Rule one: 6 Degrees of Separation has collapsed to two.
Rule two: The “Introduction” has become the new “Referral.”
The question: How can you build your connections better?
It’s not obvious.
Bankers, lawyers, accountants often refer business between one another. This network I have referred to in the past as “The Golden Triad.”
Consultants or other service professionals, often don’t have as well defined networks. Their lack of a targeted group often turns their networking into a haphazard activity.
Sales professionals have the advantage of having targeted prospects and territories but, often, they don’t build a small base of quality referral sources or in today’s networked world–targeted “introducers.”
People who realize the paradox that “quality” connections, first, build the quantity of introductions they want, find that technology platforms like LinkedIn, provide the organizational infrastructure that will collapse their sales cycle by upwards of 50%.
Your opportunity?
Identify ten top organizations you would like to target?
Search on LinkedIn through the “Advanced” search page, the “Company” page and through “Groups” for titles in your targeted organization like “change agent” or locate the top networked people in the organization (I’ll share more about his in future posts).
Start finding out more about these people who share more about who they are in their organizations rather than just about what they do for the company.
If you can connect to people by the hundreds all day every day online, who are those best, quality connections for you that can provide the quantity of results that have perhaps been elusive for quite some time?
Our Exclusive LinkedIn Train-the-Trainer Program
Since LinkedIn started back in 2002 I have trained more than 5000 individuals and hundreds of groups both online and offline. It’s been so rewarding to see people go from the question, “I’m on LinkedIn. Now, what do I do?” to “Wow! I can see this is one of the most amazing sites I have ever visited!” But how can you, get from that first question to that second, powerful statement? Here’s how.
The Offer
This year I am coming out with my 14th book, “Networking is Dead: Making Connections that Matter.” As a special offer to precede the release I am offering 20 companies the opportunity to get my Networlding Train-the-Trainer LinkedIn Program at half price. Here is what you receive:
- 500 “Graduate to LinkedIn” books or 250 “Graduate to LinkedIn” book and 250 “50 Ways to Better Social Media” books
- the Networlding Train-the-Trainer LinkedIn Program – for up to five trainers in your company (delivered through webinars)
- follow-up group coaching sessions offered for the price of individual group coaching sessions (delivered through webinars or tele-sessions)
Following are previews of both “Graduate to LinkedIn” and “50 Ways to Better Social Media”:
This book offers the most valuable, yet easy-to-understand strategies and tactics for using LinkedIn.
Download the Graduate to LinkedIn Free Pre-Book Now
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Make your life easier through this great “pre-book” that shows how to get the most out of your social media.
Download the 50 Ways Social Media Free Pre-Book Now
Use these books to start conversations that open up relationships more effectively to close better deals faster. These beautiful book gifts can be used inside your organization for your employees as well as outside for prospects and customers/clients.
Don’t wait another minute wondering how to use one of the most powerful tools in the world to help you move from 6 Degrees of Separation to 2 Degrees. Collapse your sales cycle. Call me at 312-560-0982 or email me or click here to connect.
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Check out our new, 12-Part, Young Professionals Onboarding Series 
What are the top skills employers want their college graduates to have? At Networlding we have been studying this question for the last five years. We found the top 12 skills that the majority of employers say they wished college grads had but either have little or no skills in these areas.
We responded to this insightful research we found (http://budurl.com/NewJobCandidate) and spent the last year designing 12 focused videos to address this training gap.
Bonus
We also found that companies were dramatically increasing their interest in teaching their new, younger hires how to graduate from just using Facebook to also using LinkedIn as a tool to help grow a more professional company brand as well grow new business opportunities. In response to this need, we created an additional three bonus videos on LinkedIn. I have been one of the top LinkedIn trainers since LinkedIn started May 5th 2003. I was asked a couple of years later to fly out to Mountain View and present to the entire organization and meet with their CMO at that time, Patrick Crane, to talk about helping young professionals learn how to start and grow their professional careers on LinkedIn.
This bonus series has all the best strategies and tactics for your young professionals I have trained, coached and tested over the years.
Following is the overview of some of the highlights of the learning series with a preview of three of the training modules:
Communication Skills
- Letter and email writing tips
- Social Media correspondence best practices
- Phone 101, How to get people to understand what you want them to do
- Build a presentation that clearly identifies goals, strategies and outcomes expected
- Proven techniques to build a presentation
- How to get your message across and support with facts
- Learn how to communicate with your boss and superiors
- Proven strategies to communicate with your colleagues
Strong work ethic
- Know what your job description is expecting you to do
- Identify what you think a strong work ethic is
- Know what your employer thinks a strong work ethic is
- What is “working hard”?
- Do you know what your “Time wasters” are and do you have a strategy to overcome them?
- Time Management 101 Identify how you manage your time and prove it
- Learn how to identify when others throw you off track
- Simple strategies to build a reputation as someone who gets things done on time
Teamwork skills
- Understand what your team mates expect of you
- Know what you should expect from your team mates
- Learn how to participate in a meeting
- Learn how to participate in and manage a meeting
- How to set and follow up on deliverables for meetings
- Learn how to report to your team what you’ve accomplished
Problem Solving skills
- Learn how to recognize what is a problem
- 5 questions to ask to learn what the heart of a problem is
- How to sell your case that the problem needs to go away
- Simple techniques to get others behind solving the problem
- How to build a solution that is cross department/cross functional
This series provides your employees with all the above and more:
- 12 Power Point learning modules, lasting about 30 minutes each
- Bonus: three LinkedIn tutorials focused on profile excellence and strategies for growing your company brand
- Optional and at no extra charge: A follow-up webinar to facilitate deeper learning
Here are three videos to watch now:
Traing Video #1: Interpersonal Communications
Training Video #3: Effective Time Management
LinkedIn Bonus Video 3
If you are interested in information on ordering all 15 videos which also includes a complementary, interactive webinar led by me, please email me melissa@networlding.com or call 312-560-0982
