Social selling and referrals: LinkedIn, content and word of mouth

Get buyers coming to you through a profile written for them, steady useful content and a referral habit you can measure.

Cold outreach gets harder every year, and most salespeople respond by sending more of it. The sellers who do well in the long run have something else working for them: buyers who already know their name before the first call, and clients who send friends their way. This course shows you how to build that on purpose. You rewrite your profile for buyers, plan content you can keep up, comment in ways that start real conversations, and move those conversations to meetings. Then you set up a referral habit, run client events and measure what all of it brings in, so you know which parts to keep.

What you'll be able to do

• Rewrite your LinkedIn profile so a buyer understands in seconds what problem you help with
• Build a content plan you can keep up alongside a full sales job
• Leave comments that add something and start conversations with the right people
• Move a public conversation to a direct message and then to a meeting without being pushy
• Ask for referrals at the moments clients are most willing, with consent built in
• Run a small client event that strengthens relationships and brings in introductions
• Track social selling and referral activity against meetings and deals

Syllabus

Module 1: Write a profile buyers want to contact

Why buyers check you before replying, and how to rewrite each part of your LinkedIn profile so it speaks to the people you want to sell to rather than to recruiters.

• 1.1 Buyers look you up before they reply
• 1.2 Headline and about section for one buyer
• 1.3 Proof: recommendations, featured posts and examples
• 1.4 Rewrite your profile from top to bottom

Module 2: Plan content you can keep up

How a salesperson decides what to post, how often and in what formats, so content builds trust with buyers without becoming a second job.

• 2.1 Content that sells starts with buyer questions
• 2.2 Four post types a salesperson can rotate
• 2.3 A rhythm you will still keep in three months
• 2.4 Build a 90-day content plan

Module 3: Comment and engage without spamming

How to use comments and reactions on other people's posts to get noticed by buyers and the people they listen to, without coming across as a salesperson fishing for leads.

• 3.1 Comments often reach more buyers than posts
• 3.2 What makes a comment worth reading
• 3.3 A 15-minute daily engagement routine

Module 4: Turn comments into conversations and meetings

How to move someone from a public interaction to a direct message, and from a direct message to a meeting, with a reason at each step that serves them.

• 4.1 When to move from comment to direct message
• 4.2 The first direct message is about them
• 4.3 Suggesting the meeting without the hard sell
• 4.4 Run your comment-to-meeting pipeline

Module 5: Ask for referrals at the right moment

When clients are most willing to refer, how to ask in a way that is easy for them to say yes to, and how to handle personal data properly.

• 5.1 Referrals come from moments, not from asking more often
• 5.2 Ask for a specific kind of person
• 5.3 Consent comes first
• 5.4 Make five referral asks

Module 6: Handle introductions and say thank you properly

How to make introductions easy, follow up with referred contacts respectfully, and thank the person who referred you in a way that makes them want to do it again.

• 6.1 The double opt-in introduction
• 6.2 Following up a referred contact
• 6.3 The thank-you that brings the next referral
• 6.4 Build your referral system

Module 7: Bring clients together with events and community

How small client events and a community around your work build relationships, give clients a reason to bring friends, and keep you in mind between sales.

• 7.1 Why small events work better than big ones
• 7.2 Plan and run a client event
• 7.3 Community between events
• 7.4 Run a small client event

Module 8: Measure what social selling brings in

How to track social selling and referral activity against meetings and deals so you know which parts are worth your time, and what to change.

• 8.1 Measures that matter and vanity numbers
• 8.2 Tag every lead with its source
• 8.3 Your monthly review and 90-day plan

Frequently asked questions

How long does the course take?

About eight hours of lessons and exercises across eight modules. The final project runs for 60 days alongside your normal work, at around 15 minutes a day.

Do I need a big following?

No. The course starts with your profile and with commenting on other people's posts, which works with no audience of your own.

How is this different from Social media and short-form video?

That course teaches content production: filming, editing and growing an audience. This course uses a little content as part of selling and focuses on turning attention into conversations, meetings and referrals.

I am a financial adviser. Can I use this?

Yes, but check your firm's rules first. Posts, testimonials and referral gifts are areas where financial advisers in Singapore have extra rules, covered in Selling financial advice in Singapore: needs-based and compliant.

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