What constitutes a valuable LinkedIn connection?

As you compile your holiday greeting card mailing list, you may see a name or two that you’re having difficulty placing. Do you recall the last time you spoke or emailed with her?

If you connected with her on LinkedIn a while ago, take a moment to consider your relationship with that individual more closely, and then look at others in your network as well.

Define a criteria to evaluate which LinkedIn connections are worth keeping, which contacts are subject to deletion and which names merit an impromptu note to re-connect. (See below for suggested texts.)

I joined LinkedIn in 2004 and over the years have assembled many contacts, once totaling more than 3,300. Not surprisingly, the connection request was the start and end of the online conversation in hundreds of cases.

Here’s the question: If that connection is not actively engaging on LinkedIn (with me or anyone else), then what is the individual doing there and how valuable is that relationship?

Research shows that only 9% of your connections will see what you post on LinkedIn, which may be why I saw nothing from these contacts. (In fact, some did not even display the activity section on their profile!) Still, in all this time, something they posted or published should have caught my attention.

As you know, the telephone works both ways; you make calls and you receive them.

I might not have followed up with you, but you did not follow up with me, either.

I say ENOUGH. It’s time to take action and clear away the deadwood so I can see the flowers (relationships) that really matter to me.

KEEP, DELETE or RE-CONNECT

As the year ends, I’m going through my 2,000-plus LinkedIn contacts and trimming the list.

If I cannot remember the last time I communicated with that person or how we know each other, I check Contact info on that profile to see when we first connected. If that’s more than two years ago, I remove the connection. (In one case, we connected in 2009 with no subsequent activity.)

Admit it; we both blew the opportunity to become better acquainted. Time to move on.

How to Remove Connections in Stealth Mode
If you wish to undertake a similar pruning, here’s how to surreptitiously conduct this clearing out process.

1. Under the Me menu at the top of your profile, click on Settings & Privacy
2. Scroll down to How others see your LinkedIn activity and Profile viewing options. It probably says Full profile. Click on Private mode so you become Anonymous LinkedIn Member. This way, when you view someone’s profile to evaluate the relationship, the person will not know you were looking at their profile. (There ARE people who regularly track those who view their LinkedIn profile and then contact the lookie-loos, in a polite way, that nonetheless has the scent of stalking.)
3. Click on My Network at the top of your profile; in the left column, click on Connections.

Now you are ready to delete connections, either one-by-one or by sorting them into categories.

How to delete connections singly, from the list
To the right of each name are the Message button and three dots. Click the dots to show Remove connection and click again. Poof! The contact is gone.

How to sort contacts in order to delete by category
If you find it too tedious or overwhelming to review your many connections on a one-by-one basis, you can sort them into groups. Click on Search with filters on the right side of the Connections box and click on All Filters at the top.

This reveals categories, such as Locations, Current Companies and Industries, which narrows the number of connections with that criteria and make the review process more manageable.

For example, now that you have your dream job, perhaps you no longer need to keep in touch with many recruiters. Enter Staffing and Recruiting in the Industries box. Click the Apply button to filter, thereby displaying a group of, say, 23 names.

Now, use your mouse to right click on the names of all the profiles you wish to view, so each one appears as a separate tab. After you peruse an individual profile, you may opt to disconnect. Click on the More… box and bring the cursor down to the seventh position: Remove Connection. Click that spot and the person is removed.

Note: LinkedIn will NOT notify the person that you removed the connection.

This KEEP, DELETE or RE-CONNECT process is a rather satisfying activity. You may be prompted to re-connect with some people with whom you had lost touch. You may even find it healing to know that by deleting a connection, you have severed an unhappy tie to the past.

After you finish with the connections in that first category, consider selecting another industry, location or current company and repeat the process.

When you end a session of deleting a number of connections, remember to go back to the Me menu and the Settings & Privacy page. Scroll down to How others see your LinkedIn activity and Profile viewing options. Click on Your name and headline, which will restore your page to Full profile.

Hurray! Now, your LinkedIn connections are the people you want to stay in touch with.

This Month’s Tip

It’s never too late to re-start the conversation. Use these subject line prompts, or your own variation, making sure the question requires a response, not a yes/no answer:

1. Your name came up in conversation with ____ (Put the name in the body of the email, so the reader will open the note.) What are you working on now?
2. This article/podcast reminded me of our conversation about ____ (link). What do you think?
3. Remember this email? Please help me recall what happened next.
4. Your business card re-surfaced. What’s new?
5. Your name came to mind in a review of contacts. Let’s meet for coffee and catch up.
6. According to LinkedIn, you are now (at a new company) (in a new role). Congratulations! When shall we celebrate?

Contact

These many dormant connections might be blocking your view of individuals who truly meant something to you in the past year. When you send a holiday greeting or e-card to the clients, referral sources and contacts who are top of mind, you acknowledge the strength of that relationship. Periodically reviewing the names of your contacts will remind you of why you keep in touch with specific individuals and how you might be a resource to them.

If you need assistance performing this process of sorting, keeping, deleting and re-connecting, please let me know how I can assist you. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s use the garden shears to trim away those inactive contacts and allow your genuine connections to flower.

See also: Your Gold Mine of 5,000 Contacts.

Request the e-book Three Steps for More Success on LinkedIn

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Know the parameters and work WITH the algorithm.

Frequently writing posts on LinkedIn can help keep you top of mind with your connections.

Posts may also attract interest from others who are focused on timely topics that are flagged with appropriate hashtags.

Here’s how you can raise your game and write a better post, working with LinkedIn’s algorithms that determine how your posts are displayed and who sees them. 

How Posts Appear on Your Profile

Your activity on LinkedIn appears on your profile in four categories: all activity, articles, posts and documents.

• All activity includes your posts and articles, plus comments and likes on the posts of others. It is less likely that someone who views your profile will click on this category to see everything you are doing on LinkedIn.
• Articles are timeless and longer discussions; these will be discussed in a future newsletter.
• Posts appear as a long scroll. Each is displayed as the first three lines of text or 210 characters, followed by . . . see more. An image may be included above the text. Posts remain visible for only 30 days, generally. Some may be available longer.
• Documents is the location for posts that have PDFs attached to them; they may be older than 30 days.

Why Write Posts 

Ideally, posts share a time-sensitive thought that might be helpful to others. Many Communications professionals encourage social media activity that will provide value and educate, entertain, engage and inspire. For example, if you are leading a workshop, speaking to a group or attending an event, consider writing a post in advance that mentions the topics to be discussed. You might also summarize the program afterwards, reflecting on key takeaways. This post may prompt a reader to register for the event, drive traffic to your website or perhaps spark interest in your speaking to the viewer’s own organization.

When you read an article or have a substantive discussion with a colleague, compose a paragraph that highlights what you learned and may be helpful to others. Add value by indicating how you will act upon that insight; don’t simply offer up the idea by throwing the proverbial spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks. 

Finally, promote engagement by asking a question at the end so that readers may respond with their insights, reactions and anecdotes.

Keeping in mind the LinkedIn algorithm will only display the first sentence, consider it a flashing red light that will attract the attention of readers. Compose it in a way that will make the viewer stop her scroll action and read your pithy thought.

Parameters of a Post

• 210 characters or three lines before the . . . see more cut-off and 1300 characters in total.
• No formatting of text.
• Ability to upload the following: photo (can include as many as nine), video or PDF of a document. Note that after this upload, you will not be able to add another item.
• Link to a website or other content online; these appear below the text.
• Seen only by members of your network in their feeds.
• Use hashtags (#) suggested by LinkedIn based on content and prior post usage of hashtags.
• Posts older than 30 days may not be visible.
• Not indexed by Google.

Make Your Post More Visible

Only 9% of your contacts will see your post. Here’s how to improve its visibility:

• When you name someone, place an @ before the person’s name. That will prompt LinkedIn to suggest a list of names so you may link to their profile. Clicking on the individual’s name will turn it bold AND cause an email notification to be sent to the person cited. (Caution: it may take multiple attempts to get the correct name to appear and occasionally it may not appear.) Note that many people do not appreciate being named, a la Facebook, as a tactic to attract their attention.
• Add a #hashtag to make the post searchable by topic. Now it will be visible to individuals who are not in your network who use that hashtag to locate relevant posts. Use a maximum of three hashtags for best results.
• Include a visual element. Posts are added throughout the day and scroll continuously. Your post in another person’s feed will soon be buried under dozens of posts by others. Images, photos and videos can make posts stand out in the stream, while people scan and scroll through the display in their feed. 

