In the world of social networks it has become relatively easy to connect with people that before you might have had to work very hard to get to meet never mind get to know.  This can be really rewarding. The opportunities to co-create and  collaborate that flow from those connections can be huge.

But some people miss the link between connecting and forming a relationship.

And this is where they run into trouble.

I was struck by this post by Alison at Ask a Manager ( her posts are always such good value!). When I was reading it I  was thinking that someone was having a laugh. But then I read Alison’s response and I realised that that has happened to me too.

I have had emails from people I have no relationship with asking me to help them get a job . I offer coaching for job search . My clients pay for that.  When I respond that way I don’t hear from them again. Worth a try maybe …

I regularly get invitations to connect from people ( who usually say I am their friend in the invitation – don’t get me started) who when I ask them why they  want to connect with me tell me it is because they want to find a job in Edinburgh, or with a company that I might know … . They admit completely up front that they want to connect with me so that they can use me or my contacts to help them without so much as sending me a personal LinkedIn message to explain that. I still might not connect but at least they would have taken the time to say hello .

The trickier area is when someone asks me to make an introduction to someone else when we only barely know each other.  How can  I honestly say to someone who trusts me that they should meet someone I know nothing about?

I am happy now to respond with a simple ” I am sorry but I can’t help you with that ” kind of message. I am sure someone will. And I understand that times are tough out there.

But it’s in times like these that it is even more important to spend time on relationships – maintain the ones you have and to work on developing new ones .  That way  you are increasing the the chances of other people stepping up to help you all the time.

This is the fourth in a series of hints and tips aimed at helping you make the most of LinkedIn. You can find the earlier ones here.

Choosing who you connect with

This is the third in a series of hints and tips from Jackie at Cameron Consulting aimed at helping you make the most of LinkedIn. You can find the earlier ones here.

Choosing who you invite to connect with you

For many people this is the first thing they have to decide on  as they accept an invitation to join LinkedIn by way of an email with a link from someone they know – and trust -  who has already joined.

After including some basic information in their profile they then set off to find people they know to invite them to join their community of contacts.

But where should they start?

Well at the very outset LinkedIn offers to search your email address book to find people there who are already members.  You might notice a box at the top of your home page with your email address input ready to run for you.  It’s not a bad way to find out who is there but I would suggest that you use it wisely. You might be tempted to tick the box beside the names of people you know and press the “send” button which sometimes means that all they get is a default message from you saying you want to connect.

By taking an extra few minutes to personalise an invitation you can have a much better impact.  In my experience one of the main causes of irritation for users of LinkedIn is getting an invitation to connect in their inbox from someone who they might have met but can’t really remember but who have not personalised their invitation to remind them. This means the invitation either gets ignored or grudgingly the recipient goes off to investigate who has sent it to them.

When you have started to build up a network, LinkedIn will offer suggestions of “people you might know” on the top right corner of your home page. This can be a great way to reconnect with people you have lost touch with. But once again – ensure that you go through the full personalising your invitation to connect process.

A comment he made during this interview has been much reported. When he was asked to comment on the ( apparent) view of younger people that Linkedin is for old people ( ie people in their 40s) he came back with  ”What the people who can give you a job?”

And this is key.

I speak widely to younger people – in college and university – and have run workshops to explain how important it is to have an online professional profile on LinkedIn.  They have skills in using social media – Facebook, Youtube etc – which, on the face of it, should mean that using LinkedIn should be an extension of that. But it’s a hard message to get across.

They all know about using search engines. A recruiter searching for someone with skills they have are not really likely to find them through the content on their Facebook page are they?

All of the recruiters I know are using Linkedin routinely to search for potential candidates.

I have lots of senior businesspeople and business owners in my network – all using Linkedin and the numbers are growing.

I regularly hear stories about people whose Linkedin profile contributed to getting the job they are in now.

So how much sense does it make to say – I am going to put information about me that a potential employer might be interested in in a place where they don’t visit?

It’s almost like a “Where’s Wally” ( where’s Waldo if you live in the US) scenario. Go on.See if you can find me.

If you know of  a younger person who is looking for their first job or who is maybe in a temporary job waiting for their big opportunity ask them if they have a Linkedin profile – and if they don’t maybe encourage them to get started?

And point them to read this post about Elle – who left school not that long ago.

If Linkedin seems like too big a step – or you would like to explore other ways of being visible online to those who have jobs to offer this site is also interesting http://www.cvdemon.com/

Bottom line – don’t miss out on the chance of a job because you can’t be found!

By the way – for the avoidance of doubt – this advice holds good for job hunters of any age!

But sometimes I just want to be alone. I don’t feel like chatting. I want to think. I want to let things settle. I want to be outside in the sun and not letting business ideas and issues float into that space ( that’s how I feel right now – the sun is shining and it’s unseasonably warm – and I am in my office…hmmm).

