linkedinThere’s only one trick to social selling, and very few sales pros get it right.

It’s probably not surprising to see yet another webinar about LinkedIn. I get invites all the time. But let me cut through the clutter and get to the meat of the matter for salespeople: When it comes to social selling, you can do everything “technically” right and still not see any results.

If you want to boost your sales by tapping into the tremendous power of LinkedIn, then join me on July 22nd at 8:00 a.m. Pacific for a no-nonsense, 38-minute webinar. Sponsored by the One Page Business Plan Company, this webinar will enable salespeople to win at LinkedIn, without in-your-face selling!

Click here to register for the webinar. Plus, check out the latest blog posts from No More Cold Calling:

Stop Throwing Away Good Business

When you’re looking for a new accountant, marketing firm, lawyer, technology solution, bank, or even hair stylist, I bet you don’t just pick one at random. Sure, you do a little Internet research. But you also ask people you trust who they trust. You ask them for a referral. (Read “Stop Throwing Away Good Business.”)

[Message to Management]: Why Great Sales Leaders Listen

I met Todd McCormick, senior vice president of sales for Silverpop, at a marketing conference years ago. We’ve stayed in touch, shared research, exchanged ideas on increasing sales, and even disagreed with each other’s points of view.But there’s one thing we’ve always agreed on: A high-touch strategy drives sales. In this guest post, he shares his take on how much the personal touch matters—not only in sales, but also in sales leadership. (Read “[Message to Management]: Why Great Sales Leaders Listen.”)

Stop Spamming People

How many unsolicited emails do you get each day? Today I received 25 … before 10:00 a.m. And I didn’t open a single one. I’m not interested in student loan assistance, Russian beauties, light therapy for depression, cat food coupons, or getting a college degree. I also delete plenty of emails about inside sales campaigns and offers for lists of leads. I happen to know cold calling doesn’t work. And neither does spamming people whose names and contact information you bought. (Read “Stop Spamming People.”)

I Take It Back: My Apology to Dan McDade

Over the years, I have made it very clear that I don’t believe marketing has any business qualifying leads for salespeople. As adamant as I’ve always been about this belief, I read The Truth About Leads, by prospect-development expert, Dan McDade. I like Dan, but I didn’t expect to agree with him. I was wrong. If every company followed his advice, they would stop the cold calling and cold emailing stupidity, and actually get qualified leads. (Read “I Take It Back: My Apology to Dan McDade.”)

How to Send an Unforgettable LinkedIn Invitation

Always personalize your LinkedIn invitation. Your goal is to begin a conversation and ultimately build a relationship. There’s nothing personal about the standard invite. You just hit a button, and the recipient is just another number, not a true connection. The key to increasing your sales pipeline is making connections that count, so take the time to do it right. (Read “How to Send an Unforgettable LinkedIn Invitation.”)

Are You Getting Duped by the “Experts”?

What is social selling, anyway? Is it just the latest buzzword bandied about by shifty trainers, or an actual sales strategy with teeth? Whenever a new selling term surfaces, suddenly legions of experts appear, ready to take your money. They make outrageous promises that are “guaranteed” to increase sales effectiveness overnight. But before you write that check, remember social selling isn’t a magical cure for all your sales challenges. (Read “Are You Getting Duped by the ‘Experts’?”)

Do Your Connections Count?

Thousands of people have subscribed to my newsletter. But I’m not connected with thousands of people on LinkedIn. The reason is simple. LinkedIn is not a numbers game. So stop counting connections and focus on creating connections that count.

Of course, just because we aren’t connected doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. Click through to my LinkedIn profile. Am I the type of professional connection that makes sense for your business? Can we help each other? If you answered “yes” to both questions, send me a personal invitation to join your network. But please don’t use the standard LinkedIn invite. Make your case, and let’s start a conversation!