What Happens Next

A percentage of your connections will view your post. Additionally, if someone comments on it, or even likes it, then a percentage of her connections will also see it in their feeds.

A percentage of connections of any person named in the post will also see it. 

For example, each night, after attending a two-day conference where social media professionals spoke on best practices and trends, I prepared highlights of their remarks. I put the highlights on my letterhead and saved it as a PDF. I cited the speakers in a LinkedIn post and attached the document. Because every speaker named had thousands of connections on LinkedIn, the posts were displayed to numerous people and each was viewed at least 16,000 times. Did 16,000 people subsequently view my website or profile? Some, but not quite that many.

This Month’s Tip

How often should you post and when is the best time? Daily posts are recommended. If you want to post more often, wait at least four hours before posting again. People post and publish articles at all times of the day. Research indicates the best times to post are Tuesday through Thursday, with activity peaking at noon and between 5:00 and 6:00 pm. 

As for activity on LinkedIn overall, many advise spending at least 15-30 minutes per day to search for posts by others using the hashtags of your preferred topics, plus reviewing posts in your feed. My advice is to comment on posts (and not like) in order to connect with the author, engage others among your (and the author’s) connections and add value to the discussion; see As You Like It, Please Say WHY.

Contact

Are you eager to engage with your network — and others — by posting on LinkedIn? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. We’ll find topics for posts that will stop scrollers in their tracks and light up conversations with your LinkedIn connections.

Click here to read prior issues of this newsletter.

Click here to subscribe to this monthly newsletter and make sure you don’t miss the next issue.

Thanks to Joe Apfelbaum whose webinar provided insights on this topic, to Beth Granger for feedback on best practices on LinkedIn posts, and to Andy Foote, who offers this resource on character counts on LinkedIn. 

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Make sure your card will re-start the conversation after your recent meeting

When you talk with another professional at an industry conference or networking event, you invariably exchange business cards. In that moment, you might peruse the new contact’s card thoughtfully and comment on the text, logo or service.

Hours, days or weeks later, you again look at that card and decide how to proceed with this new connection.

• What do you do when this second reading of the card does not remind you of that engaging conversation?
• What if you no longer recall the person who gave it to you?

Perhaps the card is responsible for this lapse in your recollection. Many business cards are not memorable, offering rather vague information about the individual and his business. You may need to look for the person on LinkedIn or visit the company website to refresh your memory.

Now, put the shoe on the other foot.

When you are not present, your business card is your paper partner.

It represents YOU.

That’s why it must clearly and succinctly convey:

• who you are
• what service(s) or product(s) you provide
• who your preferred clients are

When your card achieves these goals, it can easily re-ignite that initial conversation.

Take a moment to review your stack of accumulated business cards — one by one — with this three-point checklist: the profession, service and target market of the person who gave it to you. Note the ones that meet the criteria and those that fall short.

In some cases, the text on the business card may not distinguish the individual sufficiently. Perhaps the back of the card has no supplemental information or you did not make a notation (other than to send the person an article or a connection’s name). This gap puts you at a loss to remember the contact solely from his card.

When I reviewed assorted business cards recently, one only gave the person’s name, phone number and email address. On the back was Surname Marketing, with a logo comprised of the letters S and M. No industry, no niche specialization.

Does Surname Marketing provide digital marketing, branding or advertising? Does it focus on consumers, businesses or nonprofit organizations? The card does not answer these questions.

Another new connection’s card provided her contact information, plus the street address and website. The back displayed Surname Company and below that Creative. But what was the profession? Documentary filmmaker, copywriter or graphic designer? 48 hours after receiving the card, I had forgotten, so I looked up the website.

Actually, she is an interior designer. Sadly, the back of the card was black, so I could not have written a note to jog my memory later.

Clearly, these two cards are not consistent with the professionalism of their owners. When the marketing consultant and creative interior designer add a few words about their services and target clients, their cards will become active paper partners and speak forcefully on their behalf.

This Month’s Tip

Take a closer look at your own card and see how it matches these criteria:

1. 1. Your name, title and company name
   2. Description of your profession/service
   3. Ideal client or target market
   4. Contact information: street address, phone number(s), email address and website
   5. Tag line that amplifies your offer
   6. Distinctive logo or visual element that is not overused, e.g., not the scales of justice for an attorney
   7. White or light-colored back, so the recipient can write a note there
   8. Font size of at least 8 point for legibility
   9. Substantial card stock that is not paper thin

Review your business card against this checklist and adjust accordingly. When you have revised the card, ask others for feedback and then make any suggested edits. For production of your business card, turn to one of the many printing and stationery vendors online or you may visit a local office supply store to print the cards.

Contact

Does your business card talk to a new connection and concisely deliver information that will resonate after your first conversation? Let’s revisit your card and consider how it might make a more memorable impression. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770, so your paper partner will speak up for you loud and clear.

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Ask contacts to provide insights and string those pearls of wisdom together.

Crowdsourcing an article refers to the practice of soliciting and compiling insights from market leaders in a thoughtful discussion. The article usually includes a comprehensive overview that incorporates contrasting perspectives.

This content creation strategy is a way for you to:

• Share timely ideas;
• Promote best practices;
• Connect with industry professionals.

WII-FM (What’s in It for ME?)

As the author, you will ease your research burden, because most of the ideas are being provided by the participants. This thought-gathering expedites the writing process. In addition, you will:

• Get an introduction to a new subject and take a brief deep dive into the material;
• Build a stronger relationship with these sources;
• Promote yourself as an authority and someone who is in the know.

WII-FT (What’s in It for THEM?)
The busy professionals you contact have the opportunity to contribute with limited effort on their part. What are their goals when they reply with some thoughts?

• Their name and the name of their business are mentioned, perhaps in an industry publication read by clients, prospects and referral sources;
• They are seen in the company of other experts and peers;
• They retain control over the content, because their ideas are submitted by email, unlike an interview where their remarks are captured in notes and subject to error in transcription.

Ask People You Know Well — or Virtually
If you have a substantive question on best practices and are not sure who to ask or how to get started with crowdsourced content, you have two options. You may crowdsource from people you already know well and also from those with whom you have a passing acquaintance. Be sure your request is brief and the benefit to the respondent is clearly stated.

Recently, I proposed a series of crowdsourced articles to The New York Law Journal on business issues of interest to attorneys with a solo practice. The first topic was selecting an office; options included home-based, subtenant, co-working space and office suite. Each category was to be explored in terms of its pluses and minuses: quiet solitude, camaraderie, location, networking, perks and expense, among other aspects.

I recruited respondents among attorneys who are members of a networking group I attend. The lawyers contributed thoughtful replies to multiple facets of the subject. I carefully compared these answers as I wove them together; here is the resulting article.

Subsequently, several contributors shared the article on their social media accounts. They also promoted the fact that they were quoted in a prestigious industry publication.

You can crowdsource ideas from people you know, as well as those you know only virtually. Once, I posed a question on best practices for LinkedIn on my profile and also in a LinkedIn discussion group. I cited 10 LinkedIn coaches who I hoped would respond; each had corresponded with me in the past, but I had met only a few face to face.

LinkedIn notified these coaches that I had mentioned their names. As active users of LinkedIn, they saw the value of answering my question. Their insights would be seen by their own connections, as well as mine and those of the other contributors, plus the members of the discussion group. Most of the LinkedIn coaches replied and their ideas offered contrasting views.

Later, I individually thanked each commenter and also requested (and received) permission to cite their remarks in my monthly newsletter. I aggregated their answers and rounded out the discussion here.

This Month’s Tip

Offer value to the crowdsourced participant. When inviting the attorneys to provide ideas for the law practice article, I explicitly stated that their name, law firm name and a brief phrase about their practice would be included in the article. Similarly, I indicated my newsletter would include a link to the websites of the LinkedIn coaches who gave permission to cite their remarks. This approach underscored the benefits to the attorneys and to the coaches.

Contact

Do you have a question for your target audience that might spark a range of responses?  Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770.

Click here to read prior issues of this newsletter.

Click here to subscribe to this monthly newsletter and make sure you don’t miss the next issue.

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Why and how to share this social proof

You probably have testimonials from clients describing your outstanding strategy, knowledge, execution, client service and other winning qualities.

Testimonials are a category of social proof, namely, evidence from the peers of your intended audience that verifies some aspect of your expertise.

