Thoughts and advice from GemCap’s Stuart Alexander on LinkedIn and how to use it – sensibly! – for finding clients on LinkedIn (without alienating potential connections).

LinkedIn… I’ve had enough!

That is a statement that has probably got you interested and possibly intrigued as to why I’ve had enough of LinkedIn. In truth it isn’t the platform itself, which I find a useful source of information and facilitates connectivity, plus allows me to create a shop window on the GemCap business. The issue is around the users and how they use LinkedIn to grow their business. Some people just don’t get it, and in a more brutal opinion, they never will.

The users of LinkedIn, in my opinion, fall into a variety of categories when it comes to how and why they make use of the platform:

• Promote themselves
• Promote their companies
• Share information about the industry or interests
• Use it like Facebook
• Contact old colleagues/clients
• Find clients/new business

There may be more, but as I see it the broad approach of self and corporate promotion is the one that resonates with most people. When I first joined the platform, it was a case of finding old colleagues and clients and today I still enjoy it when I come across someone from yester-year. Like Facebook, it is lovely to reconnect with old friends who you have lost touch with. Equally sometimes I try to avoid some! Today I spend a fair bit of time, some would say too much, on LinkedIn posting and reposting articles, views and videos that highlight what we do as a business and what I feel matters most in the Funds industry; often Distribution related as that is my favourite topic. Reposting articles from contacts that I feel are valuable, or just liking something which I think is creative or useful and informative, is something I do on a regular basis.

Recently however I have started to see the other side of LinkedIn, namely the incessant inbox messages from people who can “help” my business or me in my personal life having just connected two minutes before. Now some might argue I could do with some help, however, as someone who has been involved in sales for the last 35 years, I do understand a little bit about how to go about getting clients. At a recent presentation in London for the members of the IIMI, given by the force of nature that is Stacy Havener, we were treated to a masterclass of how to grow clients and assets. I’m pleased to say that Stacy confirmed my approach to sales and that I wasn’t doing it wrong after all these years… phew!

In reality, sales isn’t that difficult. Whilst many people will say they aren’t in sales, the reality is that many of you will be in selling without realising it as you go about your daily lives and interact with external parties. There are many approaches to winning business, but it often comes down to a simple format and the elements that make up that format. So here are some simple guidelines if you want to find clients on LinkedIn.

1. Firstly, identify the firm that you want to work with. Google that! Build a list.
2. Research the firm. What does it do, where does it do it and what makes it the sort of firm you want to work with?
3. Identify the key people. It isn’t always the CEO to go to but someone whose job aligns to what you offer.
4. Research what makes that person tick. Read articles that they have written or have been featured in.
5. Like the article, comment on the article. Note: you aren’t connected at this stage because they don’t know you.
6. Contribute to the article by commenting about relevant information or detail you may have.
7. Continue to like and comment. Remain unconnected.
8. After a few weeks/months they will get to know you. Now connect and leave it like that for a while.
9. Do not swamp them within minutes with how you can help them and what you can do to grow their business and add value. Used-car-sales comes to mind! Stay calm….
10. Continue to comment and like articles but then start to tag them in any articles that you think are relevant to the individual or company.
11. As you are now connected you can now send them articles that you think are relevant. You haven’t pitched you or your company at this point.
12. Build a picture of the person that you are dealing with and work out what will make them interact back with you. Is it an article, a video, a repost or webinar? None of these need to be from your firm to start with but eventually there will be a time when you can send them something that you think is relevant.
13. Don’t expect a huge uptake from them. They are busy people like you, so keep sending articles etc for a while and then you should have a connection that knows you and you know them.
14. Now you can present your credentials and see if there is any uptake. Hopefully you are presenting something that is relevant and they recognise as useful.
15. Ask for a call/meeting to discuss… now it’s all about the pitch/presentation – and that’s another story!

In short, know your potential customer, understand them, let them get to know you and let them understand you so that when you pitch a meeting request, they understand what you are about and you aren’t wasting their time or just as important your own time. Simples!

Points to remember on general LinkedIn activity:

• Stay active on LinkedIn, liking, commenting, and sharing your own and other’s content – it’ll help your own posts get seen by more people.
• LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritises relevant, meaningful, insightful content. If you can create content your target audience finds useful, LinkedIn will show your posts to them more frequently.
• LinkedIn prefers users to stay on the platform so avoid using external links where possible; use posts and LinkedIn articles to share your insights and tag any relevant organisations/people to increase the chances of your post being shared.
• If you’re sharing someone else’s post, add your own commentary or insights. 
• Make sure your profile is filled out fully so if your target audience want to know more about you they can find it easily.

Finally a couple of points on the content… Be very cautious with AI! Most people will easily spot if you are posting your own clearly fully ChatGPT-written posts or relying too heavily on LinkedIn’s AI-based suggested comments (often pretty inane and irrelevant/inappropriate to the post content). A more personalised thoughtful comment on something you have shared is worth a hundred generic AI responses. Now I will await the LinkedIn inbox getting battered by social media gurus and marketing firms. What a can of worms I may have opened – oh well…