Linked In is the fastest growing professional network in the world. In July 2013 it had over 238 million users globally and it is growing exponentially! It’s rather like Facebook for professionals, but it’s real power lies in two things:
- the ability to use your own profile to share resources and showcase your achievements and interests;
- the ability to expand your network through connections.
What does this mean for your business?
Cold calling has never been harder than it is today. Gatekeepers are more effective than ever, and almost everyone has voicemail. Inboxes are full and the chances are your carefully crafted email will be deleted unread.
Figures suggest that although 10 years ago 1 in 4 cold calls were successful, today the figure is closer to 1 in 42! That is a depressing thought if your new business depends on cold calling. On the brighter side, we have more alternatives to cold calling than ever, and more ways of developing relationships online with busy people. For professionals, Linked In is one of the most effective networks because it is where professionals tend to gather, and because Linked In has carefully protected the environment.
Your Profile Enables People to Learn Who You Are As Well As What You Do.
A lot is said about the importance of “Know, Like, and Trust” in business relationships these days. As humans we’re made to live in community with others and the pendulum is swinging away from the 20th century Transactional Model of Business back to a Relational Model. Yes, we buy commodities from faceless internet providers, but we’re increasingly conscious of the ‘experience’ they provide, and critical of those that fail in the customer service area.
On your profile you get to talk about who you are and what you have done, but it’s far more than a simple online resume – you can also share your interests, the causes you care about, the people you help AND you can share useful resources, links to your website, videos, and many other things that provide value and an open window in the kind of person you are.
This means that before someone even meets you for the first time, they can have quite a solid knowledge of the kind of person you are. And this has amazing potential to accelerate the process of getting to know and like others.
The Power of Connections
Between your online and offline worlds most people know at least 250 others well enough to introduce another person to them. Allowing for overlapping connections and casual acquaintances whom you might not be comfortable introducing you can probably introduce at least 125 others to any of your connections. That brings an amazing 31,000 or more people into your second degree network!
However, it can be difficult to get these people together offline. Linked In makes it easy to discover who knows whom, and to introduce or be introduced to those people. It’s rather like standing up in a group and asking for an introduction to a some specific person you’d like to meet. It is surprising how often you discover that the person you desperately want to meet is a connection of someone you know quite well.
The Advanced Search feature on Linked In makes those links easy to discover – and then it’s up to you to get introduced effectively. The magic is in the power to discover the connections you need – the impression you make is still dependent on your social skills.
This means you don’t have to make 42 phone calls to talk to a decision-maker. It means that you can leverage your professional network to get in touch directly with the people whom you can help to achieve their goals, and with the people who can help you to make a difference in the world through your business.