Are these testimonials also displayed on your LinkedIn profile?

Potential clients conducting an online search for a professional like yourself will probably find your LinkedIn profile ranked higher than your website. That’s because LinkedIn is a most trusted source for search engines and it is very difficult for a website to outrank it.

Accordingly, make the most of this highly visible and FREE real estate by populating your LinkedIn profile with information that will answer a prospect’s most basic question: Can this person solve my problem? A testimonial or recommendation begins to address that concern.

Recently, a branding professional and graphic designer asked me for feedback on her LinkedIn profile. She has a long career as the founder of her own firm and several household names are among her clients. Nevertheless, she had ONE LinkedIn recommendation. It was written in 2013, and it did not report on a recent professional project.

When I asked her why there weren’t more recommendations, this 35-year veteran designer indicated that she wasn’t comfortable asking for them. How could that be?

Here’s how to ask for a LinkedIn Recommendation. Go to the LinkedIn profile of the person who has given you a testimonial on your website (or would be likely to give you a recommendation). Click on the More . . . button and click Request a Recommendation. Or scroll down to the Recommendation section and click on Ask for a recommendation. Indicate the nature of your relationship: (NAME worked with you but at different companies; NAME was a client of yours, etc.). Indicate your position at the time. Now, compose your message, along these lines:

Sydney, Your name came to mind thinking about the great work we accomplished together on the NAME OF PROJECT. It would be very helpful to me if you would write a recommendation for my LinkedIn profile, based on the testimonial you already gave for my website, which says this: Copy testimonial text. Please feel free to edit as appropriate. Thanks. I truly appreciate your support. Janet

If you seek a recommendation from someone who has not yet given you a testimonial, why not request the recommendation — plus ask for the testimonial outright? Take a similar approach by providing a pre-written recommendation/testimonial on a silver platter:

Terry, Your name came to mind thinking about the great work we accomplished together on the NAME OF PROJECT. It would be very helpful to me if you would write a client testimonial for my website and a recommendation for my LinkedIn profile. You might consider something like this: Janet Falk brought strategy, creativity and analytical skills to our brochure project. She gently reminded us of deadlines and kept her eye on the budget. The outstanding brochure was ready in time for the big meeting. I look forward to our next project. Please feel free to edit as appropriate. Thanks. I truly appreciate your support. Janet

There are two possible outcomes: either Terry and Sydney reply by completing the recommendation form or the request is ignored/denied.

So, how about yourself?

Take a look at your LinkedIn recommendations. How many do you have? How recent are they?

Now, rate the overall impression of your recommendations: Excellent, Satisfactory or Oops, I have not been paying attention.

Make it easy to say YES and make it hard to say NO. The satisfied client who receives your pre-written recommendation text is very likely to take up your request, make a light edit, and send it back through the LinkedIn system. You can then ask for another edit or you can decide not to post it after all.

It is up to you to post the recommendation, so consider whether you want to do so immediately upon receipt. Perhaps you will request a few every quarter and post them periodically, as suggested by Mark Galvin (who has 47 recommendations, as of May 31, 2019).

Speaking of recommendations, have YOU given any recently to your vendors and clients?

This Month’s Tip

How many recommendations are appropriate? A bevy of LinkedIn coaches responded to this question posed on LinkedIn and offered divergent views. Andy Foote (14) advises two or three per role and do not overdo it. Petra Fisher (104) suggests two or three per year. Kevin Turner (149) said at least 10 and make sure they are dated less than three years ago. Brynne Tillman (176) noted that with a variety of recommendations she may select those that most closely align with the profession or industry of the potential client when submitting a proposal. Taken together, the wisdom of the crowd is between five and 10, and keep adding to them. Note that only the two most recent ones are displayed and the oldest ones are unlikely to be viewed. (Full disclosure: I have 36 recommendations.)

Contact

Ready to request a few recommendations?  Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770 to review a list of your satisfied clients and collaborators for potential testimonials. Let’s showcase the social proof of your capabilities and successes with LinkedIn recommendations that address your prospects’ needs.

Request the e-book Three Steps for More Success on LinkedIn.

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Entice them with a value-added experience.

Often an invitation says Please join us.

That phrase makes me cringe.

Who wants to go to an event where the host organization is begging for attendance?

Here’s how to write an engaging invitation.

1. Place the attendee at the center of the event. Use the words YOU and YOUR as often as possible. For example: You will learn proven tactics.
2. Show how the event aligns with her agenda and interests.
3. Create a sense of exclusivity, where the content offers up-to-the-minute industry and market information, a look behind the scenes or an insider’s view. This also suggests that the member will miss out on timely insights if she does not attend.
4. Mention the opportunity to get close to a BIG NAME in the business.
5. Use active, dynamic verbs: HEAR, LEARN, MASTER, UNDERSTAND.
6. Make the event interactive with a Question and Answer segment. For example, “Share a what-if scenario about a friend’s company” or “Practice the tips presented in the workshop.” Plus networking with peers and connecting with colleagues, of course.
7. Indicate the DAY of the week and the DATE to make it easy for guests to check their calendars; some attendees have scheduled obligations, such as a monthly meeting on the third Wednesday, and will be unable to attend.
8. Keep the event title in the subject line short, between 60 and 65 characters, so it can easily be read on a mobile phone, which is where more than 60% of email is read.
9. After you have a draft, go back and make the first sentence stronger to capture the reader’s attention and prompt the desire to learn more.
10. Adhere to brand standards for the size of the font and its color, preferably black (dark) letters on a white (light) background.

EXAMPLE: Consider this invitation to a lunch of the Legal Special Interest Group of a professional membership organization. Here’s the final version, and below it the initial draft.
————————————————————————————————————
Event: Open Lunch for Legal Special Interest Group
Break out of your chained-to-your-desk lunch routine. Members of the LSIG will informally discuss top legal and regulatory issues, plus current market developments. Bring a question or topic, share perspectives and tap into your peers’ collective knowledge. Network and take part in a lively discussion, the first in a series of open lunches.

This event is free and places are limited, so please register promptly.
————————————————————————————————————
Event: Legal Special Interest Group -Open Lunch
Please join us for an informal open forum discussion and networking.

Agenda:
(1) Legal/Regulatory Update,
(2) Current Developments and
(3) Open discussion.

This is the first of a series of Open Lunches the LSIG will be hosting this year. So come and join us for a bite to eat and enjoy a lively and interesting discussion. This event is free but places are limited.

          Which event would you attend?

This Month’s Tip

Four DON’Ts to improve your invitations:

Do NOT say Please join us. Do not beg for attendance. A reference to US puts the reader outside the circle. In her mind, she is IN the circle. Do not alienate her.

Do NOT mention our distinguished panel of experts. If they are not experts, why are they speaking at the front of the room? Attendees expect to meet the best in the business.

After initially naming the sponsor of the event, do NOT promote that company. It is an organization’s event, not a sponsor’s event. The company is welcome to review the invitation for accuracy, not for approval.

Do NOT use reverse type (light color on dark background), which is harder to read.

Contact

Ready to draft an invitation that will attract a sell-out crowd? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s discuss how putting the reader at the center of the invitation will put more attendees in the room.

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Promote the difference you made.

Case studies are a familiar marketing tactic to develop trust with potential clients. Prospects read about your experience with a business similar to theirs and get a sense of how you might work with them. When you present the success you achieved with another company, you’re indicating that you:

• speak your prospect’s language;
• understand the stated problem (and can anticipate related issues);
• offer a strategy, tactic or solution that will take that pesky weight off their shoulders.

The P A R I formula for writing a case study is a proven approach that transcends all business operations and industries. Follow this step-by-step series of questions to gather the components of your case study, and you’ll easily develop a persuasive narrative.

Problem or Present situation:
What was the situation before you arrived on the scene? What was the danger if the client did not take prompt action? What would not have happened if you were not involved? Sketch the essential elements of disorganization, slow and complicated processes, poor sales growth, underperforming staff, etc., so the prospective client will identify with the challenges the client and you were about to tackle together.

Action you took or Advice you gave:
What steps did you take to define, address and resolve the problem? Who needed to be persuaded to join the team? What was the budget? Include these details to enhance your credibility with prospective clients.

Result:
Thanks to your intervention, what was the immediate result? Did the phone ring off the hook when a news story appeared? Did web traffic increase, leading to more sales inquiries? Was a process streamlined when a bottleneck was eliminated? Numbers and percentages will concretely underscore the essential role you played.

