Tactic #3 - RecommendationsIt's easy to understand
that whenever you give a recommendation, you dramatically increase the odds
of getting one in return.
But, this simple exchange can only get you so
far, and is easy to note when you study others' recommendations. What you
need is a different exchange.
The commitment to make is this.
Commit to delivering extraordinary value to all you serve. When those that you serve have received this value and can point to explicit black and white changes for their benefit, it is a testament to these changes that you
need. And, when you really do give incredible value, there is a type of
pure joy in writing up a testimonial over that value.
Be careful about the easy exchanges and about
getting too many recommendations from easy sources, such as co-workers or
subordinates. Your boss right now is a credible source, but your previous
bosses in other jobs are even more so.
In the end, the direct recipients of
your value are the ultimate recommendations you need. Contemplate that,
and deeply.
What you want are
recommendations from people whose good opinion of you is something you had to compete for and
win. You want them to say, in bold, black and white terms, precisely what
you did for them and why they're happy to recommend that others take a
chance on you.
Sports advertising helps here, again. You're
looking for endorsements. No, you might not buy Wheaties because you see
an impressive athlete on the box, but I'm here to tell you, the money
companies invest in getting endorsements from celebrity performers makes them
millions and millions in profits.
You want that same power, in
micro-version, for your LinkedIn profile. And, make no mistake, the more
readily recognized the names of those who recommend you, the more powerfully
you'll benefit in the battle for recognition of your unique powers.
Lastly, be bold.
Remember your basic sales training. When all else fails, and every other
tactic has not gotten you the deal, you might try asking the prospect for his
order. How many sales are left unclosed simply because the disappointed
seller never actually asked the prospect to buy? The same is utterly true
with your recommendations. Don't be shy to ask. And don't
simply hope someone will be moved to recommend you. Approach them.
Be cool. Make it completely okay for
them to say no, and mean it. Don't be over the top. But ask!
Really, go ask someone right
now!
Strategy #2 - Reputation: The Holy Grail of LinkedIn and All Social NetworkingWhat exactly is Reputation? Let's talk
about gossip. Sure, gossip has a bad rap, but admit it, we all do
it and we all LOVE doing it! What's more, the moment we hear the
word "gossip" we think of bad things being said. But, that's
a bit unfair, actually. Gossip breaks down into two categories, not just
one, bad gossip and good gossip. Gossip is just people talking about
other people. Well, more specifically, it is people talking about people
who are NOT present and can't hear what's being said! And,
sometimes, people actually have nice things to say about others.
Think about your parents. How many of you have
heard, maybe over and over again, how your dad was bragging on you, bursting
with pride, and felt, "Wow, where was I when he was saying that?"
You might never have heard your father say a single good thing about you in
your presence. But... if you were the proverbial fly on the wall, what
a totally different perspective you'd get! That too, is gossip, it's
just good gossip.
Good gossip is what you want. Good gossip is
precisely how reputation is built and how it lives and breathes, moves and
grows and changes. Good gossip is how you win the war for business.
What you need is to have people talking about you when you're not there
to hear what they say. That is your goal.
Now, the Public Relations people will tell us that there
is no such thing as bad press. And they're obviously right.
There will always be naysayers. You will always have enemies and
competitors motivated to bad mouth you. You have to face that. It
really is okay. Why? The key is that once you realize that your
goal is to get them talking, and to give them something to talk about, you'll
immediately start climbing to the top of the class.
That's
right. This is one of those crazy things in life where awareness is at
least 90% of the challenge. Most people don't know and don't
think about it. Most people really do just suffer with their reputation
being what it is, as if they had nothing to do with it.
Nothing could be further from the truth! You
actually create your own reputation, no matter how motivated others may be to
smear you. You see, everyone experiences the bad-mouthers, and they take
them with a grain of salt. What really matters is the truth. There
is a power to truth that no amount of lying or manipulating can ever
touch. In the end, your quality will be known, and you control your
quality, no one else.
So, what about LinkedIn in all this? Simply grab
hold of this. As you build your network, and collect the best possible
recommendations you can; as you learn how to interact with your growing
network, you're going to be able to get the word out about yourself
almost as if you could buy advertisements at the Super Bowl, or in a major
newspaper, with your picture and special offerings.
LinkedIn will become
your personal advertising department and more. It will also become the
forum where you go to join in the rough and tumble of competition for
attention. In all this, your reputation will have a megaphone on
steroids. You will be able to project your reputation forward, and
introduce who you are and what you do with a new type of force and power.
So, here's my final counsel for today.
Dream. Dream big. Build the dream so that you know precisely what
professional accomplishments you will build, and then, envision yourself with
the best reputation in the world for all those achievements. I'm
quite serious, too, when I charge you to dream. That is, each night, before you
fall asleep, as you lay there in bed, picture your reputation at LinkedIn,
specifically, and picture it reaching forward to the very best, most influential
clients and candidates, the ones you need to do business with. Picture them
learning that you are the go-to person, the one they have to know in order to
get their needs met. Dream of your reputation exploding, so that you rise
to the very top of your field. Set this vision in your mind each night, before
you fall asleep. And then each morning, before you start working, check
in with your dream and re-dedicate yourself to it. You'll find that
the more you invest into your dream, the faster your LinkedIn strategies will
catapult forward, and the greater your victories and flow of new rewards. 
