David Britt asked a question in a comment on my post "Tutorial: How to Build a Referral Network in LinkedIn". He said:
My tutorial above explains some things about the technical part of using LinkedIn. I think the answer to David's question, however, lays not so much in more discussion about LinkedIn, but rather in a deeper discussion of the very essence of networking (i.e. relationship starting, building and maintaining) itself.
"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." Chinese Proverb
In this proverb, giving a man a fish is a tactic for eliminating his hunger today. Teaching him how to fish is a long-term strategy for eliminating his hunger for a lifetime.
There are lots of networking books filled with tactics for helping people improve their networking skills. While many of them are useful in this regard, they don't help people to understand the "big networking picture". Without insight to the big networking picture it is difficult to see how to apply networking tactics to new and different circumstances. So let me try to teach you something about "fishing"; rather than simply giving you a fish.
Fortunately, there is one book that offers a boatload of ideas on how to fish in networking ocean: Dr. Thomas J. Stanley's, "Networking with the Affluent". In it he provides a strategy for networking that can be applied to every networking opportunity. Once this networking strategy is understood, it will easier to see how to use, not only LinkedIn, but the dozens of other networking opportunities that are available to you.
"You must give before you receive."
That is the quote at the top of Dr. Stanley's discussion of the essence of networking. The essence of his networking strategy boils down to what he calls the "8 Faces of Networking":
1. The Talent Scout; i.e. be someone who helps connect people in your network to people who can help them. This makes you someone who people will turn to.
2. The Revenue Enhancer; i.e. be someone who is always looking for ways to help people get ahead.
3. The Advocate; i.e. be someone who sticks up for other people when they need it. People will be drawn to your strength and integrity.
4. The Mentor; i.e. be a guide and supporter of those coming up behind you. Share your knowledge, experience and application insight. People are drawn to wisdom.
5. The Publicist; i.e help spread the good word about other people. Help them build their networks and you will be seen as an invaluable resource.
6. The Family Advisor; i.e. give help and support to the most important people in other people's lives. Their parents will be forever appreciative of your gift.
7. The Purchasing Agent; i.e. point people to better deals. They'll turn to you again and again.
8. The Loan Broker; i.e. help people find the resources they need when they need them. They won't forget it.
So there, in these "8 Faces", you have a networking strategy that will enable you to "fish" in any networking circumstance.
To test these concepts look at the really successful people in your life and see how many of these "8 Faces" you recognize. How are these people creatively demonstrating these faces? Then ask yourself, how could you start demonstrating more of these "8 Faces" yourself.
Resolve to show your "faces" in every opportunity you get, and you will find yourself with an ever increasing network of people who are continually drawn closer and closer to you.
How to Apply This Networking Strategy to LinkedIn
So let's now go back to David's question about how to use LinkedIn to build relationships.
The Talent Scout
- Search for talent on behalf of someone in your LinkedIn network
- Invite your network partner to connect on LinkedIn
- Having a large, information rich, searchable network like LinkedIn or ActiveRain can make you invaluable to a lot of people.
The Revenue Enhancer
- Show your prospects how to identify, research and reach target prospects of their own in LinkedIn.
- Both LinkedIn and ActiveRain can help you position yourself as a resource that people can turn to for productive people and ideas.
The Advocate
- Search LinkedIn for people who are likely to support your cause.
- Facilitate connections between people in your offline and online networks.
- You can connect with people in any network who can help you be a better advocate on behalf of others.
The Mentor
- Listen to your network for opportunities to share your wisdom.
The Publicist
- Promote worthy people to other people in your networks.
- Use your marketing channels and tools to help others.
The Family Advisor
- Look for opportunities to use your network to help kids with school, sports, health and other parental concerns.
The Purchasing Agent
- Maintain a quick reference list of resources for every kind of need. Share these resources freely.
The Loan Broker
- Use your network to discover and evaluate a variety of financial resources. Cultivate those relationships and share them as needed.
- This should be a "no-brainer" for real estate agents.
These are the LinkedIn Features that Will Help Facilitate Your Networking Activity
- The Quality of people there is generally very high
- The Quantity of people (11+ million) is very large
- The Depth of information about people there is more extensive than you'll find most anywhere
- Relationships between people and their people networks are made clear
- Relationships between people and their organizational networks are made clear
- Relationships between people and their industries are made clear
- It has implemented a Culture of Cooperation
- It has implemented a Culture of Relative Openness
- It has implemented specialized internal Tools for
- Communication with both personal and at-large networks
Apply this "8 Networking Faces" strategy with any other online or offline network and you will get better results. Sure, it takes a lot of effort and it's not easy; but I guarantee you that it definitely works!
Continued in Part 2
Let's Discuss.
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