In the title of this post I put “Black Hat?” as I will let you the reader decide (Black Hat SEO techniques are things that the search engine find objectionable as they are “gaming” the system.) if this is the case. One such SEO method is stuffing keywords on the site by including them on the page in the same color as the background – so they can’t be seen. This allows one to put them on the page many times without the challenge of putting them in context.

Here’s the deal…

Let me start by saying that this technique appears to work fairly well.

Apparently the search algorithm on LinkedIn uses as a high priority the number of times you have the key word in your profile.

The proponents of this technique have discovered that by listing the keywords in the job title and then repeating that listing many times they can get more instances of the term. They are also stuffing their header headline with extra copies of the specific key word.

I visited one profile of someone using this technique who had no less than 40 listings of the same job. The listings are blank all you see is the title in the following format.

Title, Company | Keyword or words

This listing also appears in the “past” employment in the header.

In my opinion.

The Good

The good part about this technique is that it appears to work. If you don’t have a very competitive keyword you can pretty easily put yourself in a high if not first position for that search.

The Bad

This method in the SEO world is called “keyword stuffing” and doesn’t work when dealing with the search engines as their sophisticated algorithms pick it up and actually will penalize you for doing this.

The LinkedIn search is far more random and not based on such sophisticated methods thus the technique works.

The first concern I have to the technique is it makes your profile a mess. Who wants to scroll through a profile with dozens of useless listings? Do you?

If you believe as I, that your profile is a “marketing” piece; then this is obviously a serious deterioration of content with the objective of “engaging” the reader using value.

Based on the above the technique destroys not only the look and feel of the profile but the content quality as well.

My second concern is probably far more serious. This technique “games” the system – in other words the technique has only one purpose – to beat the search algorithm on LinkedIn. That purpose is completely outside the purpose of LinkedIn.

The big question here is how will LinkedIn react to this methodology when they become aware of it? The search engines reaction was to slap those who did so.

Summary

What will LinkedIn do? No one knows; but personally I can tell you I’m not going to test them to find out.

By the way the tactics and strategies I teach will get you great results without breaking or testing the rules – there are other ways to be seen and get business. Grab my free course and get started – LinkedIn Power Networking Mini Course

I will explain each bone briefly so you can see the process of getting business in the LinkedIn networking environment.

Foot Bone: Accessibility

Accessibility means being easy to get to. The most recent example I observed was someone that asked me about getting business on LinkedIn. I went to this person’s profile and found that there was no link to their website.

This omission is an “accessibility” problem. If you don’t make it easy for people to find and engage you, many of them simply won’t take the time to figure it out. Remember that most of the people looking for what you provide have NOT yet made the decision to buy. These people won’t go out of their way to engage you, they’ll simply move on to someone else.

One of the key areas relating to accessibility is your LinkedIn account settings. There are many settings in your LinkedIn account that will either close off or open up the access others have to you.

Leg Bone: Visibility

Visibility is one of the primary keys to finding and getting business on LinkedIn. It’s all based on pure numbers – the more people that see you, the more chances you have that someone that needs your products or services will find you.

Visibility is achieved in a number of ways the most common is of course participation in the Question and Answer Forum and the Forums and Discussions within the groups. These actions will put you in front of potentially millions of LinkedIners that may not find you otherwise.

They have the additional benefit of pre-qualifying your engagements as what you write about should to some extent attract people in that arena.

Visibility can be enhanced by making your outflow more valuable and by your actions of simply helping others.

Back Bone: Being Invaluable

The back bone (no pun intended) of all success on LinkedIn is being perceived as an invaluable resource and not a prospector.

In order to succeed on LinkedIn without prospecting you must attract opportunities that put you in a position get business. It is that process of getting people to come to you that relieves you of the need to prospect.

Neck Bone: Your Profile

The central piece of attracting opportunity is how that opportunity engages you in the early phase of the relationship. That piece is your profile.

If you are putting out value in the question and answer forum, and in the group discussions and forums the first thing people will see is your mini profile – the header of your LinkedIn profile. The very next thing they will see if you’ve caught their interest is your profile.

The focus of your profile needs to first be providing value and second moving the person from LinkedIn to one of your assets, usually your website. There has to be enough gravity in what you do to draw them close enough to you that they will engage you.

With out that engagement you never get the chance to build a valued relationship and thus put yourself in a position to do business.

Head Bone: The Engagement

As I just stated, you need an engagement to put yourself in communication with the other person so you can first build a relationship. Second, you need to add value to that relationship in ways that give you or develop opportunities to get business.

