The Power of Second Degree connections on LinkedIn

Here is how we are connected on LinkedIn…

1st-degree - People you’re directly connected to because you have accepted their invitation to connect, or they have accepted your invitation. You’ll see a 1st-degree icon next to their name in search results and on their profile. You can contact them by sending a message on LinkedIn.

2nd-degree - People who are connected to your 1st-degree connections. You’ll see a 2nd-degree icon next to their name in search results and on their profile. You can contact them through an InMail or an introduction.

3rd-degree - People who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections. You’ll see a 3rd-degree icon next to their name in search results and on their profile. You can contact them through an InMail or an introduction.

Out of Network - LinkedIn members who fall outside of the categories listed above. You can contact them through an InMail.

LinkedIn makes networking virtually effortless. With LinkedIn you can quickly find people who are in a position to help you.

Once you have identified people who can help you, then you can begin to look for relationship links in your social network.

If you have not yet done this before, then it will be a very eye opening experience. In fact, most people have never looked at their network through this lens before!

Ask for introductions.

Be deliberate about asking your 1st degree connections for introductions to the specific people in the specific titles and companies you targeted who are in their networks. You will be surprised how many people will be excited and more than happy to provide introductions!

Tip: LinkedIn makes this super easy by informing you that a connection could introduce you to a number of people who either co-workers or important people in their network. This is an awesome feature.

Getting a warm introduction to someone will be much more powerful than contacting someone cold. People are more willing to spend time with someone that comes “verified” by someone they trust.

Building and maintaining your professional network takes time. If you’re not happy with your progress towards your goals, then start taking action and weaving these tactics into your daily habits. If you ask for something specific from the right people, you might be surprised by how much you receive.