Sheilah E
Owner, ★SME Management:.......... Business Management and Accounting Consultant
Are you getting the most from LinkedIn
Here is a link to a PodCast that features an interview with Stan Relihan, one of our own members and 'Australia ' s most Connected Recruiter.
This is a really interesting Interview about using LinkedIn as a Business Tool. Whether you are in Australia or anywhere else in the world this interview will benefit all of us in our networking practices.
For anyone who wants to make the most of their network, it ' s worth investing the time to learn how LinkedIn has delivered value at many levels in Stan's life - you can also apply this to your own experience.
To listen, copy & paste this into your browser:
http://gdayworld.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/03/28/gday-world-219-using-linkedin-as-a-business-tool/
Clarification added April 4, 2007:
After you get to the link there is an MP3 link (just below the caption) to click to get the full audio interview.
Good Answers (3)
This podcast is a "must listen" for anyone building their LinkedIn network.
If an invitee ever replies to me asking "What is this LinkedIn system about" - rather than repeating myself I just send them the link to the podcast, where Stan so expertly details the benefits of the system. This has already saved me heaps of time, plus anyone I have sent the link to has joined.
Stan also eloquently counters potential objections by new 'cynical' invitees to the point where surely all worries or resistance would melt away.
It is completely obvious why Stan has so many links in the system because of his expert ability to articulate its benefits, his attitude of sharing contacts (abundance) rather than hoarding them (scarcity) and his communication style which is clearly indicative of a respectful consummate people professional.
Tell your Connections about this interview today because it will save them time and make it easier for them to build their network - which in turn builds yours, and who knows you might be pleasantly surprised who you know in common!
Clarification added April 7, 2007:
Stan and I met in person a while back and I felt very relieved speaking with him because I was finally hearing things which I was not hearing from other recruiters.
Stan said things like how important it was to be able to utilise a person's full skill base and aptitudes rather than selecting only a subset of these to just get a person into a job, which in most cases would turn out to be unfulfilling if the candidate could not actively and consistently leverage their full experience set and be sufficiently challenged.
This was fantastic to hear as I am regularly approached by other recruiters with positions which are far too narrow for my 25 years in IT.
Stan found me an opportunity which gave me goosebumps so for that I am very grateful.
Clarification added April 7, 2007:
Stan got me onto the benefits of LinkedIn, which has opened up so many opportunities for me through networking based on relationships which are real.
This is a quantum shift from the tedious task of applying for positions through job portals which rarely work, because you have to be the one e-mail that stands out in hundreds - which is not easy! On top of that, many recruiters have a rude habit of not replying or acknowledging online applications - or worse, they send a dismissive invalidating 'computer-generated' response as if you were not a real person who spent real time and real interest applying to them, time which can not be replaced.
Call me old-fashioned, but people are not commodities for agents running job portals.
Someone once said to me that you never get a job you apply for, and it's when people tap you on the shoulder offering an opportunity while you are happy and productive doing what you love that you truly progress in your career and life.
LinkedIn completely creates the space for that and it is the first system I have come across which has changed the dynamic of my opportunity seeking. I no longer apply to any opportunities, but people come to me. I can tell you, life is much better when you can control the opportunities you want to choose from, rather than expending time, hopes and emotional energy to convince someone else you are "worthy" of the position they are advertising, someone who in many instances is overwhelmed by online applications or unqualified to understand your experience.
I will never use a job portal again.
Thanks Stan!
Vicki L
seeking Design / Product Development / Project Management position in home furnishings, in NJ or NYC
Best Answers in: Product Design (2), Compensation and Benefits (1), Small Business (1), E-Commerce (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
Hi Sheilah,
Thanks for posting that, it was very interesting to listen to and I am forwarding it to someone in my network who is moving to Australia - an example of the usefulness of LI!!
For me, the best thing about LI is the quality and caliber of the people here, and their willingess to make connections and answer questions. Most message boards I've looked at are really full of poor quality ramblings - this is not.
However, the overwhelming %age of people here are in IT, and for those of us in other fields, the # of targeted field-relevant connections are small. Nevertheless, you never know who knows who, and the level of expertise is great.
A suggestion I would have would be to be able to divide or arrange my connections into categories, such as geographic, field, level up the corporate ladder, whatever.
Hey, I met you here!!! ;-D
Darcy M
Supreme Commander, Customer Loyalty Network [darcy.moenATcustomerloyaltynetwork.com]
Best Answers in: Viral Marketing (1)
Linkedin helped me take on, tangle, and compete with giants in the industry.
I am a part owner of a recycling company. Our government created an unfair monopoly with the help of certain major brands. I needed to get around the managers of those certain brands to get to the highest levels of those corporations and at least take my best shot of heading off the serious threat to our business. I logged into LinkedIn and networked my way to all the contact information I needed within two days.