The real benefit of LinkedIn is that you can truly show people how valuable you are before they ever engage you.

In a prospecting effort it is very difficult to give the prospect any real vision into how much you really know or how good you really are. On LinkedIn you have the ability to do this when you publicly help others through questions, answers, and discussions.

The money chain on LinkedIn is simply drawing them through the various layers that separate you from them to a point where they engage you directly. You must be accessible, then seen, then perceived as valuable, become valuable, and then finally engage the other person.

From Flyn

I hope you have enjoyed this post and would appreciate your comments and sharing of the information above. In this blog and my other resources I try to help people master this cycle. I look forward to hearing from you.

If you start a communication cycle with one of your connections by telling who you are and what you do you will immediately start to close down the communication. You will make this even worse if you add the “selling phrase” “Let me know if you have questions or need these services.” or something to that effect.

However, even if you keep your message informative and don’t ask for anything, sending your resume in any form will put you in the light of a “prospector.” Each time you do this you will change, even if ever so slightly your image as an invaluable resource.

Ask yourself this question. If someone sends you in their first email communication a complete list of all of their products or services, would you be inclined to respond? You probably wouldn’t respond, unless you absolutely needed what they were offering.

That may not sound too bad. If you send out emails re your services only a couple of people are going to respond any way. No harm no foul, right? Wrong.

What has happened here is that you have missed the opportunity to get to know this other person and become of some value to them. This is the only way they’re really going to get to know you and the best way to get them to seek out more information in your profile or your website.

Not only that, but since you have “prospected” this person they are not likely to even consider giving you a name or engaging you with one of their connections. They don’t want to be responsible for sending a salesperson calling.

In fact, when you realize what the message is about you may not even read it, you may simply delete it. If you happen to be out of sorts that day and don’t like SPAM anyway, you might end up reporting it as SPAM or an advertisement.

Avoiding this Trap

The best way to avoid this trap is to always send messages that start by offering value to the other person. Offering value can easily lead to an invitation to talk about how you can help each other. And those are the conversations that build relationships and put you in a position to get business.

Allow the conversation about what you do to be at least initiated by the other person – then you have permission to talk about what you do. There are of course back door ways to get someone to ask about your products or services without prospecting.

From Flyn

Please comment on this post if you have any ideas questions, like it, or hate it. I would also appreciate any social media sharing you might do. The icons below will allow you to DIGG, MIX, Tweet or whatever very easily. Thanks for your support.

Personally, I don’t think these are a good idea in there most common form, which tends to be asking for something instead of giving. If you don’t have a relationship or know the recipient, and you’re not offering something of value, you’re really taking your chances of making a negative impression.

I don’t know that you will get marked as a spammer, though you are certainly setting yourself up for the possibility. More importantly I have the feeling that others will react to these in a more negative than positive vain.

Here are two key things I think you have to be careful of doing in first time communications with a person that don’t know you.

Inviting them to connect – as you know you can easily get IDKed doing this. And this is not to say that you cannot successfully invite someone you don’t know, you can, you just have to do it correctly.

Selling your dreams – Sending a note to someone that doesn’t know you and telling them about the exciting opportunity or activity in which you’re involved will more often than not meet with deaf ears and maybe negative ones.

The first thing that happens is people think MLM or network marketing. Though network marketing is a fine way to go, most people are skeptical and have be approached many times – to be effective on this line you need a more personal touch and that requires some sort of a relationship or pre engagement with the person.

Additionally, you must be very careful in choosing your words as it is really easy to come across in a way that sounds phony or contrived. This sentence is one that can give that impression: “I hope this message finds you doing well.”

One sort of unsuspecting reason this sentence is bad is that it is very frequently used in the email scams where they tell you they want a partner to transfer millions out of their country and you get to keep a bunch for yourself for helping out.

If you read my August 5^th post on the marketing formula, you know that the first step in that formula is to get the prospect’s attention. This is very hard to do if you are asking for something. These introductions violate that formula which should always be used in your networking communications.

Summary

I would suggest that if you’re going to send unsolicited messages to people on LinkedIn that you do so with one of two purposes – to ask for advice because they are an expert. For example when I started I asked many of the big open networkers for ideas that would help me succeed on LinkedIn.

Or, the other tact I would say is worth while is where you offer value. If you send a message to someone telling them you will help or do something for them you will not very likely get a negative response – they may ignore you, but you won’t likely ever get beat up or receive a complaint.

Picking your words and actions must always be measured through the lens of “will this make me more valuable to others.” If not, a second thought about the action should be considered.