Impact:
What was the longer-term impact of your role for the company? How did the changes you recommended help implement ripples across other operations? How is the success you achieved being sustained? Demonstrate that your role gave the client tools to maintain the improvements you engineered.

Many professional resume editors recommend the P A R acronym to highlight career achievements. By adding the I for Impact, you underscore that your insights and efforts exerted a sustainable effect that the organization will perpetuate into the future.

This Month’s Tip

After you develop the case study and post it on your website, think of how you can promote the essence of the story in other venues. Perhaps you and the client can speak at an event or appear on a podcast. Consider writing an article for publication in a key industry magazine or your professional membership association’s newsletter. Share the write-up in relevant LinkedIn groups; ask a question about the problem you addressed and offer your case study as the best practice that resolves the issue. Create a video where you discuss the before, during and after of the situation. These are among the many ways to distribute your outstanding work.

Contact

Ready to draft your case study of a client success? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770 to review the foundation of your P A R I approach. Let’s use it to make a case for your expertise.

See also: Client Success Becomes a Case Study and Article

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(This discussion has been lightly edited for updated content.)

Implement a new approach.

Go to your next networking event with this mantra in mind:

It’s not about ME.

It IS about YOU.

This means: do not put yourself at the forefront of the interaction after shaking hands with a woman you’ve met. Instead, focus on the person you’re speaking with, what her needs are and how she would interact with your contacts.

Imagine YOU, someone she might consult, perhaps to resolve tension with her landlord.

Consider YOU, the person to whom this woman might, for example, provide bookkeeping services.

Seat yourself at the hub of a wheel of professionals and specialists. In your travels, you collect information about those you meet. Then, you’re able to make recommendations and introductions. Do this selflessly, without considering the personal benefit you might derive from that initial or subsequent interaction.

Here’s how this change in attitude plays out at Networking events

• Be seen as a connector/Recruit resources: A client recently asked if I knew someone who might conduct market research for his business. Yes, I do. I know five market research professionals. Two spoke with me and were very interested in the project.
• Make introductions: If you know a networking contact is open to meeting a potential client or a potential resource, use your smartphone and dash off an email introducing the pair to each other on the spot.
• Maintain contacts: I know Michael will attend a certain monthly group. We don’t have to email or speak in between events. We catch up in person.
• Learn from the speaker: The presenter stands at the podium because she has specific and timely insights to share with others in the industry or the professional group. Listen up.
• Stay up to date informally: A colleague has a new job. A company is expanding locally or nationally. There’s talk about a competitor losing market share. You’ll hear it through the grapevine. Use your antennae.
• Be seen as in the know: Everyone wants to associate with insiders who have their finger on the pulse of the market. You can be that person.

All of these motivations speak to the mantra of keeping YOU (and not ME) at the center of your networking conversations.

Now, do I hope to meet prospective clients at networking events? YES.

Would I like to receive introductions and referrals? Absolutely.

These are not my primary objectives, however.

Getting referrals and meeting prospects are more likely to happen in follow-up activities outside the networking event, after others see you as knowledgeable and trustworthy. Serving as a resource establishes that expertise and builds that trust.

This Month’s Tip

Andrea Nierenberg, a renowned networking professional, suggests an approach of 2-2-2:

Attend two meetings of this group before you decide to join.
Meet two people at each event.
Arrange two post-event get-togethers.

Contact

Do you listen to WII-FM, the world’s greatest radio station, also known as What’s In It For Me? Perhaps it’s time to switch channels. Contact me at 212.677.5770, set an appointment here or email me at janet@janetlfalk.com and we’ll find some new networking groups where you can become involved and promote your role as a connector and resource.

This is the first in a series of three newsletters about Networking. The second will discuss pre-event marketing and the third will discuss get-to-know-you problem and solution questions that engage networking contacts.

Click here to request the e-book Three Lessons to Improve Your Networking Success.

PS Did you see my quote in The Wall Street Journal? If I can get myself in that most-desired publication, imagine what I might do for you, your clients and your contacts.

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Thanks to Tiffany Ashitey and Tasha Morris of The Benchmark Creative Group. Their invitation to speak at Brooklyn Marketing Week was the impetus to crystallize my approach to networking.

Why let your card get lost in the display?

You send a holiday greeting card in December to everyone you can recall.

Not because the IRS, the SEC or the FDA require you to do so, but because you appreciate the relationship with that contact.

Now that you’ve made the commitment to keep in touch with your clients, colleagues and referral sources, take the next step.

Make sure that your card stands out in the display on your client’s office door or the credenza in the boardroom.

How can you make your card distinctive?

Don’t order from a catalogue. Imagine that your competitor, or a dentist, chose the same one.

Instead, use an image or photo that conveys a sense of your company or organization and its uniqueness.

Center that image on the front of the card, leaving the rest white, as frame. Place a greeting of warmth and holiday cheer in the spaces above and/or below the picture.
Add your logo, discreetly, in the lower left corner.

Inside the card, offer a wish for the joys of the season, a prosperous New Year or some other heartfelt expression of connection with the recipient.

On the back of the card, show your company name, address, phone and website URL, plus a short description of your mission or services.

When the recipient gets your card, the small logo immediately makes it clear who sent the card, even without opening it.

When the card is placed among other holiday cards, the white frame makes it stand out. Plus, colleagues of the recipient will notice it from among the other cards.

Let me confess I do not follow my own advice. Instead, I compose an email with a Holiday Haiku.

Like the card with an image in a white frame, it is distinctive. I’ve flexed my writer’s muscle to create a 17-syllable seasonal poem since 2009. Recipients tell me they know it’s the holiday season when my haiku arrives.

This Month’s Tip

Like other marketing activities, this holiday card is not about you, personally. It is about the you on the other side of the table, the person who is opening the envelope. Keep the image and discourse neutral. The United States has many faith groups. Respect them; you cannot be sure another person shares your beliefs about a seasonal holiday and may take umbrage.

Candles are a universal image, they spread light during a period of the year when daylight lasts less than 10 hours.

Snow and winter scenes are popular, unless geographically unlikely.

A photo of a team member, interacting with a client or visitor, who is seen from the back or in profile, conveys the mission of your company or organization.

Contact

Ready to prepare a unique holiday card, or even a haiku of your own? Contact me at 212.677.5770, set an appointment here or email me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com. Let’s imagine snowflakes, trees and candles — in a new light.

See also:  Make YOUR Holiday Greeting Card Memorable

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Speaking at events is one of the top five ways to attract new clients.

You probably get invited to speak at events where there is no honorarium beyond coffee, sandwiches or a glass of wine.

Should you accept these engagements or turn them down?

Absolutely accept them. Here’s why I seek out and look forward to speaking opportunities as part of my marketing activities.

First, these presentations help raise the level of professionalism among the attendees and in their industries. People who work in accounting know very little about Public Relations and people who work in Public Relations know even less about accounting, generally. The overview, tips and pointers you discuss will establish a foundation for understanding. This will help the participants improve communication with their colleagues and vendors. You may alert them to an overlooked situation or problem within their organization, and thus the need for your services.

Tip: Speaking at an organization where a client is a member, or to a class where a friend is the teacher, is an obvious YES, as you strengthen the relationship.

Second, to teach is to learn twice over, said French essayist Joseph Joubert. Preparing a workshop requires an immersion in the material; you assemble articles, notes and previously given presentations. You need to be current in your field and incorporate the latest issues and trends in your remarks, keeping you at the top of your game.

Next, know that the participants will ask questions from their narrow perspective, leading you to drill down deeper, on the spot, in order to arrive at a cogent answer. Responding to their queries opens you to a new viewpoint from a business owner or professional whose field is different from your own. You can then incorporate what you’ve learned in future presentations.

Of course, you hope to get business from the workshop; sharing valuable information and branded handouts with your contact details may make that happen. Remember, too, everyone knows someone worth knowing. Note that even if the attendees may not hire you, nor buy your book or product, they may refer you to one of their work colleagues or someone among their contacts.

Finally, speaking is speaking; practice makes perfect, whatever the format and whoever the audience.

This Month’s Tip

Where can you find speaking opportunities? Try:

• Networking group
• Classes taught by colleagues
• Professional membership associations
• Business associations
• Local merchant associations
• Chambers of Commerce
• Municipal public library
• City and county small business services agency
• City and county economic development corporation
• Associations of nonprofit organizations and United Way
• Center for management training

Contact

Ready to find your next speaking gig? Contact me at 212.677.5770, set an appointment here or email me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com. Together we’ll brainstorm topics for specific audiences and devise ways to introduce you to them.

