Engaging Before Pitching to Build Rapport

You have about ten seconds to grab a prospect's attention on LinkedIn. If you’re spending more time scrolling than positioning yourself as a thought leader, you’re not using your profile to its full potential. Here’s how to turn it into the perfect “first discovery call.”

Profile Positioning

·  If you go back to episodes 1941 and 1088 with Brynne Tillman, you’ll hear her explain why it’s time to move past the resume mentality.

·  Your profile is prime real estate. Start with a compelling banner that clearly shows who you help and how. Use a professional, up-to-date photo, and try LinkedIn’s name pronunciation feature to add a personal touch.

Headline & About Section

·  Craft a headline that’s punchy and credibility-building—skip the job title and highlight the value you deliver.

·  In your About section, speak directly to your ideal client’s pain points. Use storytelling and short testimonials to build trust and connection.

Target and Engage

·  Create micro-lists for targeted outreach—CFOs, CEOs, COOs—so you can personalize your messaging around real problems.

·  Before pitching a meeting, engage thoughtfully with your prospects’ posts to build rapport and show genuine interest in their needs.

Homework Challenge

·  Update your banner, headline, and profile photo. Rewrite your About section to focus on the problems you solve, and build a micro-list of prospects. 

·  Also, don’t forget about using my LinkedIn Sales Navigator trial to jump-start your outreach.

“Your profile needs to be a lead-generating tool. It needs to attract prospects; they need to see it. And within five seconds, know what you have to offer.” - Donald Kelly.

Resources

If you want to try LinkedIn Sales Navigator, start your 60-day trial here. 

My LinkedIn Prospecting Course will show you exactly how to start attracting more prospects right away.  And don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn!

Sponsorship Offers

1.  This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2.  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3.  This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.