Every so often on LinkedIn someone will actually post a request to find a specific product or service. They might be looking for a CRM expert, or a web designer, or whatever.

In this post I’m going to tell you the right way to handle these questions. Most people don’t know how to handle them properly or why there is a right and wrong way. I’ll explain.

Right Versus Wrong

There is really only a wrong way if you are interested in being seen as a true networker and not someone who’s just looking for business. A true networker will do everything possible to make sure the image put forth on LinkedIn is one of an “invaluable resource” and never a “prospector.”

This may be subtle but it has effect. You never want to make offers other than HELP (not your product or service) in public. You want to make them privately. “I know what you’re thinking – but this person asked for it.”

That’s true, but it is my opinion you don’t want to be one of the apparent “vulchers” listed in the answers to this question as it will make a dent in your image an invaluable resource.

Answering Properly

The first thing to do is add value to the questioner’s decision. In other words give the questioner information that will help them choose the best person or product. Tell them the pitfalls they should look out for in making their selection.

If you cannot do this effectively, don’t answer the question publicly, make a private response.

Second in the private section of the answer do the following (in order).

1. Tell the person you’d be happy to chat with them and give them more data re your answer and that you’d be happy to point them to some resources.
2. Share any specific info about their decision you may be able to provide from what you know about them.  For example if they’re looking for a web marketer (and that’s you) share a couple of key things you thing will be of value.
3. Tell them you are capable of helping them with this if they’re interested but that you are willing to help them out however you can in either case
4. Provide all of your contact information.
5. Ask them to connect and let them know they can contact you any time for advice and that you’d be happy to help if you can.

Summary

When you handle these questions in this way you keep your image as an invaluable resource in tact. You also add value to everyone reading the question which the other posts do not. This makes an impression on others who may in the future be looking for that same service.

You have also supplied value to the questioner whether they pick you or not. If they don’t have the greatest experience with the person or product they chose you may get a call later.

At least you have given yourself the maximum leverage for the future and with the other LinkedIn readers.

]]> http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog/2009/08/the-right-way-handle-linkedin-questions-asking-for-products-or-services/feed/ 4 http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog/2009/07/great-news-for-linkedin-networking-success-kit-owners/ http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog/2009/07/great-news-for-linkedin-networking-success-kit-owners/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:22:16 +0000 Flyn http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog//?p=201 …

I have just added to the member site a study check sheet that will take you through the Power Networking LinkedIn Mini Course which the kit contains.

This study check sheet contains a guided path through the course and links to relevant articles on this blog. It’s worth having just for that feature, as that separates the articles in nice neat subject categories.

If you don’t have a success kit yet — its free.  Just click the link below my picture to get your copy with its 4 reports and 7 videos filled with information just like you find here on my blog — maybe better!

Unfortunately, common sense is born of knowledge. When you know a lot about a subject you typically can put things together in situations you aren’t yet familiar with and make reasonable decisions.

I can pretty much assure you that most of the mistakes you’re making on LinkedIn and in your business networking efforts come from a lack of understanding of the correct principles of networking.

So let me start by clearing this up.

Here are the key pillars of networking.

Networking is an “ATTRACTION” not a “contact” sport

So how do you ATTRACT

• You become invaluable to those around you, you help others
• You display (great) wisdom when visible
• You make yourself as “accessible” and “visible” as possible
• You never publicly “ask for business” even if asked

Networking is not about how many connections you’ve, but how many you’ve made

You must continually help other connect as it creates reciprocity for the future of that relationship. See my article on the right way to respond to an invite for one way to do this consistently:

Avoid promotion

It is quite important that whatever you do in the public arena of networking that none of it appears to be “promotional” with regard to your business. If you what to promote helping others, that’s fine

Summary

Almost all the major mistakes one could make in networking will be avoided by following the above concepts. Follow them and you will improve your networking results.

From Flyn…

I am always happy to connect on LinkedIn, Twitter and FaceBook. You can find me by my name FlynPenoyer and you can find my email within my profiles and links.

Finally, I look forward to your questions and comments re my posts. If you don’t have my FREE LinkedIn Networking Success Kit, grab it today. (See the link under my picture.) When you get the kit you will also get a membership in my content site where other materials are available.

A Great LinkedIn Tactic for Cutting Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face

I just received a note from one of my new connections telling me that if I don’t open up my connections  that they would disconnect. (I thought they were, and my settings say they are, but for some reason this person couldn’t get in to look at them.)