See also: Create Your Own Traveling Classroom and Back to School – As a Teacher.

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Here are five essential ways to promote your business.

According to author and consultant David A. Fields, there are FIVE Marketing Musts for consultants who want to build their visibility — and these also apply to any individual and organization:

1. Networking
2. Speaking
3. Writing
4. Trade Association
5. Digital Presence

Consider which approaches are most comfortable for you — and which will be most effective in reaching your target market.

Set a goal of participating in these marketing activities every month — and track your progress to evaluate your success.

In June, for example, I attended four weekly networking meetings of one group; two monthly networking events of other groups; one monthly networking lunch; one networking social; and a series of four weekly workshops, as well as two annual networking dinners.

In the speaking category, I gave 10-minute presentations at two of the networking groups, plus one 60-minute presentation at a colleague’s class of entrepreneurs.

As for writing, I composed my monthly newsletter, plus published an article in a monthly trade magazine.

Turning to trade associations, I gave a 75-minute presentation to a group of attorneys who are potential clients.

Finally, in expanding my digital presence, I posted links to the article and newsletter on my website, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, plus mention of the trade association presentation on LinkedIn following the event.

Looks like I batted over .300 for the month. How about you?

This Month’s Tip

Here’s where you can publish your timely insights to fish where the fish are:

• Write an essay for the industry publications your potential clients read.
• Contact a colleague who has a blog and offer a guest post.
• Maybe it’s time to launch your own quarterly (or monthly) newsletter, if you don’t have one.
• Consider a post on your LinkedIn profile.
• Wherever you publish, extend the reach beyond the standard readers; promote the article, column or post on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, as appropriate.

Contact

Are you ready to step up to the plate? Let’s consider which of these five marketing tactics are most suitable for you and your business. Contact me at 212.677.5770, set an appointment here or email me at janet@janetlfalk.com. Let’s play ball.

Click here to purchase the e-book Create and Monitor Your Marketing RBI, for $9.99 via Venmo.

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Complete and embellish the image of your online presence.

When someone you met at a conference searches for you online, what will she find? What you say about yourself?

Or is there a blank or incomplete space?

You have the positive obligation to shape your digital presence and tell your story through multiple channels. As a business or nonprofit professional, place yourself in the most favorable light.

LinkedIn

Among the many digital channels, your LinkedIn presence is the resource likely to be reviewed by your peers, contacts, prospects and reporters.

Many consider LinkedIn the world’s largest database of professionals, with more than 450 million global participants. Now, seemingly everyone is promoting themselves online via LinkedIn.

Once your profile is established, be sure to update it on a frequent basis.

Take the time to view yourself through the eyes of someone you met at an industry conference to ensure you have a strong, attractive and complete online presence.

Your Photo is clear and focused; you have a smile, eyes looking at the reader. LinkedIn states that having a photo means your profile is 14 times more likely to be viewed. Because you own a smartphone with a camera, you can easily pose against a blank wall and have someone take your photo. Then, post the snapshot to your profile, and eventually replace it with a professional headshot.

What does the default avatar signify? Perhaps you do not take your digital presence seriously and cannot be trifled to show your true self to the world.

Your Value-Driven Headline has 120 characters, including spaces. Summarize your professional title, name of company, target audiences and how you are able to help them. Emphasize the value of working with you and your company. Your goal is to make the reader want to see more of your profile. Consider reviewing the headlines of peers among your connections to learn both do’s and don’ts.

When someone conducts a search on LinkedIn, whether by name or key words, this is what she will see:

Photo, Name, degree of connection
Value-Driven Headline
City
Photos of any shared connections

Reading a value-driven headline will prompt the viewer to click on your name and read all about you, not a colleague with similar keywords.

What might a short or lackluster headline indicate to the reader? Maybe you do not maximize opportunities right in front of you.

Your Summary, in up to 2,000 characters, including spaces, is your greatest opportunity to advertise what you bring to the table, for whom and why. Note that only the first 220-235 characters (spaces included) will be displayed with your profile, so sharpen that sales language pencil and include a call to action: Contact me to make this happen. The reader must click to See more of your summary than these two lines.

Make an effort to explain, from the viewer’s perspective, how she would benefit from knowing and working with you. How will she Save Time, Save Money or Make More Money, thanks to your product, service or experience. For a nonprofit executive, how will you help Save the World or Bring More JOY to Life.

Remember, you control what you display about yourself on LinkedIn; write about how you serve clients in order to prompt prospects to contact you. Anything less and the reader has little reason to stick around.

Your LinkedIn URL can be customized as your name. When you register to open a profile on LinkedIn, you are automatically assigned a random number. Changing that URL demonstrates that you are a person attentive to detail who has taken two minutes to polish his profile. Complete instructions are in the This Month’s Tip section below.

Will the reader think you accept the status quo, without putting your personal stamp on the situation?

Your LinkedIn Connections should number at least 500 people. Why? Among these many contacts, it is more likely one of them will be connected to the person searching for, say, a copywriter or comptroller, either directly (1^st degree), by a mutual contact (2^nd degree) or a connection with a contact of a contact (3^rd degree). These three degrees of connection mean she will be able to read more of your profile than that of a person with whom there is no viable degree of connection.

It’s easy enough to reach out to your many professional and personal contacts via LinkedIn. Enter a name in the Search space, then select the appropriate name on the list that appears. From that profile, click on Connect and personalize the request, indicating how you have a shared interest in, perhaps, marketing home insurance to renters.

Will you remain at a below-500 level of connections? That approach may suggest that you do not dynamically step forward to engage with others.

This Month’s Tip

Customize Your LinkedIn URL.

• On your LinkedIn page, go to Profile and click Edit profile.
• To the right, look at Edit public profile URL with the link: www.linkedin.com/in/xxx/123456a7
• Click on the pencil.
• Now you can type your name XXXX without the number /123456a7 gobbledy gook after it.
• If there is a duplicate of your name, LinkedIn will advise you; perhaps you can use a middle initial, hyphen or underscore between your first and last names.
• Then click Set Custom URL.
• You are done!

Contact

Ready to draw more details on your virtual portrait? Don’t gaze at a blank slate or a half-finished image. Contact me at 212.677.5770, set an appointment here or email me at janet@janetlfalk.com. Let’s look at the big picture and sketch in the missing pieces to call more attention to your digital presence.

See also: Are You Find-able? and Three Steps for More Success on LinkedIn

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Thanks to Marcia Rockwood, whose conversation inspired this newsletter.

If you do not already have an email newsletter, it is (past) time to launch it.

Consumers prefer to hear from vendors and brands by email, according to a recent study. Even Millennials, regarded as highly digitally attuned users, want to receive promotional email.

Given the choice of contact via a variety of platforms, the preference for email is overwhelming in three key demographics:

• Baby Boomers (born 1945-1965): 74%
• Generation X (born 1965-1980): 72%
• Millennials (born 1980-1995): 64%

Moreover, more than half of consumers (53%) check their email on their smartphone, making it imperative that newsletters display well on the small screen:

• Baby Boomers: 36%
• Generation X: 53%
• Millennials: 59%

In short, knowing your audience is receptive to email marketing, it’s vital to tailor the content of your newsletter and ensure that it is accessible in a format easy to read on a smartphone.

If you DO have an email newsletter, here’s a video review of best practices for newsletters as gleaned from six writers, including yours truly.

More email newsletter tips here.

This Month’s Tip

Email is here to stay.
Email has a larger reach; there are THREE times more email accounts than Facebook & X (Twitter) combined.
Email delivers to the recipient 90% of the time; only 2% of Facebook fans see posts.
Email converts with a 3% click-through rate vs .5% click-through on Twitter.
YOU control the distribution of email, not Facebook or Twitter algorithms.

Contact

Ready to launch or evaluate your email communications strategy? Let’s consider the audience, content and format that are most appropriate. Call me at 212.6.7-5770, set an appointment here or email me at janet@janetlfalk.com.

PS Tomorrow is Election Day. Plan to vote.

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Advice you give freely may be quite valuable, even for yourself.

You probably love to give advice to others. We all have insights on (un)usual business issues and strained relationships, plus tips for gardening, exercise and travel.

Ever get that AHA moment when you realize the suggestions you offered work for your own situation?

