Linked to Influence

by Stephanie Sammons

  If you want to save time with posting status updates to LinkedIn, I recommend using a tool like Buffer. With Buffer, you can preload the status updates you want to share and have them post according to a schedule that you set up. This allows you to share content when it would be most effective rather than when you find it. For example, if you find valuable links to content you want to share with your network in the middle of the night, you can add them to Buffer and schedule them to post the next day.

  There is a caveat to using third-party tools to manage your LinkedIn status updates. The connection between LinkedIn and third-party tools tends to break more often than it does with other social networks. That means you have to reauthorize your LinkedIn account from time to time to reconnect it with the outside tool.

  Also, when posting status updates to LinkedIn from third-party tools, images may not resolve correctly in the news feeds of your connections. Always double check how your updates look to others by reviewing your LinkedIn activity screen (accessible from your homepage).

  The fastest way to start growing your visibility and influence with your network on LinkedIn is by adding value through your status updates. When you become consistently visible and valuable, you will build greater personal influence with your network.

  Now that you understand how to effectively become more active on LinkedIn, it’s time to learn how to take it to the next level and start networking smarter!

  Chapter 4—RULE #4: Network Smarter

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  You can have everything you want in life if you will just help enough other people get what they want.

  - Zig Ziglar

  When I began my career with a major financial firm in 1995, I was charged with finding new clients who would invest their retirement assets with me. My boss gave me a cubicle to sit in, a telephone, and a White Pages phone book. The basic instructions I received were to “smile and dial” for new prospects.

  There is nothing more miserable than having to cold-call strangers at dinnertime. It is dreadful. I knew right away that I would have to figure out another way to meet prospective clients. I found that networking was the best way to meet my ideal clients and build relationships with them.

  Although networking worked well back in those days, it still took months and sometimes years to develop the high level of trust required for someone to ultimately do business with me.

  LinkedIn has changed professional networking forever. It is a virtual, global, professional networking event that is going on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We can connect and converse with people on LinkedIn in minutes, not hours. We can also narrow down our networking on LinkedIn to focus on our niches and local cities and towns. LinkedIn accelerates and scales the relationship-building process like never before.

  The majority of LinkedIn members are there to build their professional networks, stay informed, grow their visibility, and find business or career opportunities. Your goal with LinkedIn networking is simple. It is to help the members of your network get what they need and want! This is networking smarter.

  Let me explain. Networking smarter requires a paradigm shift. You don’t have to ever promote your business when you are networking smarter. Instead, your role is to go into LinkedIn and search for opportunities to guide and serve your network members. What do they need? What do they want? Who do they need to know? What will make them look good to their networks?

  Do you see the difference? Good. Let’s move forward.

  Get Them in Your 1st-Degree Network

  The best way to guide and serve others on LinkedIn is to get the right people into your network. This is why building a smarter network on LinkedIn is so critical. For a refresher on how to build a smarter network, go back and review Chapter 2 (Rule #2).

  When you invite a new person into your 1st-degree network, you gain more information about them. The more you know about someone, the easier it is to connect them with the right people and opportunities.

  You also gain greater access to your 1st-degree connections. You can have a one-to-one dialogue with them through LinkedIn messaging and accelerate the relationship-building process.

  If your 1st-degree connections make their connections public, you can learn who they are connected to and the connections you have in common with them.

  Higher-quality networking is more achievable with your 1st-degree network. Networking outside of this circle can take place, as well, it is just a little more difficult and, most of the time, requires that you have a premium LinkedIn account (which I do recommend).

  Be a Giver on LinkedIn

  The simple secret to getting what you want is giving others what they want. When you genuinely give to others to help them solve a problem, improve, get smarter, or expand their network on LinkedIn, it will come back to you. You will trigger the Rule of Reciprocity.

  When the Rule of Reciprocity is triggered, the people you help will feel some level of obligation to help you in return. However, there is a catch. The catch is that you must be genuine and authentic in your giving. You must sincerely feel it and mean it. You also must expect nothing in return.

  When you become a giver on LinkedIn, you will spend your time on activities such as promoting, acknowledging, thanking, endorsing, congratulating, sharing, asking, conversing, introducing, referring, and connecting others.

  Here is a story about the power of giving on LinkedIn. One of my 1st-degree connections sent me a LinkedIn message asking for my help. Let’s call him Dan (not his real name). Dan believed that someone I was connected with on LinkedIn would be the perfect client for him. Dan asked in his LinkedIn message if I could refer him to this individual.

