Being a Freak is a good thing
I refuse to be like everyone else, including on LinkedIn.
Therefore, I proudly refer to myself as a LinkedIn Freak. You should as well.
Lets get on the same page as to the definition of freak.
My definition of freak is someone who is unusual, unexpected, unique. To be just a little bit different than everyone else.
- I want you to see me as a little unusual in a good way.
- I want you to find my positive and potentially beneficial actions to be unexpected.
- I want to be viewed as very unique in everything I do.
- I refuse to be just like everyone else.
Therefore, I hope that you consider me a freak on LinkedIn, at least in regards to some of my specific activities.
Here are three LinkedIn activities that I believe you will find very unusual, unexpected and unique.
Activity #1 – I do not connect with every person who sends me a LinkedIn request to connect. And, I will connect with people I have not met yet.
My basic criteria for connecting on LinkedIn includes:
I must see some relevance between you and me.
Relevance is a broad / loose term.
If you do not tell me what the relevance is (in the personal note), I will ask. You have one week to reply with something of relevance or I delete the request.
Your profile must easily convince me that you are a real person.
Here are a few examples of blatantly fraudulent LinkedIn accounts:
If you are real and can show some level of relevance to me, I will accept your LinkedIn Connection request.
Activity #2 – I immediate begin to engage once I connect.
I refuse to use LinkedIn as a virtual business card collector.
After I connect with you I will review your profile to learn more about what you do. If I see something that peaks my interest I may even call you to say hello. At the very least I almost always send a LinkedIn message back to every one of my new LinkedIn connections. Again, depending on the relevance I may ask for a chance to talk or meet.
I truly believe that a connection is the gateway to a potentially fantastic relationship. A conversation will determine where the relationship can go rather quickly.
Activity #3 – I give to my network far more than I ask of them on LinkedIn.
Too often LinkedIn members think that when they connect with people on LinkedIn that they then have permission to try to sell to us. Making a connection on LinkedIn does not give anyone permission to start trying to sell to us.
Rather, I believe that when we help our networks by delivering useful content, we begin to build relationships that can open the door to potential opportunities.
This content must be TRUHE, Transparent, Relevant, Useful, Honest & Engaging (educational, exciting or entertaining).
I try to share a new blog post, video or other curated content that is relevant to what I do and my business at least a few times a week. I am very deliberate at choosing relevant content. I refuse to share useless content. LinkedIn is my professional networking site. The people I connect with and am working to build relationships with on LinkedIn are here to for business. This is not Facebook.
Yes, regularly I will reach out to my network and engage them in a conversation about my services. However, I only do this after we have connected and engaged in conversation. I look for permission first.
I have built a successful coaching and training business in large part because I am a LinkedIn Freak.
If these practices are not something you have been doing, I encourage you to consider them. Yes, you too may be considered a LinkedIn Freak, and I will join you in reveling in the success you too can create using LinkedIn.