GARY BREWER
Relationship Management Specialist
6 Ways To Create Opportunities on LinkedIn
If used properly LinkedIn can be a great tool for creating opportunities. This is a great article with some pointers on what you should do. Again, be sure not to join groups and sit on the sidelines without getting involved. Do not spam since constantly pushing your products or services all the time without interacting with people individually could be a turn off. Try and connect on a personal level with people and the best way to do this is customize your invitations by adding their first name and why you want them to join your network. If you are an Open Networker and you are just looking for volume be careful about who you accept especially if you are sharing your connections. Learn More
The Top 6 Linkedin Mistakes
Submitted by Leon Altman on Sun, 06/28/2009
Here are six common Linkedin mistakes you need to watch out for.
1) Not using keywords properly
This is perhaps the most prominent Linkedin mistake people make when crafting their profiles. They focus so much on polishing their profile’s looks that they totally forget to put keywords in their profile headline and summary.
If you do not enrich your Linkedin profile with keywords, you will never appear on the site’s list of results when a prospective client or employer types in their needs. For example, if you are a marketing consultant, then the phrase “marketing consultant” needs to be placed in your headline and profile summary in order for people searching for that phrase to find you on Linkedin.
2) Joining groups but not participating
Another very common type of Linkedin mistake is to join a myriad of professional groups but never taking the time to join in the discussions.
Groups are one of the most powerful tools available in the Linkedin networks. They allow professionals to share their ideas and opinions about things, and users are empowered to display their professional competence in these discussions. Join a group and take the time to share your own professional thoughts on the topics at hand.
3) Trying to sell yourself on group discussions
Linkedin is NOT the place to explicitly advertise your products and services, although you can do so in a subtle and unobtrusive manner.
People bluntly promoting their wares are not welcome in Linkedin. Advice and professional feedback are the topics of discussion, and these are your primary tools for marketing your products and services. Help out potential employers or give some advice to prospective clients and you are already marketing yourself.
4) Emailing people you don’t know
Some of the more common Linkedin mistakes involve emailing people out of the blue. This can quickly get you kicked off Linkedin if people report “I don’t know this person.”
Emails are closely guarded on Linkedin, and are meant to be used by close contacts and professional associates. If you want to contact someone you don’t know on Linkedin look for connections on the network who might be able to introduce you.
5) Not using a custom URL
Linkedin allows its users to create a customized URL in place of the default URL, and this feature is often ignored by newer users.
Not taking advantage of this tool greatly reduces the chances of prospective clients and employers finding your account. You can change your URL where it says “Public Profile/edit.” Use your name, if it is available, as this will greatly increase your profile’s uniqueness and visibility in the network.
6) Not focusing on results in your profile
Aggrandizing yourself will not work in Linkedin, but your achievements will work wonders in influencing others.
One of the most common Linkedin mistakes users make on the network is being too general and abstract in their profiles. Be as specific as possible about your accomplishments in your work history and you will do a much better job selling yourself to potential clients and employers
Nine Biggest Mistakes When Networking
By carol@carolrossandassociates.com
If relationships make the world go round, then effective networking is the axis on which the world spins. If you haven’t brushed up on your networking skills, take some time now, to create longer lasting, deeper relationships that can get you to where you want to go, in good times and bad. Here are nine networking mistakes I see from individuals of all experience levels, including seasoned career professionals. Many of these are mistakes I’ve made myself:
1. Networking sporadically. During the holidays I noticed a distinct uptick in people reaching out and re-connecting. But what happens after the seasonal cheer wears off and everyone is back in the office, under the gloom of mid-winter blues? Yeah, see you next December. Networking is a continuous effort, in good times and bad. Find reasons to connect, whether it’s an article that someone might like or a conversation that made you think of a specific person. Don’t be someone who connects only once a year, when everyone else is trying to do the same.
2. Being a “taker” rather than a “giver.” Networking works best when you adopt a mindset of giving to others first. Be willing to let the relationship evolve from there. Remember that making deposits to the “emotional bank account” now can’t help but accumulate interest over time. Be a giver first, rather than a taker, and watch how it creates bigger opportunities and better options for the future.
3. Failing to follow up. At the start of a new relationship, building trust is important. The quickest way to sabotage a new relationship is to promise something and not deliver. No matter how small, do what you say you will do, whether it’s passing on a name to someone in your network or emailing the url of a blog that was mentioned in your conversation.