Personally I don’t believe a “threat” is ever the right way to start a relationship especially a networking one. The exception would be to threaten to help the other person!

This person is right on one issue, my connections should be public. However, in my opinion this is not a good policy or way to act on LinkedIn. I do believe that it’s a great example of cutting of your nose to spite your face.

Here’s why…

Yes, it’s true when they are closed that others cannot go through your contacts — but if you have any kind of a network at all, you aren’t going to go through everyone’s contacts anyway — with just one power networker with 20K connections it would take you months — so it really doesn’t matter if you can’t get into a few of your connections contact lists anyway – you still have plenty to look through in the rest of your network.

However, more importantly, by disconnecting you are removing all of that person’s contacts from your network, thus losing or giving up visibility and access. Even though the person’s list is private, the contacts still come up as 2nd and 3rd degree connections in your network so they still have a lot of value and potential.

One other more subtle point — when you say to someone upon connecting GIVE TO ME or I’ll disconnect, you lay yourself out not as someone of value, but as a prospector or someone just out for themselves.

That is not a good reputation to get on LI or as a networker — it is much more profitable if you focus on becoming an invaluable resource to others.

Someone with this philosophy does not know that the measure of a networker is not how many connections one has, but how many they have made. The only reason to make such a demand is for one’s self not for the benefit of others.

I would suggest that one not make any such a demand, especially on the initial contact (or any for that matter) and focus on becoming a valued connection by being of value and giving thus improving the relationship.

Remember, you don’t need access to someone list of connections to get lots of business from that list in the way of referrals and introductions. But you won’t get that if you don’t become of value.

Please comment on my posts and ask questions, I will respond and I would love to hear what you think.

Mistake #1: Using the LinkedIn Standard Invitation

This is always a mistake even if you are approaching someone you know or an open-networker that is likely to accept anyway. The reason is that it doesn’t further the relationship in any way – it’s cold.

You should always invite people to connect with a person message. I would bet that most of the people that get slapped with an “I don’t know” (IDK) sent a standard LinkedIn form message.

Mistake #2: Not scanning or reading the profile of the person you’re inviting.

This of course goes along with the first mistake I discussed. You should always read or at least scan the profile of anyone you are going to invite to connect.

I get so many invitations from people that clearly didn’t even look at my profile. I recently got a formal LinkedIn invitation that had be passed through two other connections when had the person read my profile the could have invited me directly.

Mistake #3: Don’t “BEG” when inviting someone, give a reason.

When you write in your invitation “If you don’t wish to connect please don’t IDK me…” you are basically stating that you have no valid reason for contacting that person in the first place. If you don’t have at least some reason you shouldn’t invite them.

If you want to give that person an out say; “Please feel free to archive this invitation if you wish.” However, if you just make a good case for the connection you need not do any of these and you will likely never get IDKed.

Mistake #4: Making service or product offers publicly.

This goes for answering questions where the person who posted the question has asked for a service or a product. Why? The answer is a bit subtle. LinkedIn is a networking site and any outward display of trying to get business is something that should be avoided.

I realize that it is simply perception, but if people see you offering your wares on a regular basis they will change their perception of you from a valued resource to a prospector. This is quite subtle but it is very valuable to remember.

Always make offers privately and keep up your image as an invaluable resource and not a prospector.

Mistake #5: Answer the question first.

It is amazing how many people in the Question and Answer forum never actually answer the poster’s question. This is a huge mistake as it serves to undo or reduce your credibility and expertise. No matter what you are going to say about the question you should try to answer it first.

Sometimes people ask the wrong question or one that really cannot be answered. In these cases you have to explain why you are not answering directly before changing the subject.

There’s actually a lot more science to participating in the Question and Answer forum than most people are aware of.

Mistake #6: Don’t ask prospecting questions.

Sometimes you can phrase a question badly and have it come across as “I’m looking for business” so you have to be careful. It is fine to talk about your area of expertise and ask questions about relevant topics. But when the questions ask for the reader’s specific needs it will look like an attempt to get business. You want to avoid this at all costs.

The first problem with these questions is that most LinkedIners avoid them anyway so you won’t get to engage very many people. The second is that you start to get the perception of someone who only participates for a profit. This reputation will kill your ability to monetize your networking efforts.

I hope you found this useful. There two other mistakes that are commonly made but far more serious. I have already discussed them in earlier posts so I won’t include them here. You can get to them using these links: Using signatures and mass mailing.

From Flyn…

If you haven’t seen my letter to readers please check it out:

http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog//2009/07/a-short-letter-to-my-readers/

Thanks..