18 MayHow to Increase Sales Using LinkedIn Signal (A Step-by-Step Guide)

LinkedIn Signal just might be the new “IT” for finding new prospects.

At first it may not seem like the sexiest prospecting tool around but I’m here to tell you it is extremely powerful.

For those who don’t know what Signal is, it’s an aggregated feed of all the posts, updates and content posted from everyone on LinkedIn. Why should you care about this? Because you are able to see posts from anyone on LinkedIn whether you are connected to them or not.

That’s right, you can see an update from a 3^rd degree+ connection halfway around the world from you.

LinkedIn’s search engine is awesome. With the right keywords or search phrases, and carefully using their search filter, you can get updates and business intelligence from people who are ready to do business right now.

This almost feels like shooting fish in a barrel.

And sometimes it is.

But trust me, as with all things you’ll have to spend some time tweaking your tactics in Signal to get some results. Once you perfect your approach you should be able to pick up some leads relatively quickly.

Here is how prospecting with Signal works:

When you head over to Signal the first things you are going to see are the updates from your 1^st degree connections.

While those are certainly important,you’ll want to see more than just those updates and you’ll also want to narrow the search results of the type of posts you’re seeing.

As an example, if you are looking to sell products to businesses in the construction industry then you could search for a term like “construction purchaser” or “construction procurement.”

Once you click enter on the search you’ll be able to add 2^nd and 3^rd degree connections to the results.

Some of the results you’ll see will be people updating new job titles and position skills. Sometimes these people are just updating their profile. But other times they are “newly hired” and are probably looking to make an impact on their business quickly.  Therefore, they may be more open to do some business.

Other results will include people who are looking to buy a certain product and if your product/service fits the mold, Voila! You have a legitimate lead.

There are search terms you can use to find new prospects who are posting these kinds of direct requests for a product or service.

You can use phrases like “I need a,” “I am looking for,” “I need to find” and so on. These terms are not going to give you the specific results you want, but it’s just the first step.

You can couple those search terms with the “industry filter,” to zero in on only those posts relevant to your industry. Now you’re likely to get some meaningful results out of those search phrases.

If you are only looking for local prospects you can search by location as well.

Keep in mind that your searches don’t have to be keyword phrases.

You can look for companies and even specific people.  When they post something, you’ll be able to see it in your feed.

This tactic is useful for more than just sales. It can also be a great way to get consulting work or even a new job.

In addition to simply viewing these results, in most cases you can comment on the posts directly, even if you aren’t connected to the person who created the post.

This gets you immediately involved in conversation with prospects.  Hopefully by now you’re seeing why Signal can be such a great prospecting and sales tool.

Once you’ve figured out what search terms/phrases are giving you the best results, you can save your searches.

Make sure you have all your filters set before you save the search.

Once saved, you’ll only need to spend a few minutes each day looking for the new updates and determining which are the best leads to pursue.

Do not sleep on this tactic.

Even though many are slow getting to the table, more and more people are finding out about Signal and how to utilize it for their business.

Don’t be the last one to this party.

What You Should Do Next

1. Spend a half hour crafting a plan.
2. Put 5-10 searches in place for your own LinkedIn marketing campaign.
3. Set aside 5 minutes each day for the next 2 weeks.
4. Use that time to review the various items in each search feed, every day.
5. Engage where appropriate.
6. Re-assess your efforts at the end of the 2 weeks.  Which search terms are providing results?  Where do you need to adjust?
7. Rinse and repeat.

Stick with this approach and soon enough you’ll be finding new prospects and generating real business.

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