LinkedIn Bootcamp: How to REALLY Use Linkedin

Did you know LinkedIn has over 135 million members worldwise? That 77% of LinkedIn users are age 25 or older? And the average household income of LinkedIn users is $109,000?

Clearly, LinkedIn is a network full of people who love to network, the movers and shakers of their industries. If you’re a SMB, these are the people you want to know about your business.

As you know, Facebook and Twitter are powerful tools but LinkedIn users are known to be especially serious about their jobs, industry and social network. If you plan to market yourself on LinkedIn, you have to change your mindset. This mini-bootcamp will whip you into shape for LinkedIn marketing.

Infographic: 5 Questions (and answers) about Facebook Marketing

Hubspot's Dan Zarrella offers this great infographic about the right time to post on Facebook.

Best tidbits: articles posted at 8am and posted on weekends are shared the most, and posting every other day is just about right.

Five Tips for Success at a Live Networking Event

I just read a post at one of my favorite business blogs Biznik, Five Mistakes Preventing You From Standing Out at Networking Events. Good stuff, but I'm a glass half full kinda guy, so I'm turning this around and calling it Five Steps for Success at a Live Networking Event.

Do you wonder how to get great results from all your business networking events? I'm talking about live events where you interface with active carbon life forms, not just bits and bytes; where you actually have live, face-to-face, honest to goodness conversations. I've gone to these kinds of events for years, and find them to be a great way to build a local sphere of influence.

Like so many other small business people, I use a variety of methods to market my business and build my network, most of them virtual, many of them social.

One particular method I enjoy is meet and greet networking events like The Success Group Business Network here in Columbus, Ohio. Jayson Waits has done a fantastic job of building a group of over 1,500, with regular attendance at his free events approaching 200. The Success Group always has captivating presenters, usually with a small business angle to their presentation. The October presenter was Mark Ballard, co-founder of Sugardaddy's Sumptuous Sweeties, who shared his startup story and business philosophy.

These events are always an opportunity to meet potential new clients, develop referral sources, or make new friends. Done right, you can make the most of your time and money when visiting such an event.

1. Tune Your Radio to 'Wii-FM'

I learned about this "radio station" from a motivational book a few years ago. "What's in it for me?" from the prospect's perspective, is the number one question you need to ask when doing any marketing. Here's how this works: you're at a chamber of commerce after hours, and you approach an enticing prospect, and start blabbering about all the great services and talking their ear off with your elevator pitch, blah, blah, blah.

WHO CARES?

The other guy certainly doesn't care about you. I don't mean that in a callous way, but let's be realistic. The other guy is there for the same reason as you: to pick up new clients. He only wants to find out about you to 'pre-qualify' you for his life insurance pitch.

Let me ask you, at any given time, who is the most important person in the world? Of course, we all think WE are. The way to a prospect's heart (and business) is to make them feel like they are the most important person in the world at that moment. By tuning into what the client wants, you can help them feel that way.

2. God Gave You Two Ears and One Mouth. Use Them Proportionately

I've encountered this cliché many times in various sales programs. It probably originated with master sales trainer Tom Hopkins. Usually, chichés have some basis of truth to them, or they wouldn't be so darn common.

Of course it's true. Your mother said it over and over. Shut up, and listen.

I remember a story about a successful life insurance salesman from many years ago. This fellow would only make one appointment per day, to meet a potential customer for breakfast.

He would order a huge stack of pancakes, make small talk until the food was delivered by the waitress, then load them up with butter and syrup. He would then proceed to cut them up, all the while the prospect would watch in quiet fascination at the little ritual that was taking place before him.

Before he took his first bite, he would ask the prospect, "tell me about yourself," then cram a large bite into his mouth and begin to silently chew. People hate uncomfortable silence, and they usually love to talk about themselves, so they would proceed to reveal every intimate detail of their life. To a life insurance salesman. By the time he was done with his stack of pancakes, the prospect would feel like his best friend. Plus, the salesman had plenty of ammunition and questions he could pose to the prospect and make the insurance sale. While he was eating and the prospect was talking, he was absorbing it all, then would formulate the perfect life insurance policy for the prospect.

Get people talking about themselves, then shut up and listen. Really listen. Don't think about your next question or response, just shut up and listen. People will think you're a brilliant conversationalist.

3. Work the Room Like a Dog

I went to a sales seminar many years ago, held in the large ballroom of a five star hotel. When the star presenter appeared, she walked in with her two dogs (I seem to remember they were yellow labs) and unleashed them upon the crowd.

Of course, if you're a dog lover like me, you probably know what happened. Dogs (especially labrador retrievers) are social creatures.

They love other creatures.

They love to meet people.