Up to now I have over-ridden that feeling and logged on – to my PC, laptop or Blackberry. Although I know  that if I am not constantly around people will not completely forget about me ( or I hope not anyway!) I am probably more concerned that if I am around all the time I will become boring ( what do you mean – become?)…

Social media generally and social networking specifically has transformed my business life. I am endlessly grateful to the people who are around regularly. Increasingly I am asked to speak and run workshops on the topic. I have coached individuals and small business teams on how to use it effectively. And I always say  that people should control how they use the tools – and not be driven by them – to get the maximum benefit.

It takes practice to get the balance. And I think I have it right for me. So if sometimes I want to be alone that’s fine….

…and  - selfishly – when I want to come back into the conversation I am sure there will always be someone there to chat to or connect with!

What do you think?

By the way – after what I have said above – if you want to find out how to get your balance right just get in touch! jackie@consultcameron.com

As things in the online/digital/social media – whatever words you prefer – move so fast it occurs to me that the language is sometimes adopted without understanding.

In the business world that’s not that unusual though. In my experience some of the business jargon that has crept into everyday usage was used as either a means to show that you “belonged” ( in with the in crowd) or to exclude people ( not being part of the gang).

And so maybe it’s the same with the language surrounding the tools for communicating in the 21st Century.

I am still confused by the www and internet distinction. I think there is one – I just don’t know what it is. Technically minded folk will be able to explain but I am not sure that it makes a difference now.

When I talk about social media I am often asked if that’s the same as Facebook . Lots of people know that Facebook exists – though they might be less clear on how it works and how it can be used – so it seems reasonable to use that as a starting point.  Unless they want to engage with it though a simple explanation is all that is needed.

It’s not my mission to tell everyone that they must use social media. What I am keen to do though is show how social media is part of daily life .  No matter what age or stage we are in our lives we will have come across a way to interact with media  from “pressing the red button” to vote on XFactor, to leaving a review on the M&S website, to joining a professional forum ( remember them) to commenting on an online news item.

My answer to Alan’s question

The social part is the conversation

The media part is the tool you use

The networking part is getting to know people and building a relationship with them.

So….

….what do you think? That’s how social media works best – when we share .

1 Connecting

Connecting /friending/following etc is the starting point.  A key thing to think about when you start out using social media is what you are trying to achieve and focus your networking activity on  that.  And remember that you would not go into a real life networking event, march up to someone you have not met before, give them your card and say that you want to connect  – so don’t do that using sites like Linkedin – take a moment to personalise your invitation !  

2 Conversation ….

…which is where the development of a relationship happens. Just like it always has been.  You can comment on a Facebook wall , or add an @ response on Twitter or send an email using Linkedin. The additional benefit to doing this publically is that others notice you too.  It still holds that you should be cautious about  butting in on somebody’s conversation in a social event or on the train but in the social media world it’s fine  – as long as you have something interesting and relevant to say of course which brings me to …

3 Content

A few interesting posts/tweets/comments trumps a series of drivel any time.  Talk about things that you think others might find interesting. Test out ideas, look at what others do  and experiment until you find your own level.  Always use your own “voice”  because if you are aiming to eventually meet people in real life that you have built a relationship with online you want to continue on from what you have started.

4 ( and thanks to Morag for this ) Credibility

When people are getting to know you online they will look for social proof to back that up. Who do you mix/have conversations with? What kind of links do you share? Who do you follow/like?  Statements about your strength/skills/knowledge in an area should be backed up by some evidence. This of course has always been the case but Google etc makes it much easier for potential buyers/clients to check what you say for themselves.

5 Collaboration

An early concern about using social networking for business was that your competitors can see what you are doing and who you are speaking to. Of  course that is the case  but on the flip side it can mean that they see an opportunity for working together that would be more appealing to a potential client. Several of my current projects are with fellow coaches and trainers. Collaborative working has huge possibilities!

5 Clients ( and customers)

Without this what is the point? Remember that all of the previous activity – how you approach it, how you commit to it and what you put into it – if done well will lead you to people who will pay for your product or service. This means of course that social media activity is WORK . It might feel like play – and indeed some employers consider that it only has that function – but to really do it well you should give it the same focus as any other part of your job.

So there you go . Maybe there’s a 7th or 8th C that you would like to add? If so – please leave a comment!

If you would like support to work how you should interact with  social media I offer coaching  for  “absolute beginnners” and for those who are a bit further on. Email me for more information

jackie@consultcameron.com

Does this describe your network?

Maybe it describes some of it? If so how many members are you interacting with?

If you are engaging with a small percentage, think about why have you built this contact list( for that is what it really is) at all?

The list might be the start….the network comes from the activity. From the networking comes the potential to refer work and get work referred to you, co-create a new product or service, work collaboratively, flag up job/business opportunities, help with market reasearch, test ideas…..

