It's a good feeling when people check out your LinkedIn profile, especially if viewers are influencers or thought leaders within your industry. But besides giving LinkedIn members an ego boost, what real purpose does the "Who's Viewed Your Profile" function serve? Profile views can be flattering for salespeople, but their usefulness in meeting quota is not immediately apparent.
According to social media and content marketing expert Gerry Moran, a profile view can be a valuable social selling trigger event salespeople can use to their advantage. However, while a view can indicate interest, it's still difficult to know what to do with it. Send a message? An invitation request? An InMail? All or none of the above?
Sales trainer Rick Roberge uses an astoundingly simple yet effective trick for turning a profile view into a conversation.
Whenever someone views Rick's profile, he sends a message consisting of three short sentences. I myself was the recipient of such a message:
Note that this message doesn't just strike up a generic conversation. The question "Did I do something?" prompts the recipient to explain exactly what spurred the profile view, and this information can provide a clear direction for the relationship or a potential next interaction.
While not every profile view will be from an interested prospect, some will be, and salespeople would be remiss not to pursue this stream of "inbound" leads. In addition, following up on profile views is a good way to introduce yourself to new people and expand your network -- which to Jill Rowley equals a salesperson's net worth.
So next time you stop by the "Who's Viewed Your Profile" page, don't just soak up the attention and click away. Do something by messaging each viewer and asking, "Did I do something?" Seeds of a healthy relationship sown.
What do you do after someone views your profile? Let us know in the comments.
