Time to read: 3.5 minutes. When at the gym do you only work on your biceps? Curl after curl after curl—all day, every day? Well, you might. But you would start looking lopsided!

It might sound silly, but this is happening to sellers I’m coaching. They put tons of time into learning LinkedIn Sales Navigator—neglecting communications techniques needed to get appointments set.

Sales teams are spending big bucks on LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Mostly to access LinkedIn’s database and InMail—getting into to prospects’ in-boxes. From $30,000 to $250,000 most sales teams are “all in.”

But…

marketing teams are making a costly mistake when training sellers on social selling. They’re failing to focus sales teams on an effective communications technique to spark conversations with buyers. Even worse, sellers are going in cold—with their cold email approach.

Most sellers are sending InMail messages on a test-and-learn basis.

Big mistake considering one cannot test something as basic as InMail message open rates. LinkedIn does not allow it. This handcuffs sellers. Literally.

The #1 reason for Cancelling Sales Navigator

Lack of email/InMail response from potential buyers. It’s killing most sales teams using Sales Navigator for prospecting. Most are investing in Sales Navigator training; however, they’re forgetting the most important piece. The part that helps get appointments set with prospects:

An effective communications technique. The ability to grab attention, earn response and start discussions with buyers!

Learning how to write effectively? Heh. Much less flashy than learning LinkedIn. But not knowing how to provoke responses is the leading reason sales forces cancel their Sales Navigator account.

After investing in “how to use LinkedIn” they’re forced to cancel Sales Navigator. It’s too expensive and time-draining as compared to other options. It’s just not effective.

Is your team spamming?

Most likely, they (or you) are. Most Sales Navigator users I’m meeting are sending InMail (email) with nearly zero confidence in their ability to earn response.

Are you trying to discover a faster way to get appointments set—for $10 plus per InMail!?

I see one practice more than anything else: Spamming on LinkedIn using InMail. Yes, LinkedIn does everything in its power to prevent such use. Yet I see it repeatedly. Why?

Reps aren’t receiving the right training. Communications guidance. They’re getting LinkedIn guidance—without communications training.

What is needed

The most neglected prospecting skill is communications methodology. Specifically, “interruption training.”

“Interrupting your prospect’s day is a fundamental building block of robust sales pipelines,” says sales trainer, Jeb Blount, author of Fanatical Prospecting.

“No matter your prospecting approach, if you don’t interrupt relentlessly, your pipeline will be anemic.”

Sales reps are given cold calling training. Why not cold emailing training? Successful Sales Navigator sellers are using an effective, repeatable way to:

• attract customers by sparking their curiosity;
• guide buyers to self-qualify/disqualify themselves;
• set appointments with potential customers faster.

How you approach buyers is the key to getting in the door: from cold-calling to  email. Yet we often treat communications technique as an afterthought. And that can sabotage your ability to provoke responses that lead to qualified appointments.

Is marketing the problem?

Marketers are farmers. Sellers are hunters. Let’s be clear. The problem is marketers pushing farmer-like “social selling” on hunters who don’t want it.

They don’t need it.

Tweeting frequently, sharing valuable content, commenting on prospects’ updates, listening for signals. My experience leads me to conclude: There has only been loose correlations between staying-on-the-radar and actual sales.

I do believe this is important. But nothing is more important than helping sellers prospect more effectively. Yes, using LinkedIn to research prospects. And a communications technique that opens problem-solving discussions.

I’m going to get in trouble for saying this. In many cases marketing is making the decision on social media (LinkedIn) training.

And that’s the problem. Marketers are not sellers. Don’t believe me? Stick someone from your marketing team in a room and ask them to cold-call! The script they come up with will usually fail.

No slam on marketers. Sales is inherently different.

Marketers are making a fatal mistake—and many sales teams are in complete rebellion against social media. They don’t want to invest time in marketing tactics that don’t work.

Are your hunters farmers?!

Prospecting activities are resulting in more appointments and closed business for sellers. Social selling (that amounts to marketing) just doesn’t cut it. (so far)

No, social selling isn’t dead. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a great tool, a solid investment. But only for sellers with an effective, repeatable communications approach that gets clients talking with them.

Acting like a marketer on LinkedIn? Not so effective.

Most reps I come in contact with are simply cutting-and-pasting bulleted lists of benefits into their emails, asking for meetings and hitting send.

Think about it. Are you or your team any good at:

1. Earning response? (InMail demands 40% response to make it work)
2. Message sequencing that helps prospects self-qualify/disqualify?
3. Attracting buyers to the idea of meeting with you? (instead of rushing it)

What do you think?

Photo credit: Garen Meguerlan