Are you
looking to build the relationships you need and want for business?
Part of
building relationships is carrying on a conversation, like you were meeting
someone in life for the first time. This all begins on LinkedIn with the
connections we make. In real life, real
time networking situations, we respond to each other and find out all about the
other person first, before we say anything about ourselves...or at least that
is what should be happening. When we immediately start pitching our stuff, we
turn people off. They want to run away.
The same is
true on LinkedIn.
When we
accept a connection, the first thing we should do is click the tiny envelope
beside their name and send them a cordial "thank you for linking up"
kind of message, and invite them to connect with you on your other platforms of
online media.
Remember, it
is not all about you. It is about how many people you can help.
Once you make
that initial connection, the next step is to check their profile and find out
all you can about them. Search for ways that you can serve them to add value to
your relationship. For example, if you know of someone in your connections who would
be a great possible client for them, introduce them. I have done this many
times, and had cheques mailed to me as a result of business that has been
generated. It is called working joint ventures (JV's).
Moving on to
the next step.
The secret to
LinkedIn is in the groups.
Many business
owners think that the secret to the groups on LinkedIn is interacting and
taking part in all the discussions, but how can one manage to take part in 100
different group conversations every day?
With the new
platform, we can now join up to 100 groups. However, before you get all
overwhelmed, there are ways to keep in communication with all these groups
without having to spend the entire day responding to comments and posting. The
key is to join groups that would contain your ideal types of clients. For
instance, if you had a health and wellness business, you would not join all
health and wellness groups, because everyone in those groups is looking for the
same type of clients you are. Think where your past clients came from, and join
those groups.
It used to be
that you could go into each group that you were a member of and search through
the members for your target audience and potential clients. That is no longer
the case. LinkedIn has set their search systems up, so that you do not go into
the groups to perform this search.
Now you just
use the "Advanced" search.
The Advanced
search allows you to choose which area you would like to search. Among those
are the groups. You can choose which of your groups you would like to search
each time.
You can also
set the Advanced search up so that it will continue to search with those
parameters you have set up and let you know when your search has found
potential clients for you.
Also, you can
change your search parameters any time you like being as specific as you like.
The Marketing
Mentress has a 2 hour webinar coming up on the 19th of November from 6-8pm
MDT. It is called "Secrets of the
Groups". If you want to know all the tricks you can employ through the use
of group searches and how to maximize your time with them, this is a great
webinar. Learn how to make money with the groups.
Register to
save your seat: http://li202groupsecrets2.eventbrite.ca
I look
forward to helping you.
Tip #6 will be The Three Reasons Why Groups are the Key.
Christine Till
The Marketing Mentress
1-780-904-9557
marketingmentress@gmail.com
Twitter: @mktgmentress
Excellent post, as always, Christine! Thank you for reminding us how to keep communication on LinkedIn simple, effective, and strategic.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Kathy!
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