It was a great audience and a lively LinkedIn session the other evening.
They were taking notes, their faces showing that there were ideas percolating that they could use to improve their profiles.
So far so good.
Then I did it.
I asked “the” question:
How many of you looked at my and my co-presenter’s LinkedIn profiles before you came to our workshop?
Silence. No hands raised, just like other times and other workshops I asked this question.
A learning moment, I suggested to them, that they research the person they are meeting with, speaking to, calling, seeing before they actually get to their next meeting, networking session, class, etc.
In this case, ask yourself as you read their LinkedIn profile: why this person? Why do they do what they do? What are his/her credentials? Values? Where do we have similarities, common experience, same school, know people in common with that person?
I think I made my point to them. Then I had someone come up afterwards who went to the same school I did (he was paying attention to the slides I showed from my personal LinkedIn profile), and we compared notes and recalled those good old days. This stranger created a new bond we could gather around…you get what I am saying.
The take-away in this blog piece: look up and read the LinkedIn profile of the next person you are meeting.
You never know where the chill of stranger-ness ends and the sparks of collaboration can begin.
I think you may find that your taking the first step to review their profile and referencing common bonds will make for a better meeting…
