Converting Strangers Into Sales Using LinkedIn

If you're a Reddit fan, you've probably come across threads where sales professionals debate the effectiveness of social selling. One common topic: “Does social selling actually work?”

Here are a few paraphrased takes from the comment section:

• “I know top-performing reps who don’t touch LinkedIn.”
• “The C-level buyers I target have ghost profiles. They don’t accept connections or post anything.”

So, it’s a fair question: If the people you want to reach aren’t active, is it worth the effort?

The answer is: yes … but with context.

Let’s frame this with Thought Transformation’s AIM framework, which is a simple model we developed for effective business development. To make a sale, three things need to happen:

1. Awareness: The buyer must be aware of your existence.
2. Interest: They need to see relevance in your messages.
3. Motivation: They must feel it’s worth the time to take the next step, which is generally a meeting.

Social selling supports the AIM approach because LinkedIn can:

• Make your name and solution more visible (awareness).
• Show how you solve relevant problems (interest).
• Position you as credible enough to warrant a meeting (motivation).

But social selling isn’t a miracle cure. It’s work. And you work smarter when you understand how different categories of buying targets behave within the LinkedIn platform. The categories are:

• Don’t Care: These users have a profile, but it’s outdated or inactive. They don’t post, don’t accept connections. They likely have notifications turned off. Social selling won’t work here—and that’s okay. They’re better reached through other channels.
• Onlookers: This group lurks in the background. They log in regularly, scroll through their feed, and stay informed—but never engage. They might see your posts, even click your content, but they rarely reply to messages or comment publicly. These buyers require multi-channel strategies, where LinkedIn supports but doesn’t carry the whole weight.
• Engaged: These are your social selling targets. They comment, share, and post. They actively build their brand and look to LinkedIn for professional insight. They’re also the most likely to respond to outreach, especially if you’ve already interacted with their content. This group is probably 30% or less of LinkedIn members, but they’re also the target group where social selling stands the greatest chance of being effective.

The key is to identify who’s who. This is easier with a LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator account, because you have access to more information about people you are not linked to, such as seeing who’s active by checking their recent posts and even seeing their comments. You can also view mutual connections and shared groups.

Once you know where your buyers fall, you can tailor your approach.

• For engaged buyers, start by liking their posts. Go ahead and allow people to see you looked at their page. When it makes sense, comment on their posts. Follow the company as well as the buyer.
• For onlookers, focus on consistent visibility. Your posts may build familiarity over time.
• For “don’t care” buyers, respect the fact that LinkedIn may not be the right door—and go knock elsewhere.

Bottom Line

Social selling does work, but only if you use it strategically. It’s not about pitching everyone. It’s about knowing who’s active, engaging authentically, and building relationships over time. Not everyone is reachable on LinkedIn—but the ones who are? They’re often your warmest path to a meeting.

Want more visibility with the right kind of buyer? Start by being visible to them first.

For more tips, read “Social Selling Strategies: Making the Most of LinkedIn Contacts.”

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.