  This made me uncomfortable, as it would most people. I didn’t really know Dan that well yet, and I was pretty sure that my contact did not need the services he was offering. My response to Dan was to say that I knew my contact was already taken care of in this area, but that I would keep my eyes and ears open for him.

  Several weeks later, I heard from Dan again. This time, he did something very different. Instead of asking me to refer him to someone I knew, he gave me a referral. Not only that, but Dan set up the referral relationship perfectly by providing me with contact information and stating, “She will be expecting your call.” All I had to do was call and initiate contact with this referral.

  The referral Dan sent to me through LinkedIn ended up becoming a client. Now, I go above and beyond to send Dan introductions and referrals whenever I can.

  The moral of the story? Give to earn. When you genuinely give something of value without ever asking for anything in return, you will earn that value back. You will have triggered the Rule of Reciprocity.

  Leverage the 80/20 Pareto Principle

  You may be familiar with the Pareto Principle, which says that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your actions. The Pareto Principle can be leveraged throughout your entire LinkedIn presence.

  • Twenty percent of your actions on LinkedIn will produce 80 percent of your results

  • Twenty percent of your time spent on LinkedIn will produce 80 percent of your results

  • Twenty percent of your network will produce 80 percent of your results

  I am a huge fan of leveraging the Pareto Principle on LinkedIn. By using the 80/20 rule, you will narrow your networking focus. This will save you time, effort, and energy, and help you achieve your desired results more quickly.

  Networking activities on LinkedIn are not created equal. There are certain networking activities that have a greater impact than others. These are the 20 percent “networking smarter” activities that I will be focusing on in this chapter.

  You will also want to identify your MVCs (Most Valuable Connections) on LinkedIn. Your MVCs might include clients or customers, prospects, decision-makers, professional partners, referral sources, industry leaders and influencers, journalists, and your most loyal advocates.

  I will share more about focusing on your MVCs short
ly. For now, just understand that your MVCs are the most important people in your network. Spending your LinkedIn networking time with these individuals will accelerate your success.

  Networking smarter on LinkedIn is really about focusing on the right people with the right actions. When you do this, you save time, energy, and effort.

  Gather Intelligence about the People in Your Network

  One of the major advantages of social networks and the Internet is that you can learn personal and professional details about any of the connections you make online. Having access to these details can help you find common connection points for starting conversations, nurturing relationships, and serving the people you are connected to.

  Reid Hoffman, cofounder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, refers to being intelligent about your network as being “network literate.” Hoffman says that we’ve moved from the Information Age to the Networked Age and that a major part of the process to becoming network literate is utilizing network technology and intelligence.5

  A key to successful networking on LinkedIn is gathering intelligence about those you want to connect with and those you are already connected with. When you learn more about people, you can leverage your common connection points to strengthen the relationship.

  I have a financial advisor friend who landed a new client because they saw on one of her social media profiles that she loved to snow ski! This is a true story. Common connection points can create instant bonds with people.

  This also means you have to showcase the things you care about and enjoy on social networks, including LinkedIn. Share as much information about yourself as you are comfortable with. Of course, you don’t ever want to get too personal. Just share the things that can connect you with others who are similar to you or have things in common with you.

  The power of your network is only as strong as your knowledge about the people within your network. Understanding their needs, goals, dreams, passions, and challenges is critical to adding value to their personal and professional lives.

  Engage in “Five-Minute” LinkedIn Favors

  A key difference between offline networking and online social networking is the ability to engage in quick but meaningful actions that increase your influence with others. You can actually engage in helping your network members with small favors, in small increments of time, and still be highly effective.

  Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, calls these actions five-minute favors. The idea of five-minute favors is to add high value to the lives of others at a low personal cost. You don’t have to invest substantial time and energy to help and serve others on social networks like LinkedIn.

  These small digital favors for others can differentiate you and position you as a valuable resource to your network.

  Examples of five-minute LinkedIn favors might include connecting two people together who can benefit from meeting, sharing a valuable resource, or sending a private LinkedIn message that provides feedback or assistance. You can even give a five-minute favor through posting an answer or recommendation within a LinkedIn group discussion.

  To make this strategy work, you want to keenly observe your network and listen to them within LinkedIn and outside of LinkedIn. Look for opportunities to answer questions, solve problems, or provide an actual resource.

  When networking on LinkedIn, constantly be on the lookout for these five-minute favor opportunities.