In a recent newsletter, I calculated that each of us probably has 5,000 contacts in a variety of places: address book, LinkedIn, subscribers to a newsletter or blog and more. Aggregating those names into a single database:

• Provides a way to keep in touch with hundreds of them;
• Evokes opportunities to introduce one to another;
• Sparks awareness of your own services and products for them as potential referral sources and connectors.

Accordingly, I took my own advice by consolidating my contacts into my address book. Here are a few results:

There were 2,483 names in my address book in August; a month later, I had 4,503, a gain of 2,020 names that were scattered in emails, lists and business cards.

Similarly, my connections on LinkedIn increased from 2,809 to 3,023, an additional 214 and a number that continues to grow.

Clearly, implementing my own suggestion was successful, as it enabled me to re-connect with long-dormant contacts, plus initiate conversations, email exchanges and meetings, not to mention a few subscribers to this newsletter.

This Month’s Tip

Here’s a few resources for hands-on advice and general tips:

Ilise Benun, Marketing Mentor offers tips on marketing for creative professionals that apply to many business owners.

David A. Fields advises consultants who work with companies of all sizes.

Life Hack – Tips for Life features pointers on productivity and getting things done.

Contact

If you’ve followed my advice on this topic of aggregating your contacts – or have a suggestion of your own to share – Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s dig for more good ideas in that gold mine of 5,000 contacts, plus we can swap tips and brainstorm together.

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Out of Sight, Out of Mind.
In Sight, Top of Mind.

You may not believe it, but you’re probably sitting on 5,000 contacts in various pools of connections.

Imagine the opportunities they represent for new business, new alliances and new volunteers.

You can find these people here:
1. Names in your address book
2. Recently emailed addresses
3. LinkedIn connections
4. Subscribers to your newsletter and blog
5. Business cards
6. Lists of attendees at events
7. Membership directories
8. Facebook friends and Twitter followers

Look for potential clients, partners, vendors, donors and board members among these resources.

Possibilities for you to refer business and connections to each other also abound.

Let’s start identifying them and actively mine these contacts. Plan to re-connect with these people and create momentum — for your business, for your organization, and for them to be thinking of you.

If you don’t use a contact relationship management program, make your address book the basic database.

1. Export the names in your address book in a .csv file. (If you use Outlook, go to File, select Open & Export, click on Import/Export and follow the simple steps.) Save the file as an Excel spreadsheet to make it easier to manipulate. Sort by first or last name. Print only the names. Review the names; delete duplicates and others, as appropriate.

2. Collect the email addresses and names of the 1,000 people you have most recently emailed. Outlook’s blessed auto-complete feature is your new best friend. Certainly, there are several hundred names in that pool you have not yet added to your address book. Download the NK2Edit program. As before, export, save in Excel, sort, print. Compare this group to the list above. Through this exercise, I found more than 400 new names to enter in my address book.

3. Export the names of your LinkedIn connections. Again, save, sort and print. Perhaps there are a few names of people you no longer recognize. Now might be the time to delete them. (They will not be notified you did this.) Compare these names with those in your expanding address book and add them to it.

4. Your newsletter and blog subscribers are another group to mine. Continue to export, save, sort and print. Compare the list to your address book and LinkedIn connections; add to both, ensuring consistency across all platforms.

5. That stack of business cards? You know what to do.

6. Have you been to any events and received a list of the attendees? Who did you meet at the break-out session? Who sat with you at lunch? Add these names.

7. Do you belong to a chamber of commerce, professional association or networking group? Peruse the membership directory; your dues paid for it. See how your address book continues to grow!

8. Finally, your social and professional connections on Facebook and X (Twitter) represent an audience that is interested in keeping up with your latest activities. Bring them into the fold, too.

Yes, this exporting, sorting, printing, comparing and entering data is tedious.* With this effort comes a payoff; when you read every single name, you will find out who’s hiding there, including some welcome surprises.

Last month I wrote to a colleague who subscribes to my newsletter; I hadn’t spoken with him since 2012! We then chatted for 15 minutes. The following day, he emailed me to help him with a project, which I completed. A few days later, he urgently needed my help by close of business, so I also did that. Plus, he spies another task on the horizon.

Four years of minimal communication, and now he sees me as a member of his team.

This Month’s Tip

Here are six subject lines and invitations to re-start a conversation:

• LinkedIn suggested your name, so I endorsed you for a few skills. When can we grab a coffee to catch up?
• Your name came up in conversation with PERSON (Put the name in the body of the email, so the reader will open the note.) What are you working on now?
• This article/podcast reminded me of our conversation about TOPIC (link). What do you think?
• Would you like to meet a PROFESSION? Perhaps NAME is a potential collaborator. (link to website or LinkedIn profile). Let me know and I will introduce you.
• Remember this email? Please help me recall what happened next.
• Your business card re-surfaced. What’s new?

By asking a question, you open the door to a phone call, coffee or lunch to re-ignite the connection. Perhaps you have discovered a viable contact for this person among the hundreds of names you recently added to your address book. Some say your best prospects and referral sources are among the people you already know, so start re-connecting.

Contact

Ready to hunt for buried treasure among your contacts? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s start prospecting.

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* Note: You can expedite the Outlook data entry process by saving each modified Excel list as a .csv file. Import that file into Outlook. It sounds more complicated than it is; let me talk you through the process.

Take a stand.

Two very different companies once had rather similar slogans:

It’s not business, it’s personal. (law firm)

It’s personal. (meaning: It’s not business.) (bank)

In each case, the slogan was designed to reference a close, even intimate, working relationship. Some clients prefer to be reassured and reminded, on a frequent basis, that a vendor or partner has their interests top of mind at all times.

Consider that what is personal from a client’s perspective may not be reciprocal. Many clients think primarily of themselves and may have a limited interest in the individual private lives of their contacts.

Copywriter Deirdre Rienzo wrote about her dog in her newsletter and invited subscribers to send photos of their pets. The response was overwhelming.

LinkedIn coach John Nemo recommended sharing “something personal from your non-work life . . . once or twice a day as part of your LinkedIn status updates.”

Let me be blunt. I do not care about your pet, the (extra) ordinary exploits of your progeny or your awesome (tiresome) visit to Nepal.

As I commented to Nemo and Rienzo, if there is a business lesson to be gleaned, then summarize and explicate it. Otherwise, I will look elsewhere for inspiration and connection. I might even unsubscribe to your newsletter. The reader’s attention is yours to lose.

Following this guideline, here is the takeaway: a business consultant in North Carolina read Nemo’s post and agreed with my response. She contacted me, and we chatted about our respective practices. A few weeks later, she referred a client to me.

It was Business. Not Personal. That’s how I began working with a former CIO on an article about lessons learned from implementing enterprise technology to improve performance.

This Month’s Tip

Think: What’s the earth-shattering news about your morning coffee? People who announce on social media where and with whom they have consumed a breakfast drink flabbergast me. Can you specify the value-added information or societal significance of your inability to prepare a hot beverage at home? Alternatively, invite me to sample one with you, so we can become better acquainted and consider ways to work together.

Contact

Where do you draw the line between business and personal in your Communications? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s clarify where the boundaries are.

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You probably know someone who is a resource for a connection.

It’s a mystery to me why people say they hate networking.

When asked their best source of new customers, most business owners say referrals.

What is the flip side of referrals?

Networking.

Everyone makes referrals of professionals, with whom they’ve previously worked, to contacts who need someone with that particular skill. We all pass names around our network.

For those who claim to hate networking, think instead how you might make – and receive – referrals to and from people in your various circles.

These circles include formal organizations, such as professional membership associations and networking groups, current and former clients, vendors and partner organizations, even friends, family and members of your faith community.

It’s amazing how far your reach will extend when your approach is focused on referrals, not networks.

Here’s an example:

A neighbor asked me for a referral to an engineer to evaluate the repair work the condominium board had arranged for her friend’s terrace. Because I did not know any engineers, I directed her to Fred Basch, an architect and former client. Fred named an engineering firm, saying the project “is right up their alley.”

Referral made. Problem solved.

The sequence of emails was completed in less than two hours.

Everyone knows someone worth knowing. Who might be the intermediary who can introduce you to a prospective client or your next hire? When there is someone for whom you’d like to do a good turn, think about the people in your circles (or networks) who might be useful to that person – or who might have a colleague who could suggest the resource the contact seeks.

