Grow your business with 5 minutes on LinkedIn

STRATEGY #1 SEND A SHORT MESSAGE

Before you send keep in mind the following:

• Show interest in the person. Before you message, take a quick look at their profile and see what information stands out for you. Make note of things you may have in common with them. This will make it a warmer connection. 
• Use other online sources to find out more. Google the person and get to know your prospect by just spending a couple minutes.
• Network in person. Online networking is great, but face to face interactions are a great way to build trust in your network. The more times a prospect sees you, you increase the likelihood that a potential business relationship will yield positive results. Dr. Jack Schafer, an Ex-FBI agent discusses this strategy as part of a recruiting practice in The Like Switch.

Keep these golden rules in mind when messaging via LinkedIn:

• Do not use templates verbatim. Sites like LinkedIn provide you pre-created messages to wish someone Happy B-day or congratulate them on their job. It saves time, but unfortunately, it does not have the communication to be authentic. The recipient, many times is receiving dozens of other messages that are exactly the same. Build the connection online as you would in real life.
• Do not sell initially. You want to grow the business, but if the person does not know you and you try to sell to early you may burn the connection. It is your job to add more trust deposits into the relationship before you ask. To sell, you must give.

Here is a 5-step formula to help you send an effective message online:

• Start with a short introduction. Let them know your name and if there is a common connection.
• Make them feel good. Let them know about any accomplishments that stood out from their profile to you. State why based on this you thought it would be a good idea for both of you to connect. When connecting remember this Theodore Roosevelt quote: 

people don’t care until you show them how much you do.

• Introduce yourself. Provide details on who you are and what you do. But please keep it short, ideally to a maximum of 4 sentences.
• Invite them to connect offline. Let them know you would love to meet and hear more about them. Please do not make the mistake here of pitching your offer too soon. A great initial way to connect initially would be over the phone. Your intention should always be to connect, to identify win-win scenarios not to pitch a product or service.
• End on a positive note. Wish them a great week or day or with another closing line on a high note.

Has LinkedIn been a valuable tool to growing your business or are you just getting started? Share your thoughts and comments below.

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Original post was published on TanyaFlores.com