As big of a platform LinkedIn is for developing connections and furthering businesses, some sales tactics have detrimental consequences. In recent trends, unfortunately for salespeople, some have moved many of their bad habits onto LinkedIn. This doesn’t solely include sending spammy InMails or connection requests, salespeople are also abusing LinkedIn in many other ways. Such a topic of discussion has been more present as many buyers and sellers are becoming more aware of the issue. From their perspective, four responses include:
- Uncustomized, Cold LinkedIn Connection Requests
- A recent habit by most salespeople has been using the default connection request message. Not putting time in creating a tailored message. Most people who receive connection requests are more inclined to do so if a salesperson puts even just a small amount of effort in creating a customized message.
- The Quickie LinkedIn Sales Pitch
- Salespeople aren’t stopping their spammy habits once prospects accept their connection requests. It doesn’t just end there. A typical manner portrayed by most salespeople goes something along the lines of acquiring a connection and then immediately sending them a promotional InMail within hours. InMails including a quick pitch of how great they are, how great their company is, and how much that prospect could benefit from them. Most of the time, prospects result to deleting the InMail because the email is spammy and not tailored to their concerns.
- Spamming LinkedIn Group Discussions
- This spammy sales tactic is a personal pet peeve of most. Companies sometimes do whatever they can in order to get their name out there. There’s a right way to do so, and a wrong way. This would be the wrong way. An example is when someone pops in and out of multiple group chats in order to post links to their content. No one enjoys this type of advertising. If anything, it ticks people off more.
- Creating Fake LinkedIn Accounts to Spy on Competitors
- Instead of creating their own customer base, some salespeople spend a lot of unnecessary time figuring out which competitors they can try and steal clients from. LinkedIn lets their members see second-degree connections by default, so some salespeople connect with their competitors on LinkedIn to see who their competitor’s customers are. Realistically speaking, most salespeople are smart enough not to connect with their competitors. So, in very competitive industries, salespeople resort to creating fake accounts. This course of action is a waste of time and focuses on attempting to create demand in an immoral manner.
With the acknowledgement of these 4 spammy sales tactics, salespeople are able to distinguish between what is effective and what is not. In doing so, terminating such habits can lead to many future benefits.
BoweryJE22
I completely agree. We sales people and professional we need to stop hiding behind get ups and “faking it” on avenues such as Linked In.
This is such an interesting post, in my opinion. I didn’t realize that this was going on, and I cannot see the logic behind using these tactics. LinkedIn is a professional social network, where users are expected to behave in a professional manner, and these tactics are, quite simply, not professional. This almost seems like a modern “used car salesman.”
It’s funny because my dad talks to me about this all the time. He tells me that the internet is a scary place where no one can be trusted.. This is why I find that LinkedIn and Facebook profiles just aren’t good places to make first impressions of people.