How LinkedIN Can Grow Your Business

Networking is an essential part of building wealth. ~ Armstrong Williams

Networking online has become an effective way to reach out to more people while also bolstering your online reputation. LinkedIN is the tool of choice for individuals who are looking to demonstrate their experience while also connecting with people they might not have met otherwise. Here are 3 effective ways to use LinkedIN to group your business.

1. Make sure your LinkedIN profile is optimized.

• Include a photo of yourself. Make sure it is a recent, professional photo that represents the business person that you are.
• Create a job title using keywords that demonstrate your knowledge.
• Add links to 3 key websites that represent you. This could be your company website, blog or even another social media profile.
• Include a summary of your experience. The keywords in this summary will help people searching for somebody like you.
• List out all jobs you have had. Be certain to include volunteer positions. You can have more than one current job listed, which looks really good if you work full time plus volunteer on committees or with charitable organizations. Include your complete work history. You will likely remember colleagues and classmates you may have forgotten. Those contacts will be able to search for you based on what is in your profile and most social networking sites will suggest people that share these groups or interests.
• Get recommended by peers and clients. Recommendations are always an excellent source of credibility and your recommendations are always there for anyone to see.

2. Keep people updated on what you are doing

• Regularly edit your profile by adding connections or editing content. By adding connections and editing your profile, you are more likely to be at the top of the list when somebody searches for a company like yours. Each time you edit your profile, the information will be circulated to your network, which regularly puts your name in front of your contacts.
• Use the status field to put in updates. Like Twitter, LinkedIN offers the ability to add a short update on your profile. This information is usually sent in emails to others that are connected, share an affinity group or are following specific people.
• Publish your events. Whether they are events you are sponsoring or events you are attending, publishing events helps share what you are involved with. Once you publish an event, you can share it with your network by inviting people to also attend.
• Pull in your Twitter feed. There is an application in LinkedIN that allows you to pull in all your Tweets. This helps spread your tweeting efforts beyond the Twitter domain.
• Use the SlideShare application. If you are teaching classes or have valuable information to share, SlideShare is an excellent way to let others know what your area of expertise is. If you have done an online webinar using online meeting software, you can record your webinar and use SlideShare to share it with your network

3. Join Groups
The number one way to connect with others on LinkedIN is going to be through the groups. Joining professional groups within LinkedIn gives you opportunities to provide input and gain exposure. Whether it’s your own industry, or one your business serves, professional groups are an excellent way to generate new contacts through the online Q&A section.

• Join groups in all areas of interest. Whether you’re a work at home mom, an avid skydiver or an individual who brings spirituality into the workplace, there is a LinkedIN group that will fit your interests. It is often in the less-traveled groups that you will be able to make the quickest connections. Also join groups where your clients hang out. Create a profile of your ideal client, and determine which LinkedIN groups they would be hanging out in.
• Set your preferences to receive email summaries of group questions. By receiving email summaries you will not miss any activity in the group, but you do not have to spend the time visiting the group each day. In this way you will always be front and center when there is a question available that you can provide an expert answer for.
• Become known as an expert. By posting answers in the questions online, you can share with others what you know. If you have good answers, it will create an interest in knowing more about your services.

LinkedIN is a very rich opportunity to grow your network while building your online reputation. In as little as 30 minutes per week you can easily create a network that will help you grow your business.

What Are Your Intentions?

“Excuse me gentlemen, but what exactly are your intentions?” Tom Hanks as Captain Jim Lovell, Apollo 13

As business coaches, we are constantly working with people to craft their intentions for their businesses. It’s surprising how few people have put serious thought into what they want to get out of their businesses or their careers. One of the first things we do as coaches is drill down to the specifics of what people want.

“I want to make a lot of money.” “I want to work fewer hours.” “I want to sell the business.”

These are all understandable ideas, but they are not specific intentions. You need to think about exactly how much money you want to make. Are you wanting to make enough to retire? To put kids through college? To pay off debt? How much money is enough? Be specific about what you want to make.

How many hours is “fewer”? Twenty-five hours a week? Thirty? And if you want to sell your business, how much do you want to sell it for?

We ask our clients to come up with three big intentions for their businesses. These intentions need to be something unprecedented, something they don’t already know how to do. And they need to be specific.

Once you get specific about your intentions, you can start using them as tools to that will drive all the actions and decisions you make in your business. Your intentions become the top of the mountain that you are going to climb. Stand at the top of that mountain and ask yourself how you got there. What resources did you need to do to accomplish your intentions? More hours in sales? More employees? New computers? Whatever it is, start doing it. Set a timeline for accomplishing your intentions and make sure you have specific and measurable benchmarks along the way to track your progress.

Do you need help creating intentions for your business? Do you need someone to hold you accountable for those intentions? We’d be happy to help. We’ve worked with thousands of people over the years to help them deliver on their intentions and win the game of business.

Are you ready to win?

Your Second-Best Friend

“Winning has always meant much to me, but winning friends has meant the most.” Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American Golf Champion

In sales, it can be hard to get your foot in the door with new customers. Too often, we hear “I’m happy with my current supplier,” as the door slowly starts to close on us.

My colleague Mary Mullenhoff has an excellent strategy for keeping your foot in that door long enough to get some business. Mary coaches people to be the “second-best friend”, the alternate supplier who can fill the gaps that the lead supplier leaves open.

When a prospect raves about the current provider, simply say, “That’s great! I’ve heard of XYZ Company, and I’m glad they’re doing a good job for you. Are there any items that XYZ doesn’t provide you that I could offer? I’d like the opportunity to be your second source for some products. That way, you’re protected in case XYZ has a shortage.”

There’s nothing wrong with being a second source. In fact it’s a great position to be in. It’s a way to show good customer service, and grow relationships within companies that are in your target market. Chances are there’s something your competition can’t provide that your prospect wants. Do your research and be ready to offer some options that might complete your prospect’s inventory. Maybe you have some shipping or service options on certain things that your client might need in specific situations.

Whatever you can do to be a supplier, do it! Then build on that relationship with good service and a quality product. If you are a service provider, offer to be a second opinion on their current service. Offer to update them on current trends through your newsletter. Be clear that you’re not trying to upset the apple cart if they are happy with their primary supplier, you are giving them additional options.

One can never have too many friends. When you make inroads as a second-best friend, you’re putting yourself in a position to win more sales and more clients for the long term.

Are you ready to win?