Seasoned professionals who network are on LinkedIn, gave me their top tips in getting the best out of LinkedIn.
The people I talk with who want to know more about LinkedIn, yet don’t know who to turn to, it’s nice that you can reach out to someone who knows and are willing to help you. One of the best places to get more information and knowledge is really in the groups.
In this post, I am leaving the person’s name so if something resonates you, you can reach out to them. When you do, be sure to look up their profile, find something in common or something you admire about them, before you sent a connection request or ask them questions. I know LinkedIn still uses the generic form, however I recommend that you change the invite to be more personal.
Bill Ringle
Says he has a purpose for each person he reaches out to, instead of being a “collector of connections.”
2. Go beyond the profile and learn something about the person. How? I simply ask.
3. If I’ve asked for a quote or lead or introduction, I always loop back and let them know how it turned out. When my materials are published online, it is so easy to send a link and a “thanks again!” message. Everyone enjoys knowing that they made a contribution.
4. Be willing to be open. It helps to let the other person know about you, too. By letting people know I’m writing a book on using the life lessons you learn from tennis to be more successful on the court and in business (problem solving, being mindful, staying focused, setting micro-goals, …), I’ve connected with others who share this passion, heard great stories, and deepened relationships.
Rachel Lawler
LinkedIn Premium you can see your 3rd connections, making it easy to reach out to outside your network.
Peter Lawler
It’s all about building relationships, and LinkedIn can help make that happen, but only as a first step.
1. Be direct and honest with your intentions. If you want to connect with somebody on LinkedIn and meet them to learn more about their company or a particular job, then say that.
2. Be as personal (and professional, of course) as you can when you reach out to somebody. If you see stuff in their profile that you have in common, mention that.
3. If somebody comments on a post, respond to them.
4. Engage with other people’s posts. There is nothing worse than the person, on LinkedIn or Twitter or Facebook, who just posts stuff but never engages with others. Call it cyber-selfishness.
5. Understand that LinkedIn is a great resource to learn about other industries, get introduced to like-minded people and even find sources as a reporter, but not necessarily to find you a new or better job. Sure, there are job postings and recruiters no doubt use LinkedIn, but moving forward in your career is about first doing great work where you are, building relationships with colleagues and others in your industry, developing new skills and being willing to take risks. LinkedIn can help you do those things, but ultimately it’s up to you.
I hope these great tips will help you to to become an expert so you too can pay it forward and use the tips or ideas.
