MNI University’s LinkedIn for Sales Pros series continued with a second live workshop, this time focused on the art of turning connections into conversations that convert. Led by community builder and coach Ingor van Rooi, the session reminded sales professionals that the real power of LinkedIn isn’t in the number of connections you collect. Rather, it’s in the relationships you build.
As Zig Ziglar famously said: “If people like you, they’ll listen to you. If they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” In today’s digital-first sales environment, trust (not tactics) is what drives results.
From Handshakes to Hashtags
Sales has shifted from conference rooms to comment threads. LinkedIn is now the modern sales floor, where prospects form opinions and relationships before the first meeting ever happens. Successful reps understand this mindset shift: it’s not about quick wins, but about showing up consistently and authentically where your buyers are already spending time.
The 3-Step Strategy: Connect. Communicate. Collaborate.
Ingor outlined her simple but powerful framework for social selling success:
• Connect strategically, not randomly. Think quality over quantity.
• Communicate to build trust, not to pitch. Hard sells push prospects away; real conversations bring them closer.
• Collaborate to turn dialogue into business, partnerships, and referrals.
Here are a few more takeaways you’ll want to employ going forward:
Community Over Echo Chambers
Don’t limit yourself to just your industry bubble. Engaging across adjacent industries, thought leaders, and even challengers to your perspective helps expand your network and credibility. Growth happens when your buyers notice you stepping outside your comfort zone.
Why Engagement Comes Before Content
Yes, posting is important, but commenting comes first. Meaningful engagement with others’ posts earns attention, strengthens relationships, and boosts your visibility in the algorithm. Even a thoughtful comment can position you as a trusted voice worth following.
Ditch the “Pitch Slap”
Few things turn buyers off faster than a cold, copy-paste pitch in their inbox. Direct messages should build rapport, not pressure. The goal is to sound human, curious, and genuinely interested in the other person, because that’s how trust begins.
Daily LinkedIn in 12 Minutes
Ingor recommends initially spending 12 minutes a day to start growing your community. In the grand scheme of things, this may seem so little, but in 5 days, it equates to an hour on LinkedIn, which will make a difference if done strategically.
Here are some quick actions you can take to make this simple daily habit impactful:
• Send one connection request to someone outside your industry.
• Comment meaningfully on a potential collaborator’s post.
• Repeat consistently.
Once you're more comfortable, you will probably spend more time on the platform, but this initial amount of time is more than enough to help you start getting “Linked In”
Why Conversations Win
Warm relationships don’t just feel better, they also shorten sales cycles, lead to repeat business, and open doors to collaborations you’d never reach with cold outreach alone.
Conversations, not tactics, are what drive sustainable deals.
Profiles Still Matter
The session wrapped with a live profile review, reinforcing the essentials: a professional headshot, a clear banner, a value-driven headline, and consistent posting. Just like in part one, yourprofile remains your digital handshake.
See the full course recording below!
IndustrySelect: Backing Your Outreach with Real Data
Of course, even the best conversation needs the right starting point. That’s where IndustrySelect comes in. With verified contacts, executive titles, emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles, you can spend less time guessing and more time building real relationships.
Sales pros pair IndustrySelect with LinkedIn to create a powerful one-two punch:
• IndustrySelect provides the verified prospect list.
• LinkedIn turns that list into warm, trust-based conversations.
Set up your free demo account today, loaded with 500 real company profiles, and see how easy it is to take your connections further.
Want to take your LinkedIn skills a step further? Register for Part Three of Ingor’s course: LinkedIn for Sales Pros Part Three: The Content Confidence Blueprint for Manufacturing Sales