This Month’s Tip

Whom might you offer and whom do you seek to meet? Members of a networking group can provide mutual referrals in an exchange exercise. Each participant writes the profession of a contact they’d like to help on a 3 x 5 card (offer) and requests a person with a specific occupation or employee at a company they want to meet (seek) on another card. Every pair of cards gets passed around the room, so all attendees can see each one. Invariably, a match will materialize.

For example, a grantwriter, who wanted to enhance her LinkedIn profile, learned about a very active LinkedIn user. That referral helped her draft emails to request recommendations from clients.

Contact

Let’s brainstorm about the people among your professional and personal connections. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s consider how so you can make and earn the referrals that will promote business growth for your contacts and yourself.

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Consider what you are compared to what you are not.

Here’s a striking contrast:
Sell your firm as an ENTER Strategy, Not as an EXIT Strategy.

This turn of a well-known phrase emphasizes what is to be gained and shifts the focus away from the owner, the price tag and the negotiation process.

It promotes the opportunity the acquirer has to gather expertise, penetrate new markets and add clients — all by using a buy rather than build approach. An acquisition/enter strategy may be an expedient and cost-effective solution to quickly expand in a desirable and growing market and niche.

Similarly, would you like to resolve your separation from your spouse in a private setting and at a lower fee, supported by an attorney, a divorce coach and a financial advisor?

Or would you prefer to duke it out in an expensive, protracted public battle over the future of your family? Do you relish a process that may devalue all your assets and leave every participant bitter, emotionally drained and physically exhausted?

That is the premise, admittedly exaggerated, of the collaborative divorce process as practiced by a recent client, the Collaborative Divorce Center of Coastal Virginia. Guided by legal and financial professionals and a child development specialist, divorcing couples invest in a customized, mutual agreement. They allocate their resources and arrange for the care and education of any children, instead of a third-party (judge) determining their individual and collective futures.

These examples demonstrate how an organization or company can effectively set itself apart by describing how it is the opposite of what is familiar.

I follow this path also. With an eclectic background in various industries (law, Wall Street, nonprofit) I made the logo of Falk Communications and Research an octagonal shape.

You might be a round peg and someone else, a square peg; I am not so easily categorized. I am an octagonal peg, someone who does not fit the mold.

Not being an industry insider often makes me a keener analyst who is better able to assess the situations of my clients. By tapping into a range of valuable experiences, I develop unique communications solutions.

This Month’s Tip

Consumer goods are well known for flaunting their other-ness. Apple urged customers to Think different. In the beverage industry, 7-Up was the Un-cola. For cars, one manufacturer nearly denied its heritage: This is Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile. Consider the attributes of your cohort to see where you might be most different and distinctive.

Contact

How might you define who you are in contrast to who you are not? Let’s take a traditional slogan or image and turn it on its head. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. We’ll devise ways that make you the opposite of the crowd.

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Thanks to Art Stevens, whose observation inspired this newsletter.

Look at the world through the eyes of a colleague or collaborator.

Do you occasionally share an inspired idea with a trusted sounding board, so you might learn how others see the situation?

When you speak with someone who sits on a different side of the table, or a peer in another industry, you’ll see the plan through another lens, which can be very revealing.

Here’s how I learned this tactic. You probably receive too many non-business newsletters, especially from retailers who twice a week entice you to shop for the latest fashion.

One way to control the distraction of such promotional emails is to create an email address with an account dedicated to that purpose. Next, you deliberately do not place that email account on your computer and phone. Instead, you only review that email on a tablet, at night, while relaxing or watching TV.

From your perspective, you are not interrupted by tempting announcements of sales and new products during your busy work day.

Now the kicker: From a marketer’s perspective, you are a dream audience. Sitting on a comfy couch, scrolling through promotional emails, you are in a much more receptive mood. When you see a photo of a fashionable jacket — voila. Immersed in news of sales, you now are more likely to shop online than when you are scrolling through emails on your phone before your next meeting starts.

How about that 180 degree turn? What started as a defensive posture has now made you a vulnerable target.

We all have a blind spot when it comes to our genius ideas. Find people who can serve as a corrective mirror. Make it a practice to ask for their perspective and see the market through their eyes.

This Month’s Tip

Who might be your sounding board? Members of networking groups. Former clients and former co-workers. Set up a phone chat with a social networking contact whose thoughtful blog posts and comments exhibit insights. The retired executives who serve as coaches at SCORE counsel business owners for free; ask to be paired with someone who worked in your industry.

Contact

Let’s test drive your newest idea. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. We’ll take it out for a spin, so we can see if there are any bumps in the road ahead.

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Thanks to Joshua Sessler, whose observation inspired this newsletter.

S   t   r   e  t   c   h   to get more marketing action.

Email signatures are invaluable marketing tools. Take a good look at yours. Is it working for you or is it asleep?

Here’s a checklist to make the most of your real estate that passes under the eyes of at least 50 correspondents each day:

1. Your signature is positioned immediately below the last line of your email message, not buried at the tail end of the chain of correspondence.
2. Your direct phone number and cellphone number share a line and sit under your name, making it easy for the respondent to give you a call.
3. Your company or organization’s name, hyperlinked to the website, invites a click to learn more about your products, services and programs.
4. Your snappy tag line proclaims the value you create for customers.
5. The headline of a recent news story trumpets your success links to a PDF of the article.
6. Your current exhibition, an upcoming event you will host/sponsor or a trade show where you will speak/exhibit, is noted, with a link to register or make a reservation, if appropriate.
7. Your product flyer or an informative brochure is available as a download, which requires an email address to facilitate future sales team follow-up.
8. Your LinkedIn and X (Twitter) account information are listed, so contacts may connect with you on social media platforms.
9. The latest issue of your newsletter or blog is hyperlinked, with an opportunity to subscribe.

This Month’s Tip

Your email signature is a fundamental component of your brand, as are your logo, website and business card.  Every team member should have an identical signature, to reinforce the organization’s positioning and messages. After a revised email signature template is developed, provide the model and instructions for an update to all personnel, along with a two-day deadline for implementation.

Contact

If it’s time to rouse your sleepy signature, contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. I can give it a once-over. Together, we’ll make it rise and shine.

For a more detailed discussion and an example of an email signature template, please see Harness the Marketing Power of Your Email Signature.

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Respect and lessons from other languages.

When you studied Spanish, French or German, you learned there is a formal and informal degree of addressing another person. Generally, it’s best to use the formal — Usted, Vous or Sie — to be polite, especially at the start of the relationship.

When the other speaker indicates she is amenable to informal address, she will tell you to use Tú, Tu or Du.

As Aretha Franklin sang, from the other’s perspective, communication is about R E S P E C T.

Treat your clients and potential customers with respect — during every in-person and electronic interaction.

These people may soon pay your fees or be in a position to refer others to you. Lack of respect may cause a prospect to look away from you and turn instead to competitors for products and services.

Two recent emails from Public Relations industry professionals violated the norms of polite customer correspondence, reminding me that we all need to pay heed and reflect on the lessons from Aretha.

Hey
The first was a sales pitch that began: Hey Janet,.

When I replied to the sender, I mentioned my name was Janet and not Hey. I received a follow-up note, again: Hey Janet,.

I replied I was offended at twice being addressed Hey.

This complaint led to a prompt apology, which was accepted.

DUDE
The subject line of the second email: DUDE. Seriously, OPEN my email already! (sic)

The Hey email was from a sales rep, who, with two years experience, should have known better.

The DUDE message was from a well-known senior Public Relations consultant with nearly 20 years experience.

Though this DUDE subject line is eye-catching, it is akin to the language of high school students and unlikely that an award-winning, college-level Public Relations instructor wrote it.

I responded that I found the subject line DUDE disrespectful. Surprisingly, the reply was by no means apologetic, but contrarian. According to this communications professional, if the use of DUDE or other terminology to which one personally does not relate is offensive, the recipient should unsubscribe.

Draw the Line
Where do you draw the line between informal and formal email correspondence with prospective customers and current clients?

This Month’s Tip

Do your colleagues treat your clients and prospects with respect? It’s polite to begin an email with Sidney, or Dear Leslie,. These forms of address acknowledge the virtual distance between the writer and the recipient and do not overstep the bounds the way that Hey Nicky, does. Write complete and grammatically correct sentences. Use restraint in tone, limit exclamation points and avoid emoticons. Finally, consider that the email might be forwarded to the CEO or another senior executive who has the final say-so on the buy decision.

You and your colleague worked very hard to get the reader’s attention; don’t let your email be discarded because it was disrespectful.