Within a week, I was making presentations at the boardroom level. While I have not managed to break the unfair monoply awarded by our unfair government (can't wait for the voice at the ballot box coming up soon), there were some very surprised faces that thought they were untouchable when they didn't want to be found or contacted.
Without LinkedIn, I doubt I could have found the folks or the folks close to when I needed to meet. A great resource and one heck of a competitive advantage!
More Answers (26)
Jeffrey T
Senior Vice President; IGR Group: U.S. Government Relations / Global Public Affairs; linkedin.lobbyist@gmail.com
Best Answers in: Government Policy (9), Using LinkedIn (6), Government Services (3), Offshoring and Outsourcing (2), Non-profit Management (2), Manufacturing (2), Business Dining and Entertainment (1), Travel Tools (1), Risk Management (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Treaties, Agreements and Organizations (1), Mobile Marketing (1), Public Relations (1), Project Management (1), Career Management (1)
Yes, it has been a tremendous marketing and business development tool for me.
I've developed government relations business from my connections, legal work for the law firm, solid business contacts, and a very healthy vein of business prospects.
BIG fan of LinkedIn. JT
Links:
Martin C
Sr. Quality Manager at BASF Fuel Cell
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (12), Business Development (3), Professional Networking (3), Biotech (3), Certification and Licenses (1), Occupational Training (1), Venture Capital and Private Equity (1), Corporate Law (1), Employment and Labor Law (1), Advertising (1), Lead Generation (1), Sales Techniques (1), Corporate Governance (1), Change Management (1), Non-profit Management (1), Project Management (1), Quality Management and Standards (1), Supply Chain Management (1), Individual Insurance (1), Product Design (1), Starting Up (1), Enterprise Software (1), Software Development (1), Wireless (1)
Thanks Sheilah for the link. I'll have to watch it when I get home.
As you well know, I am addicted to the features of Q&A on Linkedin. I haven't set up any metrics to truely determine the value of Linkedin to me but my network is growing and I'm enjoying myself. You can't beat that!
Best regards,
Marty
Nigel D
Wireless and Mobile Strategy, Technology and Business Development Visionary
Best Answers in: Wireless (10), Biotech (5), Computer Networking (4), Telecommunications (4), Web Development (4), Organizational Development (3), Career Management (2), Enterprise Software (2), Computers and Software (2), Certification and Licenses (1), Conference Venues (1), Government Services (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Events Marketing (1), Business Development (1), Public Relations (1), Manufacturing (1), Energy and Development (1), E-Commerce (1), Information Security (1), Information Storage (1)
No surprises here, you get out of a community what you put into it. I guess contribution is the keyword here.
Ciao
Dear Sheilah
Thank you for sharing with us this link.
As for me, I am stil new here, say two months that I have put many hours in understanding linkedin, therefore I am not the best to define the issue.
However, I sense it is a very powerful tool and as time goes by I will translate the hours spent into real and measurable results.
My contacts have gone above 500 (not much above) and this makes me feel good. I also have a joke: I see all these old users with thousands & thousands of connections, lions etc. What is the next level after becoming a lion? An elephant maybe ? hahaha
All the best from this piece of earth, our little Greece, and once again I really appreciate your presence here in the linkedin world. Will check your link in a sec and what Stan The Great says :)
xo
george
I am a linked in advocate.
When I meet someone that I would like to refer my friends and business associates to, I ask if they are in Linkedin. If they are, then I offer to send a link, and if they aren't, I explain how it works.
I have met several people through my Level One Linkedin associates. I really like the feature that allows me to "see who my friends know". I am then able to ask if we can have coffee together, or ask my friend for an introduction. It's amazing how the whole "six degrees of separation" works.
One thing I do stay away from though, is accepting links to people I've never met. I figure if they send me a link and don't know me, how can they introduce me to people? Chances are, if they don't know me, they don't know many people in their group.
I've found Linkedin to be one of the best business tools I've found.
I have met some really nice people here; so yes, I think so. Of course I am always open to other ideas?
Thanks, Your Friend for Autos,
Tobias, 303-827-4785
Links:
Russ W
IT Generalist and Consultant - Currently between Opportunities
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (26), Professional Networking (2), Event Marketing and Promotions (1), Property Law (1), Non-profit Fundraising (1)
In the three years that I have been on LinkedIn, I have met dozens of interesting people. As a guy who "hates" networking, it has proven very effective in making connections with hiring managers, both for myself and for friends who need new jobs...It is a fabulous tool!
From a business perspective, I've been able to ask questions and get perspectives from far broader perspectives than I would normally have had access.
Personally, I'm getting more from this tool than I thought was possible.
Thanks for Asking!
--Russ Wickstrom, Minnreapolis, MN.
