by Keith Larsen
Most business people I am acquainted with are “on LinkedIn”, but few know how to use it effectively for their business; mainly because they don’t understand its power. I was also in the dark about LinkedIn until 6 months ago when I attended a presentation by Rick Itzkowich, “The LinkedIn Guy”. http://www.rickitzkowich.com/
Mr. Itzkowich recounted a recent trip to the country of Bahrain where he was invited to put on a LinkedIn workshop. As I recall, he told his audience he had been in the country only 5 days and declared he was better connected to local business leaders than anyone in the audience, most of who had lived there for decades. To prove it he asked for the name of a high ranking government official the audience would like to have a business meeting with. They came up with a name (I’ll call him Sheik Smith because I can’t remember it.) Mr. Itzkowich went to his LinkedIn account, sent out a request to his network, and within the course of the workshop a person responded who said he knew Sheik Smith personally and could arrange an interview. Think about how that scenario could play out in your own business.
Join a Group. One way to tap into the power of LinkedIn is to join groups. On your LinkedIn home page click on the Groups Icon and follow the menu. Or, better, click on Groups in the Search drop-down menu, then search for and join groups in your business or geographic area. (This also works well if you are looking for a job.) For example, typing in “Murrieta” reveals Women Business Owners, Twin Cities Angel Capital Group and 12 others. (Turns out ten of the 14 Women Business Owners are already in my network.) Once you have joined a group you can search for members of the group, then enter keywords for businesses and job titles of people you want to connect with. You may then see their entire profile. But here is the real kicker: Send an e-mail to the one you find most interesting, asking for help or to meet for coffee.
Find people who can help you. Let’s say you want to peddle your auto detailing services to a local car dealership. On the ‘People Search’ tab, type in Paradise Chevrolet Temecula and see a list of ten of its employees, from the owner to an auto tech. You can then click on their profiles and determine who might best help you. At the bottom of his/her profile page find the Group(s) they belong to and connect with them per instructions above.
For more information on LinkedIn and other business topics join me and dozens of other Murrieta area business owners at our FREE monthly Business Roundtable, held 3rd Wednesdays from 7:30 -8:30 AM at Murrieta Public Library, 8 Town Square, Murrieta.
Keith is 1 of 30 experienced volunteers providing FREE business counseling in the Inland Empire. To make an appointment send an e-mail to k.larson@cox0.net. Or visit the SCORE website at http://www.inlandempire.scorechapter.org/.