4. Lack of acknowledgment. People want to know that their effort to give to others is appreciated, no matter the outcome. If you get an email introduction to someone who can help you, always thank the person who made the introduction. Copy them when you attempt to connect with the person being introduced. Give them the courtesy of hearing the outcome of their efforts. If someone takes the time to give you feedback (e.g., on your website, on the impression you made on them, on how you are proceeding with your job search, on whether you are a fit for a job), let them know that you heard the feedback—even if you don’t agree with it. Complete the conversation. Silence is not always golden.
5. Expecting others to network for you. In the course of meeting new people, you may get an offer from someone to help you network—by sending on a resume, talking with a neighbor, or checking with a hiring manager on openings. This willingness to help is great and it’s misdirected if you count on having a middleman. Ask for the contact information of the person you are hoping to get the attention of. Or ask for an email introduction to that person. It’s your responsibility to move the ball forward, not someone else’s. Be proactive.
6. Missing an opportunity to be a connector. These last four mistakes relate to playing the role of a connector when networking. In this role, it’s not just about making a connection with a new person, it’s making connections between people. What people often forget is how they can add value by connecting someone in their network to someone they are just meeting for the first time. Be on the lookout for these opportunities. It will take your networking effectiveness to another level.
7. Providing a weak introduction or none at all, to two parties. A weak introduction is akin to no introduction. Take the time to do it right. People will remember you for it. When playing the role of a connector, make it appealing for both sides to meet. Give specifics on what makes each person so special in your eyes. Speculate on what could happen if they meet. Don’t rely on the fact that because you think it’s a good idea, both parties will, too.
8. Connecting two people where there isn’t a perceived win-win. This is sometimes the reason for a weak introduction, because the person making the introduction can’t articulate why both parties would benefit in meeting. Sometimes, only one party benefits. Consider carefully why both parties would want to meet before making a solid introduction.
9. Passing on bad apples, without warning. If you are a great networker, people in your network will trust you to introduce them to quality people—responsible adults with good intentions, integrity, and a generous spirit. Don’t connect two people if you think it might undermine that trust. At the very least, let the person who might end up with the short end of the stick know what they might be getting into.
It’s easier than you think to be remarkable when it comes to networking. The more you do it, flawlessly, the more momentum you’ll have in achieving your goals. By avoiding these nine mistakes, you’ll set yourself apart from other professionals and reap the full rewards of spending time and energy on networking.
Maintaining and building your network is key
By The Pachera Group Executive Search
Be honest. How much time do you devote to building your personal or business network? Do you spend 15 minutes a day? Ok, how about 30 minutes a week?
Make Time To Network Online and Offline
If you answered yes to the latter, don’t worry because you are in good company. Most people spend 60 minutes or less a month on maintaining or building their network. It’s not that people don’t want to have hundreds of movers and shakers in their network. It’s just that the stuff of life gets in the way and pushes this extremely important task to the back burner. Actually, “task” isn’t quite the right word…networking is more rightly called a “discipline”.
“Job seekers and executives routinely admit that one of their regrets (prior to losing their job or quitting a job they didn’t like) was that they ignored their network,” says Mike Vanneman, partner with The Pachera Group, an executive recruiting firm. “All of a sudden, they look at contacts in their Blackberry, Outlook or (gasp!) their dog-eared day planner and realize the only people in their “network” are family members, former classmates or people with whom they would have preferred to lose touch.”
Networking Must Be One Of Your Top Priorities
Building and maintaining your network has to become a top to-do item! At the very least, once a week and ideally every day. Why? Because your network is tantamount to food, water and shelter! It is an asset that pays dividends in the present and in the future. For this reason, it’s a good idea to consider investing in one or a couple time saving online job search tools. This way your time can be focused on expanding your network and getting out there meeting new people.
The good news is that the rise and popularity of sites such as LinkedIn, Plaxo Pulse and even Facebook makes building a network easy and even fun.
All you need to do is:
1. Make the decision to start or restart your networking efforts
2. Commit yourself to networking at least one hour per week and ideally for 15 minutes each day
3. Set a goal for how many contacts or connections you want to establish each month
Networking Requires Constant Care and Nurturing
While networking online, be somewhat selective. Invite people that you either already know or who have been recommended to you by a trusted friend. Be careful of what you post on your page. Whatever you post is there for all to see! Be consistent with your online message and professional profiles. Networking sites are like gardens, they require constant care, feeding and nurturing. Don’t let content stay up for too long. Change your profile picture periodically. Contribute to conversations and join discussion groups in your industry.
Use Time Saving Job Search Tools
Using online networking sites and job search time-saver tools should become as much a part of your personal workflow as e-mail and your mobile phone. Maintaining and expanding your network on a daily basis is essential especially in today’s times because you never know when you may need to reach out and connect with someone.
