This past week I retweeted this message from Jaime Stein, a Social Media Leader from ING Direct Canada.
With so many social networks at our disposal, some people treat Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all the same. I believe there are subtle and not so subtle differences between the networks. The biggest may be connecting/following people. In my opinion, LinkedIn is the best social media tool available for the B2B Sales Rep. The power of LinkedIn is in its connections, especially 2nd connections. Here are some tips to help you start making great personal Linkedin connections.
1. Connect With People You Know
It is hard to build and leverage a relationship with someone you don’t know. To get the most out of your LinkedIn experience connect with people you know first. If I get an invite from someone I don’t know, I will ask them for a quick call or coffee to talk about how we could help each other. Often these unsolicited invitees don’t follow-up, but I have actually created some good relationships with new people once we had the chance to connect.
2. Give People A Reason To Connect
I will write a personal greeting before the generic greeting for the LinkedIn connection invite. It takes a few seconds but can really help busy connections remember the context about how they know you.
3. Leverage the past
When you start out on Linkedin, connect with former colleagues, customers, friends, and classmates. The more connections you have, the greater visibility you will have within LinkedIn. Make sure you are connected to previous and current employers’ company pages.
4. Connect After
After a networking event or a meeting, be sure to add all contacts that you met. Doing it while you are fresh in their mind will mean a better opportunity for a connection in the future.
5. People You May Know
This is an excellent feature within LinkedIn that suggest connections. I have found this a great way to connect with people that are from the past or maybe just starting out with LinkedIn.
These tips will allow you to make better, and more, connections and help foster better on-line and off-line relationships. Follow VA Partners on LinkedIn for updates on blogs and great third party articles on sales, marketing and social media. If we should be connected but are not, please send me an invite on LinkedIn.
