Should You Use This New LinkedIn Feature to Get More Sales?
Jun 11, 2024![Should you use this LinkedIn feature to get more sales?](https://kajabi-storefronts-production.kajabi-cdn.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/file-uploads/blogs/2147503441/images/3b4fce-7541-ca80-f7cf-47c15d7782f_Should_You_Use_This_LinkedIn_Feature.png)
I remember having a beeper. It was a beautiful translucent dark green and boy did I feel cool wearing it on my hip. Of course I was only in high school and not important enough to use it for business or anything other than learning how to spell words with numbers and paging my friends. At the time, the technology was trendy and futuristic. Now we think that the 2 million people still using them today must exclusively be in the emergency response and public safety sectors because what business professional would still be using such an antiquated device?
When LinkedIn introduces new, or revamped, features it isn’t a bad thing to get excited about them, but I recommend erring on curiosity and patience if you decide to jump in. Typically new features have their kinks and if they gain traction, only then will they develop into even better tools than their original iteration.
So, if you’re in sales of any kind, tune in to this updated LinkedIn resource that could help you get more at-bats with your ideal target market.
What is a LinkedIn Service Page?
Did you ever use LinkedIn ProFinder? No? You’re not alone. In fact, LinkedIn sunsetted this program in May 2024 and whenever that happens it’s usually because a feature is not being used enough to justify the resources that go in to keep it running. ProFinder was a professional service matching system, but only members on ProFinder could find each other and interact within the system. (Not ideal, especially if you did not know what ProFinder was in the first place!)
Enter the revamped 2.0 version: LinkedIn Service Pages.
When you create a Service Page, it is displayed within your profile and you are referred to as a service provider where any LinkedIn member can contact you to request your listed services. Simple enough.
Once your Service Page is live, it will become searchable on the LinkedIn Services Marketplace. To navigate to the marketplace from your desktop browser, go to the “For Business” button in the top right corner of your LinkedIn account and you should see it sitting under the Sales section.
Who gets access to the LinkedIn Service Page feature?
As of the publishing of this article, anyone can contact a LinkedIn member for a project request who is using this feature and anyone with a LinkedIn Premium Business subscription (or higher, like Sales Navigator) can create the Services Page. Don’t be surprised if you do not have access to it yet, as LinkedIn is gradually rolling out this feature. Also, you can display a basic listing of your services regardless of your subscription, but you will not be able to create the complete Service Page that we’re talking about in this article.
In the meantime, as you view other profiles, pay attention to see if your person-of-interest has a Services profile section. Below is a preview of the version I am testing out (that can be found in within my profile) and “Show all” will take you to the full Services Page where you can submit a request for services. LinkedIn, will then take you through a series of prompted questions to start your inquiry.
If you have any familiarity with posting your services or hiring people on Upwork or Fiverr, think of it like the LinkedIn version of those platforms, but a more basic version.
Should you set up a Service Page?
Are you responsible for earning new business? If the answer is yes, then I recommend you test out the Service Page. Remember, you will need to be subscribed to LinkedIn Premium Business to create your page.
If you have a need (i.e., a graphic designer for a one-off project), I recommend going to the Services Marketplace to find a service provider and see for yourself what the user experience is like; this will give you a solid idea of what your inquirers will experience when they interact with your Service Page.
Below is a preview of the basic ‘dashboard’ to edit your page, review requests, and client projects. (From my experience so far, some of the wording is a bit off. For example in the screenshot below, Laura is not actually a client yet. We are still in conversation.)
I like that LinkedIn adds the “Request services” button on my profile to help people discover my services. The button also appears when I pop up in search results, my newsfeed posts, and messages.
There are limitations when creating your Service Page. For example, you can add up to 10 services, but they must be pre-determined by LinkedIn. While I cannot add “Keynote Speaking” to my Service Page, I can add “Public Speaking” and “Leadership Development.” Take time reviewing the available services. Depending on your industry, it’s possible you will need to get creative in how you position your offerings. This is why building out the description is important.
Another limitation I noticed is that you cannot edit the thumbnail that populates if you choose to include a link to an external website. If no thumbnail populates at all, my advice is to nix the link altogether because your viewers will think it’s a broken URL.
My hot take: Is it perfect? Of course not. Is it worth testing out for a few months? Absolutely.
As I’ve learned more about the Service Pages, the more completed client projects you have, the more opportunities you will get for clients to review your work. Think of it like Google Reviews with a five-star scale and brief testimonials. While I’m not sure yet if I will use it to this extent for my business, I still advocate for leveraging the power of LinkedIn recommendations that we all have access to within our profiles.
If you are a sales leader who is looking to bring the latest trends and tips that work for leveling up your sales team to crush their goals, reach out and let’s explore hiring me to speak at your next incentive trip or awards meeting. Reach out to [email protected] and let’s talk about your upcoming event to see if we’re a match!