So here’s a tip to get you started. If you use Linkedin go through your contact list. Click on each contact’s name and when their mini profile opens up on the right hand side  use the “notes” function in the ”Edit Details” section to write a comment about the last time you met/spoke to that contact. Then see what light bulbs might switch on !

Or imagine you are at the same event  and you see someone you met a while ago and who you would like to reconnect with . You approach them, introduce yourself and say something like ” you probably won’t remember but we met at such and such a place…” Hopefully they will remember that and be delighted to see you. The socially smart people will say they remember in any case and bring you into the conversation to get some more information to place you without your realising.

And at that same event you are with a friend who knows someone in the room you really want to meet. You ask them to introduce you which they do and you spend some time making connections and hopefully engaging in some meaningful chat leaving you the chance to get back in touch with them at a later date.

Now  think about how you approach people in Linkedin.

Do you send a personalised message with an invitation to connect mentioning where you met before – or who you have in common – or what you talked about ?

Or do you send the standard Linkedin message and work on the basis that the recipient will be able to piece together  information about you to make the connection – which might mean that they have to visit your profile and check out the details there looking for clues ?

Of course we would like to feel that we leave a memorable mark on everyone we meet but isn’t it just a courtesy to work on the basis that you might not have?

Think about how much more receptive someone will be to your invitation to connect if you do the work instead of leaving it up to them!

“I was invited to join Linkedin by someone I know but I have no idea what to do with it”

or even

“I have been invited to join Linkedin by someone I know – but I don’t know why I should bother”

If you are that person here are some suggestions  which just might help.

Create a directory

If you do nothing else with it Linkedin is a great place to hold all of the  contact details of the people you are connected with – your “contacts” in Linkedin terms. Then instead of having to have their individual e-mail addresses to hand you can use the Linkedin “Send a Message” function in the top right hand of the page. Depending on how the recipient has it set up the  message will probably still end up in their regular e-mail inbox in any case.

And you can pretty much do away with using your business card box ( or scrabbling through your drawer/wallet/handbag if you are less organised) to find their details.

And when you are comfortable doing that you could consider…

Regular updates

The small box at the top of your “home” page is for updates.  Filling that in from time to time will mean that you appear in the  “status updates” list on your contacts’ own home pages. This is the perfect place to announce a new contract, promote a new service/product, tell your contacts something newsworthy…something that might give them a reason to be in touch ( especially useful if you would like to do business with them!)

People often say to me that I always seem to be up to something new and interesting. That means a couple of things – that they notice that I update that box a couple of times a week – and that they read what I post!

In a way it is similar to bumping into someone in the street or at a conference – except there is less effort required. Really!

So after trying that you might want to look for people you would like to connect – or reconnect – with.

Find people and invite them to join your network

Linkedin tries to make this easy for you so gives you a number of ways to do this.

• Firstly you can do a search for people in the search box on the top right hand of the page
• When you join Linkedin offers to search your e-mail addess book for people who are already members
• In addition – as your community grows – Linkedin will make suggestions of people you might know based on your existing contacts
• When you click on any of your contacts ( or indeed when looking at pages for those not already on your list)  on the bottom right hand side of the page there is a “How you are connected to..” box – which tells you – well you get the picture

And when you know that…

Ask for introductions

Linkedin’s criteria for connecting with people is outlined each time you “Add xxx to your network” – using the link at the top right hand of your page which include having done business or working with that person ( which means you have to identify where that was from your profile), that you share a group, that you are a friend – in which case you are asked to put in their e-mail address ( which – though not foolproof – does mean that you have to do a bit of work to at least find it ). If  none of those apply then you should ask someone you do know that knows them to introduce you. Why would they do that?..well at some point in the future you might just be able to do them the favour back. Which brings me to …

Get recommended

Your profile should be full of details of your experience to allow a client to consider working with you, a potential employer to check you out or even a similar business to offer you a collaboration opportunity.   Linkedin allows you to enhance this with testimonials – or “recommendations “.  Try recommending someone yourself and see how that feels – and indeed see what response you get ! Of course you should focus on asking people who have had a good experience of working with you to give you a recommendation  – and you always have the chance to reject one if you don’t want/like it.

That should be enough to get most people started but if you are still stuck get in touch. I offer coaching for using linkedin face to face in Edinburgh and by phone for everywhere else.  With an hour of your time and a of £60 - the possibilities are endless.

Here’s what others have said about the coaching

“If, like me, you are registered on Linkedin but don’t really know why, a session with Jackie would be really beneficial to you. I actually enjoy using social media for business now, thanks to Jackie. ” Valerie

“Jackie imparts her knowledge in a systematic and enthusiastic way and at no time did I feel foolish for knowing so little. This is mainly because she makes it clear that her social networking expertise is based on a year and a half of trial and error.” Jeanette

“Jackie provides expert advice on getting started with social networking for those who are unclear as to how it can be used in their business. A one to one session got me off to a flying start.” Hazel

jackie@consultcameron.com

07775 823862