LinkedIn Etiquette

I LOVE LinkedIn!

For a small business owner it’s the ultimate in free advertising. Google  my name and you can find me! How good is that?

When I spoke last year at a conference in India I was able to connect with other speakers who were attending from around the world. In the speakers lounge I was able to meet with people who I had connected with and felt I already knew.

But with every new technology comes new challenges

Below are three points for you to address on your LInkedIn page:

1. Keep it real

There was a trend a while back for people to give themselves weird job titles. A dinner lady became an Education Centre Nourishment Consultant.  And I can’t help asking myself “But what does that mean?” Confusion increases frustration, and when we’re frustrated we disengage.

In the bio section tell me what you do and then tell me how it will benefit me.

If you’re an accountant specialising in tax you might want to add something like:

“I’m an accountant with HR Block specialising in tax. I do the stuff you hate. If you have a box of receipts hidden in your desk drawer I can process them and get the tax return to you within 5 working days.”

Hmmm now this sound like a person I need to know!

2. Be professional

LinkedIn in is not Facebook.

For me, Facebook is purely social. It’s about keeping in touch with friends I may not see that often due to time or distance. Facebook is where I let my hair down and can be a little silly.

LinkedIn should reflect your business brand. Think of LinkedIn as your online CV. Would the company you work with approve? Would you want a recruitment firm or a client to read that article?

Here are some points to consider:

• Get a decent photo. Save the selfie-taken-at-the-traffic-lights and the here’s-me-with-my-BFF for Facebook and include a smart looking picture. It doesn’t have to be a professional shot, I was complementing a colleague on her new snap and it was taken by her 11 year old daughter in the garden!
• Include your qualifications. Resist the temptation to embellish – It’s too easy for people to find out the reality and ‘ping’ there goes your credibility
• Keep it current. Just completed a post grad qualification? Wrote an interesting article about health in the workplace? Great! Time to let your LinkedIn community know.

3. Give before you get

Just as you would not approach people on the street to promote your services, neither should you approach people who you have just linked up with. LinkedIn is relationship based. Be seen, contribute, give your expertise and develop a working relationship first. Spam me and I’ll unlink you.

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Now you may be thinking “But I work for a company or a Government department – what benefit is there to me?”

Well, if you’re looking to progress your career, LinkedIn helps you get noticed. People who get promoted and headhunted are not lucky, they work hard and are visible. 

So go ahead and get seen!

 

Get the most out of your next conference

Heading off to a conference soon? Here’s how to get your money’s worth from this experience.

Charles Jones said “You will be the same person in five years as you are today, except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Earlier this year when I MC’d the AITD/ARTDO International Conference I put a slightly different twist on this quote. I said “You will be the same person you are at the end of this conference except for the speakers you hear, the exhibitors you visit and the contacts you make.”

I attend and speak at conferences around Australia. They are great for professional development but even more importantly, they are great for reconnecting and building your network.

Here are five ways for you to get the most out of your next conference.

1. Go prepared
Think about what you would like to get out of the conference, what you’d like to see and who you’d like to meet. Research the speakers a little and think up some questions you’d like to ask them. There’s always an opportunity and if you have a question ready ahead of time you can be the first one in. You could even contact them via LinkedIn or Twitter and let them know you are looking forward to seeing and hearing them speak.

Now is also the time to perfect your grab. Your grab is your response to the question “So… what do you do?” Rather than say “Oh, I’m just a practice manager” Say “I am the practice manager for Fantastic Lawyers in SA. I help our team do what they do best and this year we won the Adelaide Law Firm of the year award for the fourth year in a row.”

2. Be brave
Now is the time to don your ‘confidence cloak’. For many of us networking does not come easily, and we often feel self-conscious meeting people for the first time. My recommendation is to wear something professional that you feel good in and practice a few icebreakers. My favourite conversation starters at events are:

• The venue – “Have you been to the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre before?”
• The food – “Did you try the lemon tarts? Soooo worth the calories!”
• The speaker – “So, are you a fan of General Gosgrove?”
• The event – “Are you a member of ALPMA?”
• Significant news of the day – “Did you hear who won the ALPMA/Telstra Thought Leadership Awards last night?”
• A compliment – “I love your jacket; red is my favourite colour to wear.”

3. Get there early
It’s always easier to walk into a room before the masses arrive and rescue a wall flower. There is always a person standing there looking lost because their friend has not arrived as yet. Go up to them and say “I don’t know anyone here so I thought I’d come up and introduce myself.” Congratulations – You’ve just made a friend for life.

If you are attending a conference for the first time, or don’t know anyone else attending, look for host stand in the Trade Exhibition and introduce yourself the people who are running the booth. They will happily introduce you to other members, delegates and exhibitors.

4. Make the most of the breaks
As tempting as it is to check your emails and make some calls, remember to be present and make the most of the experience. Grab your lunch and walk over to meet someone new – you never know what may come out of that meeting. Take the time to introduce yourself to the exhibitors and visit each booth. I find this is the quickest and easiest way to find new developments that are occurring in your industry.

5. Follow up
Write on the back of their business card a brief description and what you chatted to them about. Make a note if you promised to send them something and follow up within the week. I find one of the easiest ways to stay in touch is to connect on LinkedIn. Make sure you download the free LinkedIn Contacts app before you go, as it enables you to save a new contact as well as make notes on where you met them and who introduced you.

At the end of the conference you will be a different person. It could be due to the speakers you heard or the exhibitors you visited, but most likely it is because of the people you met. Rarely do we have an opportunity to share ideas and information with like-minded individuals. Conferences provide an opportunity to do this. Follow these five suggestions and you’ll make the most out of your next conference.