Do I meet willingly and deliberately? Absolutely. I pick out the ones I have met along the way, in person or online who seem to offer me, and I can offer them, opportunities.
Is it always business-centered? Not at all. I do have a social element to my madness.
Do I vet in a confrontational, defensive manner? Never.
Do I offer to connect to them with a reminder where we met, what we spoke about, why we could help each other, via a message attached to a LinkedIn connection request.
Do I reinforce my intent? Later that week, or next, I offer a blog post to them as an on-boarding token of thanks for our connectivity.
Does anyone else do that? Not in my experience, so far. (I just gave you a freebie idea to stick in the mind of the receiver as someone who offers value early on in the relationship.) It’s just what I want them to know I do. Why me.
Do I sever connections that went nowhere? Yes, at the next work anniversary the other person has. Tidy. No drama. If they notice we then became 2nd level connections, if they think about it, I am sure they will understand why.
Do I take this seriously? Definitely. I link to others because I can, I like to, and I must. My network is my net worth, no loose links in the chain. It’s my bank of brilliance I can rely on when I need it, so I take withdrawals and give deposits too. They always step up to offer some really beautiful ideas to consider, upon request, and freely offered with out asking, beyond my own thinking.
Do I value my network? I think I answered that here. Ya gotta nourish to flourish, right?
LinkedIn personal coach, group trainer, marketing strategist and overall evangelist, having a great time pursuing my passion of connecting professionals so they can collaborate better!