The Pachera Group Executive Search works with technology and media clients nationally in search of sales, marketing, business development and technology leaders. Their unique advantage is their partners — they have all been successful operational executives in the fields they now practice in. Learn more at www.thepacheragroup.com or blog.thepacheragroup.com.
The Fundamentals of an Elevator Pitch
impression. Nowhere is this more true than in a start-up business. At a
recent conference, when speaking about the thousands of pitches he’s
received, long-time entrepreneur and investor Sam Zell said, “If somebody
can’t explain it to me in one long sentence, I’m not interested.”
That one long sentence, often called the elevator pitch, is the bane of many
entrepreneurs’ communications existence. Not only do you need a pitch for
that unlikely chance that you are trapped on the world’s longest elevator
ride with the venture capitalist of your dreams, but also for every occasion
that someone asks, “So, what do you do?”
The goal of an elevator pitch is for the listener to say, “Really? Tell me
more.” In other words, to grab the attention of your audience and to engage
his or her interest. You cannot explain your whole business, the claims of
your patent, your wonderful management team, how enormous the market is and
the enthusiastic response you get from everyone you speak to about the idea
in one or two sentences. What can you do? You can clearly answer two
critical questions: What are you selling and to whom are you selling it?
What you are selling is the core of your business.
It is a concise, high-level description of your product or service in the
context of a clearly articulated business problem. Even the most
complicated technology can be described simply; it just takes a bit more
work. For example, one inventor described his product like this, “a
proprietary algorithm to model a moving object as a trajectory, instead of a
sequence of points on a map, and a dynamic variable to account for the
uncertainty inherent in managing mobile assets.”
Do you have any idea what this does?
It took me several meetings to translate that into a product (software) that
solves a very real business need (getting the most out of expensive mobile
assets like trucks or service personnel while they are out in the field).
Most investors would just nod and say, “Uh-huh. Thanks, but no thanks.”
This inventor made two of the most common mistakes that high-tech
entrepreneurs make in the elevator pitch: 1) describing the technology, not
the product and the business problem it solves, and 2) assuming that
everyone understands important buzz words from their industry. At the risk
of sounding trite, I will reiterate the famous advice, “Keep it simple.”
Who you are selling it to describes the customer and his or her reason to
buy.
It tells the listener if the market is large enough and if the problem that
you are solving is compelling. One entrepreneur I know is currently
involved in building a business that will educate consumers on the risks and
benefits of important medical procedures they are scheduled for – a process
required by law when a patient must sign an informed consent release. In
his elevator pitch, he clearly states, “There are 62 million scheduled
surgeries every year, all of which require informed consent.”
Once you’ve developed the actual elevator pitch, it’s a good idea to follow
it up quickly with a clear example of how your customer will use your
product. This will make the most abstract, complicated product more
concrete and real in the mind of the listener.
I was working with some students on a business plan for an intricate
business process modeling technology. The system was designed to manage a
workflow across multiple computer systems both inside the company and with
the company’s business partners. Very tricky to explain. I encouraged them
to layout a concise, high-level example, something like, “Imagine a
manufacturer placing an order with a supplier.
Our system would create a model of when the process touches the inventory,
shipping and billing systems as well as the points at which employees need
to be involved. Then you can use that model to improve the flow of goods or
information and those changes are then implemented in the individual
applications involved.”
In some cases, the easiest way to help someone understand a complex
technology is with an analogy. One biotech firm has a process for
identifying and activating the receptors on a cell. The entrepreneur
explains it quite simply as finding and flipping a light switch.
So there it is – by answering two simple questions and adding an example,
you’ve actually accomplished two of the most critical goals in marketing
your company: positioning (what you offer and why it’s better) and
segmentation (who is your customer and why will they buy from you). These
are perhaps the most important few sentences you will write in the life of
your business.
The good news is that you will use this pitch many, many times. In some
form or another, these sentences are the beginning of your executive summary
and business plan. They are the main message on your Web site home page.
They begin your presentations. They help to align your employees around
your vision, mission and purpose.
But they are just a beginning, not an end. If used successfully with a
venture capitalist, they might get you a meeting during which you have to
answer other key questions like: Why you? How will you generate revenue?
Can you protect your competitive advantage? And, how will I make money on
this deal?
When used at the networking event with the CEO of your first choice
strategic partner, they should be followed up with, “and, if we could work
together, your company would reap these critical top line and bottom line
benefits.”
When used on a customer visit, they need to be supported by a great product
presentation, clear implementation model, and return-on-investment
calculations to justify the purchase.
Without a strong elevator pitch, these encounters are likely to end with,
“Uh-huh. Well thanks, but no thanks.”
