Key Elements to an Effective Networking Plan 

Networking = Work!  Just like a Marketing Plan for your business, everyone needs a Networking Plano to grow their business exclusively with warm referrals.

• Identify exactly what type of networking you expect to engage in.
  • Where do your prospects come from?  Business-to-Business or Business-to-Consumer?
  • What levels of management do you target?
  • Do you concentrate on a particular industry?
• Include your networking goals, objectives, and basic agenda for each event.
• Evaluate the Return on Investment (ROI) that you expect to receive from attending a group or meeting.
• ROI isn’t just your “hard costs” of membership or chapter dues.
• Determine your “soft costs”.
  • How much time does your networking require?  Drive time?
  • Are you required to do business with people in the group?
  • Do you have to send a company representative in the event you cannot attend the meeting?  Some organizations require this!
  • Attendance requirements? 
  • What are the time commitments?  Currently, I drive 40 miles round-trip to my weekly B2B networking.
  • What about inviting guests?  Whom do you know that you can invite to become members?  How many guests you are required to bring if any?
  • Identify the synergy partners that you have in the group.  However, you do not have to have true synergy with the group as long as the other members are passionate about networking and willing to open their “little black book” to refer you consistently.
• Overall minimum required commitments of the organization?  Inquire about “unwritten standards of operations.”

Before you join any organization, check them out thoroughly to determine if it is a good fit for your business goals.

Finally, the sole purpose of joining a networking group is to “Make Connections and Seize Opportunities” not to sell everyone in the room!  Doing business with members is an obvious plus!

 ___________________________

Peggy Parker Edge © 2022

LinkedIn Notifications – Engage Prospects & Clients

How often do you engage with your LinkedIn prospects and clients using LI Notifications?

One of the best ways to keep up with what’s happening with your peeps is to consistently monitor your LI Notifications. This is where you learn who the movers-n-shakers are in your professional circles.

Here are 9 types of LI notifications:

1) A new job change

2) A promotion within the existing company

3) Work Anniversaries

4) Who Viewed your Profile

5) Updated location

6) Share a Post

7) Having a Birthday

8) Was Live on LI

9) Received an Award or Honor

All of these notifications are excellent ways to engage your connections to start a conversation with a quick phone call, drop a hand-written note in the mail, or a congratulatory email to let them know that you are thinking about them.

To start a dialogue, take a few minutes to look at their profile to see if there is anything new or different about them that you can use to interject when you contact them.

For example, recently, I was going to reach out to a long-time business associate who had been promoted in his company. Looking at his profile Isaw that he and my hubby attended the same university. This gave me 1 additional point of reference when I called to congratulate him.

So, don’t forget to keep an eye on your LinkedIn Notifications for new opportunities to engage with your network.

#LinkedIntips, #SalesProspect, #Networking

Peggy P. Edge © 2020

_______________________________

Peggy P. Edge is a Certified Executive Coach, LinkedIn Trainer, Speaker, and Business Consultant. She works with Sales Executives to help them GET THE EDGE over their competition using LinkedIn as a marketing tool. To work with Peggy, you can reach her at: peggy@peggyedge.com or office: 214-725-7626.

Job Change? How to Update your LinkedIn® Profile

Recently, I received two job change notifications from my LinkedIn® connections. I went out to take a look at their profiles expecting to see some information about these new positions. To my dismay, neither of my connections had updated their LI profile appropriately.

One person still had their previous job title listed in their headline. The other person had not updated the website of their new company.

Anytime that you have a major change to your career, be proactive to update your LinkedIn® profile as soon as possible. When making a job change, here is the relevant information pieces that you need to update immediately:

Photo – Spend a little money to have a professional photograph of yourself. Remember the dress for success pointers that you need to look like a professional if you expect to be taken seriously in your business.

Headline – Create a headline that is reflective of what service you provide to the marketplace. Some people think of this as their actual job title. Instead, when deciding how to describe your job position, think about how someone might search for you with your area of expertise.

Business email address – Lots of folks put their personal email in their contact information. LinkedIn® is a professional business in social media. Please include your business email address. Trust me; you will not get spammed any more than you do otherwise.

Company Website – Include your company’s website so that people can connect with you and your company. Too many times, I have seen my connections forget to update this portion of their profile.

Work Experience – Create a 3-paragraph description of your new position. Use present tense grammar when writing about your new job.

· 1-2 sentences about the company, including the size of the organization, number of branches, and products/services offered.

· 1-2 sentences about your written job description. If you are in management, include the number of employees of which you are responsible.

· 1-2 sentences about what you do in addition to your prescribed job.

· Update your former employment description with past tense verbiage.

Phone number – Provide your office phone number in your contact information. When I teach LinkedIn® classes, I’m adamant about making it easy for people to get in touch with you. Again, you won’t get any more robocalls or solicitation calls than you do normally.

About / Summary – Develop a new summary (2600 characters maximum) that outlines who your prospects are, what product/service you provide, and why you have a problem solution that a buyer needs. This is an opportunity for you to talk, in detail, about your area of expertise. Create this summary in the present tense. At the end of your summary, include a Call-to-Action that includes your phone number, website, and email address.

Education – Have you completed additional continuing education coursework? Or earned a special certification or degree? Update your education section of LinkedIn® with any classes that you have taken.

Skills – What about new skills learned or obtained during your prior employment? Have you learned a new CRM program or become proficient with Excel spreadsheets? Be sure to include all of your skill-set information on your LI profile.  Be proactive to ask for skill endorsement from those who can speak to your areas of expertise.

Volunteer / Civic work – Were you the captain of a team to raise money for your favorite charity? Employers, as well as prospective clients, are very interested in seeing that you are proactive in giving back to your community. List the volunteer experience as well as give details of any managerial work that you provided.

Recommendations – Give to get!  Be willing to provide a recommendation to several people who you have worked with.  Former supervisors or business associates are good examples of people who know, like and trust you.  Don’t be shy about asking.  If you don’t ask, you will not receive it!

Finally, start reaching out to your most trusted contacts to let them know that you have made a career move.

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2020

Peggy Edge provides LinkedIn® training to individuals as well as sales teams. To hire Peggy, call her at 214-725-7626 or link with her on LinkedIn® at: www.linkedin.com/in/peggyedge