How My Coaching Client Got Referrals From A Rejection | Donald C. Kelly - 1989

It’s early in the morning, and you’re getting ready to look for prospects on LinkedIn. Every conversation is a precious gem, but how can you shine while reaching out? I have a LinkedIn strategy that helped my coaching client. I’m telling you it works because he got five referrals from using it.

Breaking Through the Noise on LinkedIn

• One of the biggest challenges right now is standing out on LinkedIn. A strategy I’ve been using with a coaching client helped him build momentum when his pipeline was low.
• He focused on a specific conference and engaged with people who liked or commented on the posts.
• From there, he sent personalized connection requests along with short videos or voice messages to show he was a real person. No pitch right away, just starting the conversation and building engagement.

Turning a “No” into Referrals

• One conversation stood out. He connected with someone who had used his software before but didn’t need it anymore.
• Instead of moving on, he asked a simple question: who else do you know that could benefit from this? That one question turned into five referrals from a single “no.”

Maximizing Every Opportunity

• Too many people walk away from conversations too early. Every interaction is a chance to move something forward. Sometimes that means asking for a referral, even if the answer isn’t yes.
• People you’ve worked with before can be some of your best advocates. And this approach isn’t limited to LinkedIn. You can use it in emails, calls, or anywhere you’re having conversations.

“Your success isn’t on their mind, but when you ask, you shall receive.” — Donald C. Kelly

Resources

• Keep track of your sales activity and boost your results with the Prospect Pro sales tool.
• Step up your sales game with Sales Mastermind. Get accountability, stay motivated, and tackle the blockers keeping you from hitting your goals.
• Visit Blue Mango Studios for help in creating podcast production content.

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and produced by Brightseed and Hill.