Jan S
President, Simpson Management Group
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (20), Professional Networking (10), Organizational Development (8), Career Management (8), Mentoring (6), Ethics (5), Staffing and Recruiting (4), Business Development (4), Change Management (3), Education and Schools (2), Job Search (2), Internationalization and Localization (2), Supply Chain Management (2), Market Research and Definition (2), Air Travel (1), Business Dining and Entertainment (1), Certification and Licenses (1), Accounting (1), Government Policy (1), Personnel Policies (1), Treaties, Agreements and Organizations (1), Customs, Tariffs and Taxes (1), Advertising (1), Internet Marketing (1), Public Relations (1), Customer Relationship Management (1), Lead Generation (1), Sales Techniques (1), Business Analytics (1), Non-profit Management (1), Inventory Management (1), Communication and Public Speaking (1), Professional Organizations (1), Business Plans (1), Small Business (1), Starting Up (1), E-Commerce (1), Software Development (1), Wireless (1)
This is an interesting question but turned to the format that actually makes sense - first of all no network is about what the originator gets out of the network. Think of it as a volunteer assignment -it is the pleasure of having all these people think you are important enough for them to join your network and you to ensure their satisfaction.
Understand the concept and work it baby...otherwise your network is nothing but a number and you actually have no network - yeah.
Jan
Des W
Business Coach at Des Walsh dot Com
Best Answers in: Professional Networking (1), Blogging (1)
It's an excellent interview, particularly because the interviewer is a very smart guy who challenges Stan to make the case for LinkedIn as a business tool. A challenge to which Stan rises with aplomb. LinkedIn should have a link to this podcast as a practical intro to what LinkedIn can mean, for the many people who may have joined but still don't quite "get it". The interview also has lots of gems for those of us with more experience of LinkedIn. Anyhoo, to answer the question: Yes, I am getting the most, for my purposes, out of LinkedIn. Everyone has different needs and different priorities - mine are being met. One thing I would hope Stan does in a subsequent interview is bring up the issue of LinkedIn groups, and I refer here not so much the groups "within" LinkedIn as to the related ones such as the many groups on Yahoo Groups - that's where LinkedIn has really produced the goods for me, on various levels of business-related activity.
Manu V
Author, Coach, Educator, Leader, Mentor, Philanthropist, Visionary (manuvora@b-einc.com), TopLinked.com
Best Answers in: Organizational Development (1), Career Management (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
Sheilah:
Thanks for the tip, Stan's podcast was excellent. A great marketing tool for LinkedIn!
I have seen many benefits from Linkedin including new business proposals, getting back in touch with professional colleagues from the past, meeting new people on the network from around the world as well as sharing non-profit work we do to help blind people in India.
Manu Vora
manuvora@b-einc.com
Haven't seen the interview yet but . . .
For me linkedin is the global undergraound market place. We here do business differently than surface dwellers. We mannage to cut through a bunch of red tape and superficial BS. There are a few who ty to impose traditional methods on this forum but they don't see a return so it doesn't take them long to come around.
I thinked Linkedin is an awesome tool I read once it's the myspace for adults. Just having the ability to gain some purspective on a person you do not know but want to do business with is amazing..
In order for this tool to work for you it's important to be linked all in.
Gaurang T
Data Center Hardware Expert | Business Development Manager | Account Executive | Entrepreneur
Best Answers in: Starting Up (1), Computers and Software (1), Information Storage (1)
Yes, my life has been so much easier, especially to find prospects and the right contacts in any company to cold-call and get a meeting. Before LinkedIn, I had to rely either on the website to get officer names (most of the time they are never at their desk or they have an executive assistant) or I'd ask the receptionist and half the time he / she cannot sort by title (only by names). I'm getting more touches and almost triple the number of meetings I used to get before using LinkedIn
Links:
Helene F
Strategic Development – Business Branding :: :: :: :: :: Brand Vision – Culture – Experience :: :: :: :: ::
Best Answers in: Organizational Development (3), Personnel Policies (2), Change Management (2), Ethics (2), Planning (1), Quality Management and Standards (1), Branding (1), Starting Up (1)
Hi.
This is an illustration of how LinkedIn can help when moving from one country to another:
I have connected with Stan because I am moving soon to Australia, and he advertises being the best connected person in Australia. Stan has already put me in contact with people who can help me in my professional project. I have connected to several people in his network with whom I have had some conversations, and I have joined the Yahoo group as well as a gmail group. All this looks very promising, and I hope, Stan, that we will have more conversations this fall once I arrive in Sydney. This is the first time I am moving to another country with the sense of already knowing some people there, and the perspective of becoming socially and professionally operational sooner than in my past expatriate experiences.
So thank you Stan, David, Duncan, Lauchlan, Clive, and all my new contacts in Oz, as well as Sheilah and Vicki, for pointing me to Stan's podcast.