  Notice (and Act) on the Little Things

  LinkedIn makes it easy for you to stay updated on some of the little things happening with your network. Are you noticing?

  Make sure to subscribe to the LinkedIn Updates e-mail (you can turn these e-mails on in your LinkedIn “Privacy & Settings”). LinkedIn will send you a customized daily e-mail about the members of your network who are having birthdays, work anniversaries, job changes, or “in the news” appearances.

  Another way to get these updates is through the LinkedIn Connected app. This is the mobile app I covered in Chapter 2 (Rule #2) that can help you quickly scan through these opportunities on a daily basis. You can send short, personalized messages to your connections directly from the app!

  These small gestures of acknowledgement may not seem like a big deal, but they are. They give you the opportunity to stay top of mind with your connections on an individual basis, and it lets them know you are paying attention. Most LinkedIn members don’t bother to notice or act on these small events.

  Become a Connection Specialist on LinkedIn

  Connecting two people together by making an introduction or referral is one of the most effective ways to build your network influence. It also allows you to help two people at the same time.

  Getting to know your 1st-degree connections better can help tremendously with making relevant introductions. I suggest starting by making a few lists of important connections that you can study and learn more about.

  Starting with the people in your network who you already know well makes the process of finding valuable introductions to make easier. Make a list of your clients, your strategic partners, and the top influencers in your network. You can tag these individuals accordingly and also record private notes about them within LinkedIn. (You could also do this using your own Client Relationship Manager [CRM] tool.)

  Use LinkedIn’s advanced search tool to find your 1st-degree connections who live in the same location, work in the same industry, and share the same interests (use keywords to find common interests in your searches).

  For example, I’ve conducted a search of my 1st-degree connections who work in Dallas and have an interest in golf. That search returned over four hundred results! Think about all of the introductions I could make just based on these common connection points. I could also invite a group out to play golf and make introductions.

  You can initiate an introduction between two people on LinkedIn by sharing their profiles. Simply visit the LinkedIn profile of the person you would like to introduce and click “Share Profile.” A prewritten message will appear for you to type in the name of your connection you want to forward it to. You will be able to customize this message and explain why you are making the introduction.

  Unfortunately, this method is a bit confusing. If you do share a profile through LinkedIn along with a message, you might follow up to help them actually get connected on LinkedIn or communicate via e-mail.

  Ideally, if you can introduce two people through e-mail, it is a little less confusing than the LinkedIn system.

  Become a Master at the “Circle-and-Fill” Method

  Another way to figure out who to connect together is to use the “circle-and-fill” method. This smart networking method can really catapult your influence with your MVCs. Circle your MVCs and fill any professional gaps they have with a qualified referral that can help them.

  First, ask your MVC whom they work with and recommend for various professional services: a lawyer, accountant, mortgage broker, realtor, doctor, interior designer, homebuilder, insurance agent, and financial advisor are examples. Let your MVC know that you would love to get connected with these professionals (on LinkedIn), and that your clients often need these kinds of services as well.

  Typically, your MVCs will be happy to share the names of the professional services providers they work with and recommend. Connect with these providers on LinkedIn to build rapport. Be sure to ask the permission of your MVC to use his or her name, and provide context to the professional provider as to why you would like to connect on LinkedIn.

  As you go through this process with each of your MVCs, you will surface relevant professionals to connect with that you can potentially refer business to. You will also identify the “gaps” with each of your MVCs and be able to fill those gaps with qualified referrals.

  For example, some of your contacts might be looking for an architect, dentist, or personal trainer. Others will already have these slots filled by someone they trust. Your job is to find and fill in the gaps by making relevant referrals to your MVCs where t
hey are needed.

  Whenever you make a referral, let both your MVC and the professional services provider know that you have done so.

  What you will find with this smart networking exercise is that your MVCs will appreciate being asked about whom they recommend and they will value your help in filling their professional-service gaps.

  Additionally, you will make new connections with qualified professionals who work with people just like your clients or customers, and you will potentially be able to refer them new business.

  The circle-and-fill networking method is one of the greatest ways to make highly relevant connections and help the people who are most important to your business. It is one of my top secrets for networking success.

  Develop Strategic Partnerships

  Developing strategic partnerships with select LinkedIn connections is similar to some of the above strategies I’ve shared with you.

  A strategic partner is someone who is already in front of your target market, providing a noncompeting service. Strategic partners can also be influencers in your industry.