Getting the Most out of LinkedIn® as a Marketing Tool

LinkedIn® is one of the most powerful marketing tools that you have in your sales toolbox. Use LinkedIn to get recognized as an expert in your industry; research companies and their key management teams; and to connect for former colleagues and vendors.

Here are a few of Peggy’s Pointers to help you get the most out of LinkedIn:

Connect ASAP
- As with any networking activity, be prudent to follow-up with a prospective connection within 24-72 hours.
- Things happen and sometimes we get behind the 8-ball. If there has been a time-lag since you met the prospective connection, be bold and remind your contact how, where and when you met.
Personalize your connection request
- Create an invitation that is uniquely tailored. Interview your potential connection through a customized email.
Request to connect
- Only send a request 1 time. Keep in mind if your prospect doesn’t respond immediately, they may not be an active user of LinkedIn. The system will remind them there is a request to connect.
- For example, I met several keynote speakers/trainers at an event in January. Afterward, I reached out to all of them to add to my professional circle. Several responded immediately, however, there were 3 who didn’t respond until last month. I chalked that up to the fact they travel extensively and simply didn’t have the time to reply promptly.
Content is King
- Limit your posts to 1-2 times/week and only 1 time/day. If you bombard your connections with blog posts or ads, you could be setting yourself up to be blocked.
Personal contact policy
- Some people like to connect via direct email vs through LI messaging.
Notification Updates
- LinkedIn notifies you of your connections’ updates of a new job, an anniversary, and a birthday. Keep in touch with your connections by writing a personalized congratulatory note.
- Recently I created a letter to send to all of my LI contacts whom I haven’t had contact within several years. This letter was geared to inform my contacts about new product/service offerings that I am currently marketing The response was great. Several people reached back to me with a request for more information.
Groups
- LinkedIn allows each person to be a member of up to 100 different groups.
- Even though you can be a member of 100 groups, select 3-5 key groups to join and be active with content and engagement to them on a regular base.
- I recommend that you select groups within your industry as well as prospective industries of which you expect to market to.
  - Since I am a packaging specialist, I am a member of several packaging groups. In addition, I am a coach/consultant therefore I also belong to groups that specialize in coaches.
Endorsements
- LinkedIn allows up to 50 skill endorsements per person. Only endorse someone for the skills that you are aware they possess.
- To receive endorsements, it’s okay to contact 6-8 of your connections asking them for a specific endorsement. Send an endorsement request especially if you have recently gained new skills via training and/or project experience.
- Keep your request to a minimum of 1-2/month.
Recommendations
- The best way to receive a recommendation of your work/skill-set is to give one to someone else.
- Be specific in your recommendation request otherwise you may receive a standard blah response. Don’t be afraid to send a rough draft with details of which you want to be recommended.
- If you have recommendations that are not completely flattering to you, remove them from your profile.
- Only request 1-2 recommendations per month.
- Be sure to send a thank-you note, preferably a hand-written one.
Update Function
- Before you make any changes to your LI profile, be sure to go to your Privacy and Settings and turn-off your broadcast update function until you have completed changes.

I work with individuals to update their LinkedIn profiles and help make it functional as a marketing tool.

www.peggyedge.com

Negotiation: How to Prepare to Ask for a Raise.

When was the last time that you negotiated a raise or promotion? Do you get a little weak in the knees at the thought of asking your boss for a raise?

Recently a friend of mine was lamenting to me that she needed to get a part-time job to supplement her income because she had not received a raise in over 3 years. She explained that she had been instrumental in getting a raise for 15 of her employees but not one for herself.

I said, “Well, we need to change that.”

As we worked together over several weeks, we came up with a firm plan for her to get in front of her boss and boldly ask for that long overdue raise.

Here are a few negotiating pointers that you can use to ask for your next raise:

Research the salary range of your current position in the area of which you live. Go to: www.salary.com for reliable information.
- Decide exactly what dollar figure raise that you expect to receive.
- If your company traditionally only grants a percentage cost-of-living raise, you must decide if this is reasonable based upon your research.

Update your resume and LinkedIn profile to include:
- Continuing education classes – those for credit or industry/expertise education.
  - Include any certifications that you hold.
- If you are working on a degree or certification, list that with the expected completion date.
- Projects of which you have been involved.
- Committees that you have participated.
- Include all of your external business accomplishments – civic, networking, education, etc.
- Have you been awarded industry honors? Include those.
- What new skills have you learned or attained since your last evaluation?
- Include any publications, including White Papers you have produced, even if you are the co-author.
- Are you a volunteer with any community or civic organizations. Include these under Community Service, especially if you hold or have held a position as the leadership team.

Make a list of all of your accomplishments since the last time you received a raise or had your an annual evaluation.
- Don’t forget to include industry and community accolades of which you have been honored.
- How many people do you supervise?
- Have you been instrumental in creating work improvements objectives for your department and/or for the entire company?
Make a list of proposed updates, changes or work initiatives that you have determined you can generate.
- For every recommendation, write a justification to match.
- If you have a coach or close friend, use them as a sounding board to role-play with them to work through all of your proposals.
- If you have worked for your boss for over a year, you should be accustomed to what his/her response will be.
- Think through the possible responses that you will get based upon his/her reactions and be prepared to defend your points.

List key skill-sets that you have expertise including:
- team leadership.
- upper management skills.
- computer expertise – list programs that you are particularly adept.

Above all, never go into an annual review without being armed with your written list of what you have accomplished and how you plan to be instrumental in growing the organization in the coming year.

After coaching my friend though these tips, she not only received a raise but also was promoted to Vice President of the company!

You too can be successful in negotiating a raise and/or promotion. Just remember, everything is negotiable. Be bold and be prepared to receive a “Yes” answer!

Peggy is a Certified Professional Coach who works with individuals to set career goals and objectives. Her focus is to guide her clients to a win-win.

Business Networking

Business Networking–what is it?

Is Business Networking about attending a meeting, gathering business cards, calling those contacts to sell them? Absolutely not!

Many of us are sitting at our desks today trying to figure out where we are going in 2017 and how we will get there with our business.

Let’s explore a few key points that you can work on to get started for the year.

It is: Being Passionate about Giving First.

Zig Ziglar wrote in Closing the Sale: “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
Most people have the idea that networking is all about getting referrals and sales.
However, networking is all about giving first.

It is: Building and Developing Synergy Partners.

A synergy partner is someone who is taught how to promote you and your business to others in the marketplace.
To build and develop an effective synergy partner, get together with your connections for a sit-down 1-1 to explain and teach them who your best prospects are, what product and service your offer and why someone would want or need your expertise.

It is: Sharing your Expertise and Talents.

We all have unique expertise. Don’t be afraid to share that with others. Sharing your expertise and talents goes back to your ability to give first.
Always be willing to give first.

It is: Being a Resource and Connector of people.

Be willing to share your connections with others. When you give of yourself, then there is always the opportunity for someone to give back to you.

It is: Your EDGE over your Competition!

The marketplace is flooded with individuals who have the same products and services to offer. Many times, the only thing that you will have that distinguishes you over your competition is your connections.

Therefore, to be effective in your networking activities if you give first; build and develop your synergy partners; share your expertise and talents; be a resource and connector of people, then, you will have earned THE EDGE over your competition!

_________________________________

Edge Consultants provide 1-1 personal, group coaching and in-house sales training to corporations. If you or your sales team would be interested in an in-house and hands-on training on how to maximize these 5 key pointers, call me at 214-725-7626 or check out my website at: https://www.peggyedge.com/my-edge/speaking/ for more details.

Get “THE EDGE” over Your Competition--Make Connections! Seize Opportunities!