In a previous post I talk about how today’s socially-savvy sellers find ways to warm up leads and avoid the dreaded cold call. Not surprisingly, many of these smart people use LinkedIn as their primary source of intelligence gathering. With over 160 Million users in over 200 countries, LinkedIn is the defacto social network for business. And while it’s great for finding new clients, it’s equally valuable as a way to learn about customers you already serve.

What follows are five ways smart sales people use LinkedIn to build their personal brand, manage their time more effectively, and prospect for new clients. In case you were wondering, none of these tips require a paid LinkedIn account.

And a gentle reminder: your audience on LinkedIn is not recruiters – it’s customers. If you do a great job, recruiters will find you. That’s their job. [Read more…]