The Irony of Trying Not to Be Salesy
Earlier this week, I was advising a colleague to take a direct approach to his LinkedIn connections- a tactic I’m starting to use myself.
“When they accept your request, send a message back or even a video message that says, ‘I connected with you because I help companies like yours with these types of issues. I'm a good follow on this platform, I provide a lot of value for free, and I’m happy to connect in real-time to discuss your specific situation if you ever feel like that would be helpful.’”
“Wow, that seems really direct, and a bit salesy,” he said.
This is where the conversation got interesting. I said, “Compared to what?”
The anti-salesperson
Salespeople are so concerned with sounding like salespeople that they often forget the whole point of outreach. They say things like, “I just want to build my network,” or “I want to connect with like-minded people,” or fill in the blank with whatever “non-salesy” copywriting you want.
It sounds like you’re even trying to convince yourself that you’re not selling… but aren’t you?
The truth of the matter is that most of the outreach done on LinkedIn, an increasingly sales-centric platform, is to connect with people that (you guessed it) you want to sell to!
Let me get this straight, the non-salesy approach is to lie about the fact that you want to sell to them, only to come back and try to sell to them later? Does anybody else see how ridiculous this is?
We’ve come full circle! In order to not appear unethical, we’re going to... lie? 🤔
”Pardon me, Officer…”
The LinkedIn Police will tell you that there is a certain way to make connection requests on the platform (a method that seems to never vary more than 1% from the way they do it). They are loud voices, and what gets lost in the shuffle is that they’re likely using the platform for a very different reason than you.
That kind of noise creates head trash that gets in the way of you doing your best work. I’m here to tell you that friction is not necessary, and it’s certainly not helpful.
You have the right, even an obligation, to be direct. You’re doing your prospects a favor by being direct. I think it’s downright refreshing when people are that direct.
My friend Anthony Iannarino says that good things happen in sales when you put yourself in front of strangers. I think it helps a lot if those strangers know why you’re there.
Let’s be clear about the bad actors out there
I want to say something clearly and acknowledge that there is some very bad behavior on LinkedIn that I don’t appreciate. The “connect-and-pitch” or “pitch slap” techniques that we all get in our inboxes are garbage. Your new connection did not invite a pitch, and they don’t deserve it.
They also don’t deserve an aggressive message in their inbox with a calendar link for you to book a call and connect. For what reason have you earned the privilege of their time? This is pretty audacious.
There’s a difference between cold pitching someone and telling them why you’re reaching out. Telling someone you’ve just connected with (or even in a connection request) why you think you’re a good connection for them is something that I don’t see enough people doing. It’s a huge missed opportunity.
You’ll differentiate yourself from the other connections in their network
You’ll put yourself on their radar with context as to what they should be looking for
You’ll immediately begin to create tension in their thought process (as well as their buying process)
Creating that kind of intrigue right off the bat is priceless. It’s also generous, provided that you are keeping their best interests ahead of your own.
If you’re creating value for people like them in your network, don’t you have an obligation to point it out? Isn’t it better to put that value in front of them rather than just hoping they’ll find it?
Be direct while being respectful
It’s important to note that your expectations should end there. Your new connection owes you nothing. Don’t hound them with relentless DM’s, or make them feel like LinkedIn isn’t a safe place for them to be anymore. No one wants to be pestered.
I’d just like you to consider the additional beneficial attention this would bring you on the platform if you weren’t so coy about why you connect with people (as if they can’t see right through you anyway).
There’s no reason to tie yourself up in knots about the best way to connect, network, or prospect. Transparency goes a long way, and there’s nothing more transparent than telling someone why you intentionally reached out to them.
Always keep in mind that the goal of your outreach should be to establish yourself as someone worth talking to with something worth talking about. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with blatantly saying that. It’s bold, but you can back it up, right?
