Establishing a Great LinkedIn Reputation

Guy Lucien responded to a comment made by someone about my “Maximizing Your First Contacts with Your LinkedIn Connections” with follow up video that makes some interesting points. I thought I would take the conversation one more step and tell you specifically how to establish a great reputation on LinkedIn.

My recommendation will not be new to my regular readers and site members and I keep repeating the same mantra over and over – become invaluable!

Becoming invaluable is the only way to establish a powerfully positive reputation on LinkedIn. And this brings me to the one point of disagreement with Guy’s video – he says let someone else do it for you. Personally, I don’t think this is a truly workable plan for establishing your LinkedIn reputation as it is the personal in interaction of being invaluable that develops such a reputation.

When I started on LinkedIn I was basically touting my self as an inside sales expert. Since that time I have changed my focus and my business and now help people with web marketing and LinkedIn networking.

The process of developing myself as a “sales” expert was accomplished doing a couple of things.

Question and Answer Participation

I participated heavily in the Question and Answer Forum both in posting and answering questions. When I answered questions I gave the very best answers I could often going into significant detail and being very specific.

This process was extremely valuable to those asking the questions and also to those reading them. The value I provided in the way of sales expertise was appreciated by many and I frequently had people asking me to connect just because they wanted to follow my posts.

Additionally, I asked a lot of sales questions. I focused on the most important and often the most controversial subjects, such as cold calling and for many of my questions I would post my own answers in the clarification just before the question closed. This generated great discussions and at the end I provided additional value with my own thoughts. Some of my questions were even designed to help others learn as I would give examples for analysis and then challenge the reader to find the key points engaging them in conversations re their thoughts and answers.

This is the major way you provide value on LinkedIn and if you work at it one of the best ways to establish yourself as an expert while giving yourself a great reputation.

Offering additional help

In addition to all of this I would always offer to continue the conversation or give more detail to anyone willing to engage me. I even offered my help (no charge) to many of those I engaged.

This too builds a powerful reputation and I know for a fact that many I have helped continue to send others my way.

It is this personal touch that builds a great reputation and the reason I would disagree with the final conclusion of the video that someone else can build that reputation for you.

Watch our for others

There is one other thing I did and do constantly that also helps with my reputation on LinkedIn – I watch the back of my fellow LinkedIners.

I have often participated in a question where someone else has been so bold to put an advertisement in the question. I take the time to tell the questioner that they should flag such and answer.

I often see people who put pictures in there profile that are not current pictures of themselves or add their email address to the header – in both cases I will send them a not telling them they are risking getting their account suspended.

Help others on and with LinkedIn

Additionally, since I have such a wide knowledge of what works on LinkedIn I will send new people suggestions on better practices when they approach me in a way that is not in their best interest.

All of these little things make a huge impact over time. You don’t have to spend tons of hours as I did in the beginning. To do this, you just need to be consistent in looking for ways to help others. If you do so, you will build a great reputation.

Have a profile that offers value

Two last points, first you will not that my profile is all about bringing value to those who read it, and second I don’t prospect, but I do frequently give free advice on those areas of my expertise to my connections and those I engage.

Try it, and you to will develop a great reputation and more importantly large number of valued connections just waiting to help you when you need it.

From Flyn

I have two events next week – I hope you’ll join me. The first is my LinkedIn Secrets seminar that is packed with great information on how to be more successful on LinkedIn.

The second is a workshop for those that would really like to understand how to create a powerful profile. It includes my own personal review and suggestions as well as a follow-up to your effort to correct or improve what you’ve done.

You can check these out at the events link in the upper right corner of this page.

Additionally, if you haven’t taken my Mini Power Networking Course for LinkedIn (It’s also free.) please go to this link and check out the 7 videos and 4 free reports for some great tips on working LinkedIn. You will find that data by clicking the link under my picture.

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