What is (And why should you care?)

What you can expect

• Understand LinkedIn and its relevance to you• How to set up your profile• Who to connect with and how• How to research people and companies• What to do each day on the site

LinkedIn is…

…a way to connect

• College friends

• Former clients

• Referral sources

• Former colleagues

• Neighbors and friends

…a place to share

• Interesting articles/links

• Updates about you/the firm

• Business ideas

…a conversation

• Deepen relationships

• Respond to questions

• Participate in groups

…a research tool

• Individuals

• Companies

• Industries

Who uses LinkedIn?

75 Million business people

Getting Started

Creating a profile

• Post a photo

• Add previous work experience

• Include education

• Seek recommendations

• Start making connections!

Profile tips

• Use your resume as a starting point – but don’t cut and paste

• Focus on the benefits you provide to clients

• Be sure to include specializations - they help you stand out

• Include most professional experience – even if it doesn’t relate to what you do now

Get Connected!

• Strive for 50+ connections in first month• Only connect with people you have met• The more connections you make, the more

value you will get out of it

Six Degrees of Separation

Uncover the hidden relationships in your network

Do your homework

• Study your connections’ connections – ask for introductions

• Read their status updates

• Post your own status updates

• Join Groups

• Ask and Answer questions

• Spend 10 minutes per day on the site

Status Updates

• Like Facebook updates – but must be business oriented

Some recent updates

Activity leads to interaction

Groups

This is a US company that has an office in the UK and a question about exchange rates.

Your response??

Next step…

Where does she work?

Who do you know that she knows?

Shows your connections

Let people know what you’re doing

Easily add people to your network

Your groups

What a full profile looks like

Who’s looking at you?

Researching companies

Steven Schlachter knows someone at

this firm

Settings

What can LinkedIn Do for You?

• Open doors to new referral sources/connections

• Help you find potential clients• Speed introductions to other professionals• Gives others a way to find YOU for business• Build your professional reputation• Give you an edge over the competition

Time Drain or Strategic Tool?

• How much time do you spend networking IRL?

• How do you keep track of your contacts now?

• How useful would it be to research a prospect or contact’s background before meeting them?

• How much time would you save if a LinkedIn contact connected you with the right partner at the right law firm without you having to leave your desk?

“Your professional relationships are key to your professional success. Our mission is to help you be more effective in your daily work and open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have.”

Relationships Matter!

Social networking etiquette

• Be professional• Only connect with people you’d recommend• Seek to give rather than to receive• Engage – social networking involves give and

take• Don’t divulge client names• When in doubt, don’t.

Leveraging LinkedIn - Recap

• Connect

• Share

• Start a conversation

• Ask a question

• Do your homework

• Reap the rewards