In the latest episode of B2B Business Class, I sat down with Liam Darmody, founder of Liam’s Brand Stand, to discuss leveraging LinkedIn Sales Navigator for personal branding and networking.
With over 44,000 followers on LinkedIn at the time of this writing, Liam has built a reputation as a go-to expert for professionals looking to expand their reach and build meaningful connections online.
The Power of LinkedIn for Business Growth
Liam emphasizes that LinkedIn isn’t just a platform to store past work connections — it’s an active tool for forging new relationships and uncovering opportunities.
He argued that too many professionals approach LinkedIn passively rather than as a strategic investment of time.
“Some people view LinkedIn as a place where you store the connections that you made working at places. They're not thinking about the connections you've yet to make that could open doors for you.”
For business owners and professionals looking to expand their networks, Liam suggests engaging in social selling, leveraging LinkedIn’s features to create authentic relationships rather than relying solely on outbound sales techniques.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: A Game-Changer for Outreach
A key highlight of the conversation was Liam’s advocacy for LinkedIn Sales Navigator, a premium tool that allows users to take control of their networking experience.
“By default, LinkedIn puts you in an echo chamber of who they think wants to see your content,” he pointed out. “But with Sales Navigator, you don't have that algorithmic interference.”
By creating targeted lead lists and filtering content to focus on key individuals, Sales Navigator provides an efficient way to engage with potential clients, partners, or industry influencers.
Liam explains how the tool allows users to see content from specific people in their ideal customer profile (ICP) without being limited by LinkedIn’s algorithm.
“ Let’s say I want to make sure that I'm seeing the content from all the leadership coaches in New York City. You can create a specific list for that, see all their content, and you can comment on it within Sales Navigator,” he said. “You can drop 50 comments in an hour, and that puts you on the radar of people in your ICP.”
This approach ensures that LinkedIn engagement is intentional and strategic rather than left to chance.
The Value of Thoughtful Engagement
Liam underscores the importance of commenting as a form of social selling, noting that most LinkedIn users receive minimal engagement.
By consistently leaving valuable insights on other professionals’ posts, business owners can position themselves as industry thought leaders.
"Every comment you leave is a little micro ad for your personal brand,” Liam argued. “If you leave a comment on your ICP's post, they're going to look at your profile. You send them an invitation to connect, you start the conversation, and then that leads to business development opportunities.”
Instead of cold outreach or mass connection requests, Liam suggests focusing on thoughtful interactions that naturally lead to business opportunities.
His strategy involves leaving multiple meaningful comments on a prospect’s posts before sending a connection request, ensuring that the introduction is warm rather than unsolicited.
Recognizing When It’s Time to Invest
For professionals hesitant about paying for LinkedIn’s premium tools, Liam offers a simple litmus test — if you find that your content is primarily reaching the same small circle, it’s time to expand your reach.
”LinkedIn put a change in place so that certain content you create will go to your first-degree connections almost exclusively,” he said. “And then, some content will go to second and third-degree connections, but it tests your first-degree network to see if it should push beyond that.”
That’s why he suggested that rather than waiting for the algorithm to introduce new connections, business owners should take an active role in shaping their LinkedIn experience through targeted outreach and engagement.
Liam’s approach to LinkedIn is refreshingly practical — focus on building relationships, be intentional with engagement, and leverage tools like Sales Navigator to maximize efficiency.
For small business owners, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs, LinkedIn isn’t just a networking site — it’s an investment in future opportunities.
It’s why Liam has become a true ambassador for the platform.
"LinkedIn changed my life. I pivoted my career, built a business, and I’m doing what I love. I’ve got a global network now, and that’s a possibility for everybody.”
Comments