TPMusings

Those of you who have followed my musings over the past several months have seen a many postings about social networking, especially Twitter. Although I have mentioned it in the past, LinkedIn has been underrepresented in those discussions. That’s an unforgivable oversight, as LinkedIn is probably the most important social/business networking tool available. 

 

Since beginning to use LinkedIn, I have made several contacts that have directly lead to business, and a number of connections with important business influencers who I would have been typically been unable to meet and interact with personally. All of this happened because of LinkedIn. In my last thirty years of what you would call networking in the food business, I have made a number of contacts and established relationships that have been retained for decades. But not without intensely working at it. LinkedIn not only helps you build, but is a brilliant tool for relationship development and maintenance. It’s easy, it’s unobtrusive (to the receiver), and it’s brilliantly effective.   

Here are a few tips from a blog I recently found (http://tinyurl.com/o5zwx5). Take notes.

Be authentic and sincere: Don't use the standard LinkedIn invitation. Make it personal, just as you would if you called them or wrote them a letter (a what??) When contacted, answer sincerely and again personalize your response, without inserting links to your website or blog. If they respect you and your work, they will review your profile and connect on their own. 

 

Post articles that inform, and are relevant to their business…and yours. Provide value. 

 

Take some time to fill out your profile. Be complete, be professional, and succinctly outline your capabilities. It should reflect your personality, and the persona you wish to convey. 

 

Solicit recommendations from your key contacts. Real ones from people who others would see as a trusted source and who intimately know your work. If needed, it is appropriate to ask for a specific kind of recommendation; in fact, even fleshing out a couple sentences to show the type you mean. This will assist the solicited with targeting the capability you want to highlight. (By the same token, make sure they feel free to say anything they want. Tell them as much.) 

 

Likewise, only give recommendations to people you know and can truly vouch for. Respectfully decline if you are solicited by someone who does not fit these criteria. 

 

Finally, make sure your headline communicates exactly who you are and what you can do. 

Be consistent: Regularly comment on questions in your area of expertise, and on discussions in your field. 

 

Networking is marketing. Spend at least 30% of networking time on your LinkedIn network and its management.  Spend the remaining 70% on real world networking. Join a handful of related groups and regularly post items there from your blog, and vice versa. Do not overly commercialize any commentary. Use the group comments to drive people to your profile and website/blog. Always add value, teach, and inspire. 

 

I typically focus on two groups for networking: one group focuses on my industry and my professional objectives, and the other on my passions (in my case, F1 racing and photography). Interestingly, these two converge at times as contacts I make thru my passion become business contacts as well (and vice versa!). 

 

Some set up their groups to automatically take their news feeds. That is, your posts appear there automatically. I don’t like this system. I take the extra step to post what I feel is appropriate, where it is appropriate. It better fits my objectives. (Besides, I write on many topics, and write often…not all of my posts fit all my groups!) 

 

Leverage off-network tools:  Use the tools provided to customize your LinkedIn profile link, and then put it on your email signature block, and on your business cards. Link your blog in the profile; again using the toolset to customize the look of the address. 

 

Be welcoming. When somebody joins your group, send them a personal email when you accept them as a member. 

 

Remember, the key behind the golden rule is that it’s your turn first. 

 

Connect with people who use LinkedIn. Use the “search” function often to seek out those you wish to connect with, and browse your connections “connections” for those with a common interest in one (or both) of your objectives. 

 

Maintain a generally humble persona. Don’t assume anything, and always be respectful of your contacts time. However, if you have a valid reason to connect, be bold in asking to do so. 

 

It’s not rocket science…its common sense. Use LinkedIn properly and it will be a boon to your business. Use it incorrectly and it will come back to bite you. Just like life.