Where the worlds of LinkedIn and face-to-face networking collide!
Networking in the traditional sense or on-line is simply building relationships. The courtesies and etiquettes ought to be the same but over the years I see very different behaviours.
Would you do any of these when you attend a business event? Enlighten me please
Turn up in a hoodie or a scarf covering your face? No of course not so why do so many people have no photos on their LinkedIn profiles? Mystery to me
Give their wrong name or say it in such a way no-one can hear it? No of course not so why do I see so many profiles with peoples’ names shown where there isn’t a capital letter for their first and second name. Mystery to me
Tell someone you are the greatest, the world’s best, the expert when asked what you do? No of course so why do so many people have self-promoting superlatives in their profiles? Mystery to me.
Say hello to a stranger then walk off? No of course so why do people invite and accept invitations from people they have never met and then do nothing more. Mystery to me. At least invite people with a personal message if you haven’t had previously contact.
Pay a subscription to belong to a networking group then never turn up. Well I am not sure about this one but it is a kin to joining LinkedIn groups then doing nothing more.
Rarely say please and thank you when people invite you to an event. No of course not so why do lots of people not acknowledge invitations on LinkedIn when it is someone you know. Mystery to me. If you accept an invitation send a thank you message immediately and also if people invite you to connect or they accept your invitation.
The author of this article is Will Kintish, leading UK authority on effective and confident ‘people’ networking. If you’d like Will to speak at your conference or training workshops, call him on 0161 773 3727. Visit www.kintish.co.uk https://www.kintish.co.uk and www.kintish.tv http://www.kintish.tv for further free and valuable information on face-to-face networking