As a small business owner or entrepreneur, expanding your professional network is critical. Connecting with the right people can open up partnership opportunities, generate referrals, and give you insider industry intel. While in-person networking is invaluable, an estimated 93% of recruiters also leverage LinkedIn to vet and discover talent.
With over 617 million members spanning 200 countries, LinkedIn provides unparalleled access to relevant contacts across almost every industry. However, simply amassing connections is not enough. To truly benefit, focus on forging authentic relationships – not just expanding your number of contacts.
Here are actionable tips to strategically connect with the right people on LinkedIn:
Start by Establishing Your Credibility
As a consultant, I always advise entrepreneurs: before attempting to network, ensure your personal brand instills confidence and trustworthiness.
Your LinkedIn profile serves as the digital representation of your professional identity and credibility. Ensure it is polished and portrays your expertise accurately.
Essential profile components:
- Photo: Use a clear, high-quality headshot depicting approachability and competence
- Headline: Summarize your value proposition; include niche skills or certifications
- About: Share your backstory, passion projects, business objectives and point-of-view
- Experience: Detail relevant accomplishments, not just responsibilities, for each role
- Skills: Leverage all 50 allotted slots to showcase your offerings
- Recommendations: Display social proof statements from happy clients or partners
79% of users consider recommendations important when evaluating LinkedIn profiles. Don’t be afraid to request them from loyal supporters who appreciate your work.
A complete, authentic profile establishes your credibility so the right connections engage with your outreach.
Identify Your Target Audience
Rather than blindly expanding your network, pinpoint who can provide mutual value. Avoid spamming irrelevant contacts with generic invites.
As you search LinkedIn profiles, consider:
- Industry: What niche would benefit from your specialized expertise? Prioritize your target verticals.
- Objectives: Do their business goals align with how you can assist? Look for synergies.
- Obstacles: What challenges might they be facing that you can help overcome? Spot gaps in their network.
Additional targeting dimensions include location, company size, job function, skills, shared connections and groups. Leverage filters to fine-tune your search results and discover your ideal contacts.
Customize Your Connection Request
I often see entrepreneurs make the mistake of blasting generic invites rather than personalizing outreach. To stand out, your request should demonstrate familiarity with the recipient and share specific reasons for connecting.
Here are some examples of tailored messages:
- "Hello [name], As a fellow member of [niche LinkedIn group], I admired your thoughtful commentary on [relevant post]. Given our shared interest in [topic], I would love to connect so we can continue the discussion."
- "Hi [name], I noticed on your profile that you founded [company] – congratulations on successfully launching during a pandemic! As a startup consultant helping early-stage ventures refine their go-to-market strategy, I would enjoy connecting to learn more about your entrepreneurial journey."
Whenever possible, reference common ground – whether an alma mater, volunteer work, hobbies or business niche. This establishes rapport and gives your request context.
Follow Up
My experience consulting entrepreneurs has shown that persistence pays off. According to research by Boomerang, the average professional receives 120 emails per day. Amongst the deluge of messages, connection requests can be inadvertently ignored.
If you still don’t receive a response after 2 weeks, try sending a friendly reminder:
"Hi [name], just wanted to follow up on my connection request from [date]. Please let me know if you would be open to linking up on LinkedIn. Thanks in advance for considering!"
If they remain unresponsive, move forward contacting other prospects. Don’t take lack of replies personally – not every outreach attempt will materialize. Focus your energy on nurturing the contacts demonstrating reciprocal enthusiasm.
Offer Value From the Start
Entrepreneurs often pursue networking for its transactional benefits – partnerships, referrals, access to insider information. However, the relationships with the highest ROI originate from authentic camaraderie – not ulterior motives.
Once connected on LinkedIn, sustain momentum by engaging regularly via comments, likes or shares. Look for opportunities to provide value – whether feedback on their business idea or advice navigating common startup hurdles.
Establishing yourself as a trusted resource invested in their success facilitates natural opportunities for future collaboration down the line. Maintain consistent outreach focusing on value creation rather than hard selling.
Meet In-Person When Possible
While LinkedIn serves as a valuable lead source, aim to eventually facilitate face-to-face meetings with your strongest digital connections. According to psychology Professor Albert Mehrabian in his widely referenced 7%-38%-55% Rule, body language constitutes 55% of communication during in-person discussions.
Since nonverbal signals get lost digitally, sensitive conversations around partnerships thrive better offline. Plus, sharing a meal or coffee helps form interpersonal bonds exceeding what is possible online.
Look for relevant networking events, industry conferences or association meetings to suggest as a gathering point when appropriate.
Apply a Relationship-Building Mindset
Ultimately, genuine relationships – not contact count – should remain your metric of success. Resist the vanity metric temptation to pursue shallow connections. Nurture each contact deliberately and thoughtfully.
Trust emerges when you demonstrate care for every individual within your network – not just what they offer you. Prioritize listening over selling; empathize rather than exploit.
The strongest entrepreneurial networks originate from compassion and service towards one another during seasons of prosperity and hardship alike. Adopt this abundance mentality for sustainable gains.
By implementing this tactical guidance, you are now equipped to form strategic win-win connections on LinkedIn as an entrepreneur. Remember: quality over quantity. The true measure of powerful networking is the transforming impact we have on each other.
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