9 Reasons You’re Not Generating Leads On LinkedIn

But let me guess, you find it hard to do.  So here is the truth.

Listen.   Many smart, successful, educated business owners and sales executives (just like you) struggle with generating new leads consistently month after month with LinkedIn.  

Here are nine of the reasons you’re not generating enough leads on LinkedIn.   (And more importantly, some tips to help you better utilize LinkedIn to engage with and get in front of more of your ideal target prospects)

#1. Your profile is not complete OR client facing

Having a complete, professional profile is key to your brand image and to making new connections. LinkedIn statistics show that profiles that are 100% complete receive 46% more views than those that are not.  A professional photo is one of the most important aspects of this.   

Per John Nemo, a well-known LinkedIn Trainer and Author, the first sentence you should have should be this.

I help [TARGET AUDIENCE] achieve [THEIR GOAL] by providing [PRODUCT/SERVICE].

Brynne Tillman, LinkedIn and social selling expert, suggests you also include a compelling summary. It should:

  • Provide a clear image of what your brand is
  • Show how you can solve clients’ problems
  • Give your contact information.  
  • End with a call to action. [“If you don't engage them here and now, they will mostly likely move on and forget about you and your LinkedIn profile completely,” said Tillman.]

Your profile should be a resource, not a resume.

#2. You’re not in the right LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn groups provide connections in your target community that can generate potential leads. You can choose a variety of groups that are relevant to your industry and brand, and where you will be able to reach your ideal clients.

By joining these groups and becoming active in the conversations, you will learn what these clients care about, as well as expand your network. Check out my blog post on tips for generating leads in LinkedIn Groups here.

>>Generate Leads today within Linkedin Groups<<

#3. Your messages are ineffective

Messaging is where the rubber meets the road in this process. The best way to fully utilize this entire system is to perfect your ability to craft messages that entice your prospects to bite on a call to action (typically a request for a call).

There are many details that go into Messaging such as:

  • How many people get messaged at a time?
  • What is the playbook of the messaging campaign?
  • How many messages are in the playbook?
  • How much time should pass between each message?
  • What are the scripts for the messages sent.

There are various answers to these questions that depend on a variety of aspects, mainly who is the target and what is the call to action.

The tougher the target, the more nurturing that will need to be done.

The tougher the call to action, the more nurturing that will need to be done.

It is important to realize that tough targets with tough calls to action will yield a lower percentage of results than normal.

You must have a strategic messaging plan and then reach the right people in the right way.   Learn what your ideal clients want to see, and develop a plan and timeline with messaging based on this knowledge.  

Don’t sell too soon.

You should provide information on what your business does, but the main focus should be on addressing the needs of your clients and showing how you can help them. Developing a full messaging campaign is the best way to create a consistent and relevant presence.

#4. You’re not sharing content OR the right content

Once you have attained connections, you must continue to develop the relationships and keep them engaged with content.

You want to stay in their LinkedIn feeds and relevant in their minds.  You should have a clear understanding of your audience and the type of content they want to see. You can test this by trying out different types of posts and evaluating what resonates best.

Your targeted posts will stand out amongst the crowd of one-size-fits-all content. Post content that is valuable and shareable.  Getting your connections to share your content with their own networks will lead to increased visibility and new connections or leads.

#5. You don’t engage your ideal clients

In order to engage your ideal clients, you must be able to identify them.   John Nemo, LinkedIn trainer, believes one of the most under-utilized features on LinkedIn is the built-in search engine.

“With a few keystrokes, you can immediately build a prospect list that is both hyper-targeted by job title, industry type and/or location, along with adding in ‘personal’ markers like where someone went to college or even what his or her non-work interests/hobbies are,” - John Nemo  

By setting up these advanced searches, you will be able to target the right people, instead of wasting time on the wrong ones.

#6. You’re not taking it offline

Pick up the damn phone! Of course, you do not want to do this too soon. You want to take the conversation offline at the right time and in the right way.

Be sure to build that relationship online just enough before you ever even think about selling.   Then, make the call or ask to have the call…..after you’ve earned the right to do so.   Get a real and meaningful conversation going.

#7. You’re not prepared for the call

You worked so hard to get them on the phone. Make the most out of the call. We all know that first impressions are key.   

I believe there is a strategy to make a successful call:

  • Ask about them, get them talking and be genuinely interested in what they are saying.
  • Ask the right questions, understand their problems.
  • Offer your solution.   

Finally, get them to the next step.  This doesn’t necessarily mean a sale; this means whatever the next step is to maintain this prospect.   (e.g. proposal, face-to-face meeting, demo, etc..)

#8. You don’t continue to build relationships and remain top-of-mind

Don’t let them forget about you.  They may be a fit, but may not have an immediate need for you. You need to build upon the relationship, and that means more than simply sending them marketing materials and the occasional “checking in” email.   

For some ideas on how to stay in mind, check out my blog post, “5 Ways to Build Prospect Relationships” here:

>>Stay ‘Top of Mind’ in a Prospect’s Mind<<

#9. You don’t have a system, a method, or playbook for lead generation

In order to get the most out of your effort, you should have a system in place to manage, plan and track all of your activities.  

Develop a system that works best for you to manage your work. Stay organized, stay top-of-mind mind, and consistently build relationships.    Once you develop a proven system (a playbook), the more predictable the outcome.   

Developing a system that is both ongoing and repeatable is a key driver to success when it comes to generating a consistent flow of leads using LinkedIn.  

These are several strategies, if implemented, that will drastically improve your LinkedIn success.   

RevGrow works with business owners and sales executives​ just like you. Business owners who know they should be using Linkedin to attract leads and new business, but don’t know how.

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