Last version published: 21/06/2017 08:37
Publication number: ELQ-74288-2
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How to Establish and Maintain Professional Relationships on LinkedIn.
My top 6 tactics to not let that connection go to waste.
by Nader MowlaeeEngineering Career Coach | Motivating Confidence in Engineers & Helping Job Seekers Get Hired FasterFollow
Introduction
When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, don’t let that connection go to waste. Follow the tactics below to create strong acquaintances and influence them into important career or business partners.
Networking is not what it used to be. It probably isn’t what you’re thinking about or imagining in your mind right now. It’s not having an awkward talk in the elevator, it’s not going around the room and shaking people’s hands and it certainly isn’t passing around business cards; many still have business cards but who actually uses business cards these days anyways?
Next time someone hands you a business card, pause, say “Hold on, let me send you an email now”, or “Is this your cellphone number? Let me send you text message right away and save your number on my phone”, and here’s an even better one: “That’s a great card, let me find you on LinkedIn and connect”. In all these cases pull out your phone and perform any or all of the tasks above, right away, get that person to email you back, text back or accept your LinkedIn invitation.
Networking happens primarily in the digital world nowadays, and most daily professional connections are made on social media platform such as LinkedIn. But don’t let your networking efforts be based on adding random people from your News Feed couple times a week without any prior planning.
I do understand you’re normally busy, acting on an impulse or just getting caught in the moment and following up with your connections slip your mind. The big problem is that Time Kills All Deals, so when you don't follow up, your connections are too far gone, back to stranger status. Fortunately I’ve seen thousands of these situations and I’ve studied them vigorously to find out why this happens. The answer is very simple: The average person does not have a clear plan of action to network on LinkedIn. They are not sure exactly what they want at the end of the process, hence they don’t know where and how to start, and often everything in the middle is lost or cloudy.
So here’s a list of what I’ve learned over the last 6 years using LinkedIn extensively every day to do my job as a recruiter and building my career coaching business. These tactics will hint you towards the fastest and most effective way you can connect with a prospect and take them through a process that will bring you closer and enable your new connections to better Know you, Like you and Trust you.
- Step n°1 |
Network With a Purpose:
Figure out why you want to connect with someone. Find out what it is that you want to gain from that relationship (it’s ok to be selfish here) and then work your way back to get to the first step, which will be searching for that person’s profile on LinkedIn using a Boolean search technique and utilizing LinkedIn Filters to narrow down your list. I once heard that we enter this world twice; first is when we are born, and second is when we find out Why. Find your purpose and you’ll be successful at networking.
- Step n°2 |
Connect For a Reason:
Know why you’re requesting to add someone to your network on LinkedIn and share that reason with them immediately. If you haven’t met them before, start your invitation message by saying “we haven’t met before, the reason I’m reaching out is…”. Networking is a 2-way street, if you don’t care for the person in the other lane, you may collide at some point; it won’t look pretty and will only hurt you and your reputation. Remember that everything that is happening around you, good or bad, is happening for a reason. That’s the nature of life and is the nature of Networking.
by Nader MowlaeeEngineering Career Coach | Motivating Confidence in Engineers & Helping Job Seekers Get Hired FasterFollow
