had a breakthrough. There were some really good ideas scattered all over the place, but I needed a streamlined approach for reaching prospects and having direct conversations.

My favorite social media platform for business conversations was, and still is, LinkedIn. With over 70 million users to date, there are plenty of quality prospects that need help with sales lead generation. The key was to connect with these prospects, provide value and have direct conversations. After all, if you are in the business development field, what is the point of having hundreds of connections with very few if any direct conversations? Executed properly, you can literally have more sales meetings with quality prospects than you can handle.

After weeks of research, trial, and error, I started to compile and implement a best practices list using the LinkedIn platform. As I encountered success, I shared concepts with friends and colleagues and continually received the feedback “you should write a book”. What was needed was a step-by-step guide that would help people create quality connections and generate leads without having to spend hundreds of hours researching the topic and trying different techniques.

Social media required a different approach than traditional marketing avenues in order to gain traction and achieve desired results. I noticed many people using “spam” discussions that were a huge turnoff to me, and for others also based on comments to group managers. In some cases, group members were openly asking for these participants to be removed from the group.

However, there were also many great discussions in the area of social media marketing and lead generation that received numerous comments from VP and C-level executives interested in the subject. There were some key differences in the types of posts that received the most feedback and generated opportunities for direct conversations. I noticed executives saying things like “thanks again for the assistance”, “great points” and other comments that demonstrated how direct conversations with the right parties could easily lead to business meetings.

But, as with any worthwhile venture, it requires an effective strategy and implementation in order to be successful. Even in a tight economy, there are many opportunities for business growth if you know how to uncover problems and deliver solutions for your clients. However, a streamlined approach is crucial for generating results with the least amount of effort and minimal hair loss possible.

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Have you experienced frustrations in working to generate quality sales meetings using social media marketing? What are some of your best and worst experiences?

About the Author
The author of “How to Create Quality Connections and Generate Leads Using LinkedIn®” and a 16-year veteran of the sales and marketing field, Andy Hedrick helps companies with targeted lead-generation campaigns. His clients include small businesses to Fortune 500 companies that have a desire to attract more business.

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To learn more about targeted lead generation strategies, check out the Targeted Marketing Best Practices group on LinkedIn.