They love to sniff people.

They love to lick people.

These two dogs were masters at working the crowd, moving enthusiastically from table to table, with their tails always wagging, approaching each new person they met like they were their favorite person in the world. They didn't want anything from anybody, they just wanted to meet as many people as they could. (Okay, they did respond to the head pats and ear scratches, but who wouldn't?)

There's a lesson in this, folks. In case it was too subtle for you, here it is again:
Meet as many people as you possibly can, greet them like an old friend, and make them feel like they are your favorite person in the whole wide world.

4. Meet & Greet 101

Okay, you've approached a prospect, you've exchanged pleasantries, and you're ready to lower the boom by shoving your business card into her hand and launching into your elevator speech you've been practicing in front of the mirror for a week.

Freeze.

Put the card back into your pocket, and roll your tongue back in. Put that elevator pitch on ice for just a little longer.

Chances are, you're both wearing name tags. If not, the event organizer didn't do his job. Be sure to put your first name in large letters on the tag, then add your company or business name in smaller print below it. Introduce yourself, "Hi, Sherm. Sherm Stevens. Nice to meet you, Nicole. You're from Allied Insurance?" After that, see #2 above.

After Nicole is finished making her elevator pitch, build on the conversation for awhile. Try to find common ground. In Columbus, everyone is a Buckeyes fan, so that's usually a great conversation starter. You'll be able to tell by whether or not they're wearing Ohio State clothes. Scarlet and Grey are so common here.

So chances are you could talk about a sports team, especially if they've been making headlines (Penn State fans, please disregard this. I would avoid that subject at all cost. Seriously). Build rapport by asking questions. Try to be more original than "how about them Buckeyes?" Questions are a great way to get someone tuned into Wii-FM and talking about themselves.

Once you've established rapport, ask them for their business card. Say something like, "I know a lot of people in XYZ industry, maybe I could shoot some referrals your way?" Of course, don't say that unless you mean it. Be genuinely interested in helping them. Usually, they will gladly hand over their card, only then do you respond with yours.

And take a tip from the Japanese business community. Exchanging business cards is a ritual (we have a large community of Japanese business visitors in Columbus, with the Honda plant in nearby Marysville). They make a big deal over a card. They don't just jam it into their pocket right away. They pore over every letter, every square millimeter of the card, then make a comment on it ("great logo" or "very nice print job on the cards. Who did them for you?"), praise it. Then, and only then, should you stash the card away. (TIP: put the cards in a safe place so you can easily retrieve them for step #5).

Also, try to take a mental picture of what the person looks like, and associate it with their name by frequently using their name during the conversation. Great way to remember people.

5. Mind Your Manners

As soon as possible after the event is over, go directly to your work place and hand write and address a thank you card to each person you met at the event. Make it simple.

"Mike, thanks for taking the time to chat with me at the chamber after hours last night. Really enjoyed speaking with you. Cordially, Sherm"

Don't destroy the moment by including anything about business. Make this just about thanking them. Period.

Include a single business card, seal it and mail it so they get it as quickly as possible.

I usually buy the inexpensive packs of Hallmark Thank You notes from a local stationery store. I run though quite a bit of these, and they're available just about anywhere (Wal-Mart, Kmart, Kroger, Staples, OfficeMax, etc.). They very inexpensive, but the results are priceless.

Really, in this digital age, who sends written notes by mail any more? NOBODY. You want to be remembered? Do this religiously for everyone you meet, whether in a business or social setting. Trust me, you'll be remembered.

About a week after I attended one of the Success Group events mentioned above, I was in line at Wal-Mart and someone yelled out my name. "Sherm! Hey how you doin'?" About four aisles away, I see a gentleman I had met at the last event. He knew me by sight, remembered my name, and remembered that little act of social graciousness I had committed. I haven't gotten any business directly from him, but he's out there actively proselytizing my name and reputation, without ever having done any business with me.

I've planted the seed, now it's time to let it grow.

The key step in this whole process is #5. It's only effective as a network builder if you've made personal contact and had a conversation with someone. If nothing else, it's a great ego boost to have someone remember your name.

As a aside, you can do the thank you note for everyone you meet in business, as long as you take the time to get their contact information.

Use these Five Tips consistently at future live networking events and you'll find your sphere of influence growing by leaps and bounds.

Entrepreneurs – 5 Things You Must Do Every Day to Build Your Business

Some solid business advice in this article by Joshua Black, particularly the part about building a network.

I recommend Meetup.com for finding local face-to-face business networks where you can meet potential new customers, and of course LinkedIn and Facebook to build an online following. Google+ will be business-ready soon as well.

Simple, basic advice that any entrepreneur can follow for building a business.

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