Hélène
Tal R
Director International Sales Operations at Check Point (tal.rosenberger@gmail.com)MyLink500.com/TopLinked.com/LION 5,000
I think LinkedIn is a great tool to do business - I have few good examples I leveraged my network in the Telecom, Enterprise, Security, Finance and Insurance.
Feel free using my network.
Best regards,
Tal Rosenberger
tal.rosenberger@gmail.com
You can also find me in Skype talrosen, MSN / Windows Live Messenger / Yahoo talrosenberger@hotmail.com, GoogleTalk tal.rosenberger@gmail.com, LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/talro, openBC, ecademy, Plaxo, AOL, ICQ…
Gagandeep S. S
The Big Geek at System 3 Group of Companies
Best Answers in: Change Management (1), Organizational Development (1), Computers and Software (1)
It has been a good tool for me to have learnt more about people, more about doing things in a better / more affective manner. Also I have been able to manage to get in touch with old people I had lost contact with.
In terms of doing business from Linked In, yes I have been able to speak to some people about assignments, but nothing really has come out of it as yet for me personally.
GS
LinkedIn is an excellent tool and provides me worldwide networks. However, we cannot mention LinkedIn without its members, who are a tremendous asset and I thank them all, especially to Stan and you Sheilah to let us know the articles.
Good day
Yasushi
Zulkifly J
♥Owner at Z-J'S☻ﮍ
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (3), Certification and Licenses (1), Corporate Debt (1), Venture Capital and Private Equity (1), Sales Techniques (1), Organizational Development (1), Bond Markets (1), Manufacturing (1), Product Design (1), Positioning (1), Professional Networking (1)
LOVE
Although I hear that there are a lot of positions where you are, please understand that a 60 year old person can not get a position in this country, as at that age you have no clue of IT.
Floyd L
Web Developer, CRM Expert & Database Engineer at Expert Executive Search ● TopLinked.com
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (1)
The interview mentioned a Question from someone who was looking for $3M in VC funding for a business acquisition a friend of his was doing.
This Question is now closed - but I found it after a quick search & thought I'd share it:
http://www.linkedin.com/answers/finance-accounting/mergers-acquisitions/FIN_MNA/30612-7322675
P.S: You can subscribe to G'Day World on The Podcast Network here:
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=381627
It's FREE!
Links:
Amazing case !
Francisco A Spinola, director of supply chain www.linkedin.com/in/spinola
spinola.francisco@gmail.com
LaVonn S
Managing Director at Indiana University Center for International Business Education and Research
I am a fairly new (in use at least) user of LinkedIn. So far so good. I am still trying to figure out how to contact people! The couple of people I have connected with have been amazing.
I look forward to getting better at the process and being able to conribute as much as I receive. I can't wait to listen to the podcast.
LaVonn
Ron H
Manager, Teacher, Coach
Best Answers in: Career Management (10), Organizational Development (7), Mentoring (4), Change Management (4), Education and Schools (1), Business Development (1), Corporate Governance (1), Manufacturing (1), Project Management (1), Quality Management and Standards (1), Supply Chain Management (1), Ethics (1), Professional Networking (1)
Sheilah
Thanks for the link. Great podcast
You might find my article "How To Build Your Linkedin Business Network" useful, from April 03, 2004. http://www.diblog.com/2004/04/how_to_build_yo.html
Links:
Hi Sheilah,
Greetings from warm and sunny India !!
I really appreciate your gesture in sharing this excellent podcast.
Linkedin has been helpful for me, especially it get me in touch with decision makers through introductions.
Would really like to know if anyone has greatly benefited by going in for the premium membership.
Thanks and Best Regards,
Yash
I cannot listen to the interview at work and internet access is dodgy in the B and B where I am staying so a text transcript or an essay from Stan giving hints on how best to use Linked In ( and deprecated ways of using it ) would help me.
Akhtar K
Co-Founder, Board Member, Chief Investment Affairs Manager at R.E.I.D. Intl.
Best Answers in: Accounting (3), Using LinkedIn (3), Mergers and Acquisitions (2), Government Policy (2), Commercial Real Estate (1), Mentoring (1), Auditing (1), Economics (1), Financial Regulation (1), Risk Management (1), Staffing and Recruiting (1), Exporting/Importing (1), Business Development (1), Currency Markets (1), Career Management (1), Professional Networking (1), Wireless (1)
I heard the interview few days back. Fantastic. Stan was really cool and projected LinkedIn quite well.
In my short span of just over a month (I think), I have developed one-to-one relationships with some excellent people, am connected to some excellent people, have learnt a lot from the Q&A where interaction is also a boon. So far, I have not benefited in the materialistic sense, but am hopeful of getting involved in something. :)
