LinkedIn is an ideal platform for service business owners to generate new sales leads and reach prospects who have given explicit permission for you to contact them. And the best way to do it? LinkedIn messaging, of course.

LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to connect with professionals in your industry that might not be actively looking for work but will respond if approached in the right way.

This article will walk you through how to create a new sales funnel that drives more prospects to the top of your sales funnel, using LinkedIn as the primary tool.

Step 1: Use LinkedIn to Find Customers Who Want Your Services

I know, right? The first step in a sales funnel is finding prospects. You'll need to go through and filter out the folks who aren't looking for your services by using keywords like "employee", "CEO", etc., so you can hone in on people who can be easily persuaded to buy from you.

You can find prospects through the following types of searches:

Company name + keywords like "accountant", "escrow officer", etc. Use as many terms as possible that describe your type of services and what kinds of roles your ideal clients play (business owner, director, VP).

Industry + keywords that describe your specific services (e.g. "corporate recruiter" vs "executive search"). It's easier to get people in the door who are already on LinkedIn than it is to find prospects among people who aren't on social media. And once they're there, you can use messaging to get them to come back to your website.

Step 2: Create a Sales Script Using LinkedIn Messaging

Here's how it works: You set up an InMail (LinkedIn's private messaging system) using the information you gathered above and send them a message with a casual, friendly tone that says something like "As an entrepreneur myself, I thought you might find this article [link] interesting."

You can use a similar script to advertise your services on LinkedIn. Here's how mine looks:

Hi! I'm a recruiter, and I noticed that you're interested in recruiting for startups. One of my clients is looking for marketing talent right now are you available and interested, or know of anyone who would be? Thanks so much.

We've gotten a 10% response rate for most of our clients using these kinds of messages. which is enough to take your services/sales to the next level

Step 3: Turn Prospects Into Clients With A Sales Funnel Using LinkedIn Messages

You should try to connect with your prospects right away so they can see that you're accessible and willing to help them out. Take the time to send a message and connect with each person you find in your prospecting search, even if it's just a quick hello.

If you're particularly interested in a prospect, move them from the "prospect" category to "client" by continuing the conversation until they've given you an opportunity to do some work for them.

Once they know what your services are and what you can do for them, set up a meeting or have one of their colleagues come into your office or set up a call with you. And remember: It's an investment that your time and expertise can provide, not just what you're selling. You don't want to be "the biggest", you want to be the best service provider in town at helping people solve a problem in their business they didn't know existed.

Social Growth Engine is a LinkedIn marketing agency that helps business owners grow their accounts to drive sales. We provide clients with the expertise they need in order to grow their account and use it as an effective lead generation tool for all of your services. If you’ve been struggling with how to improve your social media presence, we can help! Let us know about what challenges you face, and our team will recommend a service specifically for your needs.