ALERT: If you say you don’t have time to commit to learning one more thing, or have no interest in learning, you may want to move on to another post. This post is not for the faint-hearted.
Whether you’re a LinkedIn neophyte or a power user, you will need to pay attention in 2017. Among the obvious– new design, new and removed features and integration with Microsoft Outlook, there will be a greater divide among those using LinkedIn successfully or not.
I can’t think of another year where I’ve seen more changes rolling out and more significant potential on the horizon. It will not come easily to many, or be the proverbial walk in the park for salespeople or recruiters trying to make quota. In fact, I think this will be the year that separates social sellers and intentional networkers from those who half-heartedly try but never really tap into LinkedIn as a business tool.
The new desktop design, which more closely reflects the app, is not necessarily earth shattering but is different enough that you need to spend some time pressing all of the buttons to see where things are and note the differences.
LinkedIn has decided to remove several features from the new design and move them over to Sales Navigator. If you are serious about using LinkedIn, you will need to transition to Sales Navigator this year. Having said that, don’t buy Sales Navigator until you have mastered your LinkedIn.com account. Don’t try to learn LinkedIn.com and Sales Navigator at the same time, save yourself the frustration. It’s a bit like learning how to use a Surface tablet and an iPad at the same time.
Ultimately, whether LinkedIn is useful to you and your company is dependent on you. It’s your willingness to learn and commit a specific amount of time in LinkedIn that will move you from passive to proactive; from surfing around to creating business opportunities and building your brand. With an open mind and dedicated time, you will begin to better understand why your profile needs to be well-written with a particular purpose in mind and your network needs nurturing. You will also learn that a network of people you don’t know and don’t know you can’t become a referral network (excluding all influencers and real subject matter experts).
Several times a week someone will ask, “What results will I have from working with you and your team?” Great question. The answer is: it depends on your current presence and network, your objective and intention, your level of interest and stick-to-it-ness.
What I can guarantee is that, with every conversation, coaching session and workshop, you will receive insight, tips, strategy, fresh ideas, and resources designed for reinforcement and results. For some clients, we do the outreach, and even those clients have coaching sessions with us. Why? We want our clients to know how to push the right buttons, connect with the right people, start conversations and share content that is meaningful to your network.
Our 4x Difference
Entering our sixth year, our team has never been stronger. We are a four-person team who collectively spends an average of 25 hours a day on LinkedIn. Yes, 25 hours per day. That is 125 hours per week, 500 hours per month, 6,000 hours per year. And, our clients have the benefit of talking or working with all of us.
Erin, leading our talent sourcing, helps our clients understand how to effectively think about and execute a proactive recruiting strategy using LinkedIn Recruiter. She also coaches and develops the majority of our clients’ new or updated LinkedIn profiles. Her specialty is knowing what people want to see on a profile and writing it with their voice and personality, front and center.
Sydney, leading our business development outreach and coaching, helps our clients leverage their LinkedIn.com profile and Sales Navigator with best practices, purpose, and efficiency. She works hard to provide creative suggestions and new ways of finding just the right lead or candidate.
Mollie, has expanded our coaching reach and works with clients who want both outreach and one-to-one coaching to build their brand and attract new leads. She brings a teacher’s mind and patience to each coaching engagement.
As for me, I lead our business development efforts and I love coaching and training high-performing individuals and teams who understand the power of LinkedIn, are committed to using LinkedIn more effectively and position themselves as a valuable personal brand in their organization.
So, what can you expect from us this year?
You can expect:
More tips, insight and focus on LinkedIn strategy and an action plan.
Adherence to our process* (Trust me, it’s for your own good).
Us to serve as your accountability partner to monitor your progress and objectives.
We’re here to help you stand out on LinkedIn as a leader in your industry and show you how to find, connect, engage and strategically develop influence within your network, in Groups and as a thought leader. The question is– are you ready and willing?
If not, we appreciate you reading this post and hope that you’ll subscribe and continue to learn from our posts.If so, don’t wait. Let us know how we can help you maximize LinkedIn and be more successful in 2017.