Contact

Are your coworkers speaking the same language as your potential clients and showing them appropriate respect? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s review your company’s standard emails in this light.

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Adopt a reader-centered approach.

Your newsletter waits patiently in a recipient’s mailbox.

Once opened, you have the reader’s attention.

• Their attention is yours to lose.
• You gave them a gift and then you walked away.
• What will the reader think or do next?

Think of a reader’s attention like a person’s gaze. How fragile it is! At any moment, a phone call, knock on the door or sudden air conditioner blast could distract her eyes from the newsletter’s article.

Their attention is yours to lose. Accordingly:
Build trust and cultivate a solid relationship.

• Deliver timely and useful information.
• Provide relevant documents and links.
• Position your staff as accessible experts.
• Reach out to potential collaborators and competitors in a gesture of good faith.

You gave them a gift and then you walked away.
Lead a reader to feel good about your organization or company.

• Remind him of the solid work and accomplishments, to which he may have contributed or from which he benefited.
• Keep volunteers involved.
• Connect with elected officials and local business leaders.
• Maintain contact with alumni.

What will the reader think or do next?
Guide the reader to deepen her relationship with your group.

• Drive the reader to a specific page on the website.
• Make it easy for the recipient to share your newsletter.
• Promote advocacy.
• Encourage RSVPs and donations.

Is it time to orient your newsletter and implement a reader-centered approach? Let’s write a plan to hold onto your reader’s attention. Call me at 212-677-5770 or email at Janet@JanetLFalk.com.

See also Make Your Five W’s Reader-Centered.

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Maximize your online presence

An out-of-the blue email prompted me to consider how easy it is to re-connect with someone and what another person might find out about me online.

A long-lost acquaintance emailed me the same day my name, quote and photo were published in The New York Times. When I asked how she was able to get in touch with me, she responded that she conducted a search online and found my company website, which displays my email address (and phone number).

What about YOU?

Take five minutes NOW to conduct an Internet search of your own name. Your objective is to see which websites and social networks are listed in the search and make sure you appropriately connect those listings to your company’s or nonprofit’s website.

Start the search with Google.com, followed by Bing.com and then Yahoo.com; that adds up to 87.5% of global searches. (The remainder is Baidu at 10.2%, which is used in China, plus some minuscule search engines.)

Your LinkedIn profile probably appears first among the results. With its international database of 364 million members, LinkedIn outranks most websites.

Perhaps next on the list are your X (Twitter) and Facebook accounts; their enormous constituencies boost their rankings as well.

If you own a business or lead a nonprofit, a reference to your company’s or organization’s website might follow mention(s) of your name.

These personal profiles clearly list and link to your company or nonprofit’s website, of course. If they don’t, link them now.

Here are two ways to update your Personal LinkedIn Page:

Customize your LinkedIn Name/URL.
On your LinkedIn page, go to Profile and click Edit profile.
Under your photo, you have the link: www.linkedin.com/pub/xxx/1/234/56
Click on Edit.
Now you are in the panel where YOU control WHAT is VISIBLE in your profile.
Before you do anything with that section, look to the right and go to Your public profile URL.
Click on Customize your public profile URL.
Now you can type your name XXXX without the number /1/234/56 gobbledy gook that LinkedIn automatically assigns.
If there is a duplicate of your name in LinkedIn, you can use a hyphen or an underscore between your first and last names to differentiate yourself.
Then click Set Custom URL. You’re done !

Post your company website — and related resources.
On your LinkedIn page, go to Profile and click Edit profile.
In the lower right corner of the box, click on the Rolodex card labeled Contact Info.
Next to X (Twitter, click on the pencil and add your X (Twitter) account.
Next to Website, click on the pencil and select the category Other. Then enter the name (or description) of your company and link to the homepage URL.
You may add two additional websites; I selected the category Other to post Public Relations Tips and link to the Newsletter section of my website, plus Articles on Public Relations with a link to the Publication section.

This is also the place to post the name of your blog (category: Other) and link to it.
(Note: most people do not take advantage of this promotional space; if they do, they use the default setting of Company website and Blog, which is not particularly informative.)
Then click Save.

Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. It’s time to make yourself more find-able and more compelling online.

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If your website predates 2011, then plan for a re-launch.

According to designer Peter Levinson, websites have a three-year design cycle, after which their designs look dated.

Having launched my website in 2009, I realized an update was long overdue.

But what finally prompted the re-launch was, admittedly, peer pressure. Other websites use a WordPress format. The clean minimal look, with lots of white space, apparently has become the standard since 2011.

Another concern was to respond to visitor behavior, based on best practices. And the website analytics for my site also played a role in the re-design.

Online activity has grown exponentially and users’ expectations are high. Creating a clear layout that would be user-friendly and conform to the market was a priority.

Once the process was underway, it became appropriate to update the content. Editing the paragraphs succinctly, as well as incorporating more recent projects and successes, were the next steps.

Finally, the re-designed website assembled multiple guest blog posts and newsletter articles that were dispersed widely.

You are invited to take a look and let me know what you think of the re-design.

If it’s been a few years since your website was launched or revised, sit up and see the site through a first-time visitor’s eyes. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s consider the content and layout that might best serve your goals and engage your audience by means of a website audit.

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Showcase Your Insights.

September = School, for students, teachers and parents.

Executives in business and nonprofits need to keep current with best practices and new developments, so they also go to class.

Consider how you might share your expertise with contacts, clients and prospects in one or more of these venues:

Networking group: Some groups incorporate a 10-minute pitch by members into their regular meetings. Your networking contacts will feel more at ease referring their favorite clients to you after they see you in action and hear the impact of your products and services.

Give a guest lecture at a contact’s course: Someone you know may teach a continuing education class. Offer to give insights from the field in a 20-minute presentation.

Center for management training: Peruse the quarterly calendar of workshops and then propose an interdisciplinary session for their target market. By straddling two content areas, you create a niche.

Small business center and economic development group: Government agencies at the municipal and state level offer a variety of business management classes to support small and medium-sized enterprises. These businesses may soon grow big enough to need your services as a consultant.

Webinar: There are companies whose sole line of business is to host webinars for speakers to give sessions and promote their businesses. If you’re shy about facing a room full of new faces, you might prefer the digital broadcast space.

You may join me at Managing PR and Communications on Top of Everything Else, on Thursday, September 19, 2013 at 9:30 am at The Support Center for Nonprofit Management in New York City.

Or tell another contact.

You will not be quizzed afterwards.

Have you got a timely subject for a class or workshop? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s consider where you might teach a session and promote your business.

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No Blog?
No Problem!

You can write as a Guest Blogger.

Companies that frequently post on a blog attract as many as five times more visitors to their websites than companies that do not blog.

If you do not have a blog, you still can participate in the blogo-sphere: become a guest blogger.

Do the blogs you read publish work by others? If so, as appropriate, introduce yourself to the blogger/host and offer to write a guest blog post.

After the post is published, create a short bitly link to distribute your idea in the social media universe in the format of a question via the LinkedIn Groups to which you belong, with a summary answer and a link to your blog post. The topic may generate some comments — as well as drive traffic to your website, where readers can learn more about you.

I submitted a guest blog post, When Nonprofits Fail to Communicate, to a colleague and then shared it on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn. The editor of an online publication read it; she not only asked permission to re-publish it on their blog, she invited me to submit my own articles.

Of course, I accepted.

Here’s how you can prepare for your next professional association meeting: Pre-Marketing Can Maximize Your Success at a Networking Event, as published on Philanthropy Journal‘s blog.

Have you got a hot topic to blog about? Let’s consider where you might write a guest blog to get your word out. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770.

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Team Up for Speaking Success

What better testimonial of your expertise.

You belong to a business or industry professional organization, of course, to network with prospects and keep up-to-date on news and trends.

These monthly meetings offer an incredible opportunity for you — and a client — to showcase your expertise.

That’s why I suggested a client, Denise Shull, as a speaker to 100 Women in Hedge Funds, where I serve on the Communications Committee.

As a panelist, Denise promoted her approach to risk management: understanding feelings, senses and emotions can improve decision-making by hedge fund traders — and by everyone else.

Her anecdotes recounting the impact of self-awareness struck a chord with 200 women executives in the hedge fund industry.

Plus, she sold nine copies of her book Market Mind Games: Profiting from the New Psychology of Risk & Uncertainty.

Are you and a client ready to tell industry colleagues about your productive engagement? Let’s talk about where you might speak up for business growth and success.

Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770.

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