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Is Your LinkedIn Email For Sale or Trade?

May 18, 2010 By Sean Nelson 10 Comments

I’m fairly open about how people connect on LinkedIn. You want to be an open networker, I’m with you. You want to be a closed networker, hey if it works for you great. Whichever way you choose you still have a obligation to those you connect with to guard the information you have gained through the connection. It really would not be cool to do something like downloading your contacts to a csv file and then trade your file with others like Topp’s Baseball cards.

Here is a LinkedIn message that I received (I’ve chosen to remove the identifying information. I have left some references so that you will recognize the message should you receive it) [Read more...]

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Wednesday LinkedOut Comic: Two For One Special

June 3, 2009 By Sean Nelson Leave a Comment

13 linkedin prospect targetting Wednesday LinkedOut Comic: Two For One Special

Today’s comics mark the start of the fourth month of posting the LinkedOut comics and there are two to review.  The first simply takes an extreme view of prospecting on LinkedIn.  When I created the cartoon the Companies section did not exist.  With the addition of it you have another powerful tool to identify potential prospects.

It then shows you how you are connected into your targets.  If you’re not using it, you’re not using all of the clubs in your bag.

The second simply wonders what would happen if Freddie and Michael Meyers (it may be Jason Voorhies from Friday the 13th) connected.  I think it’s one of my favorites because there isn’t a point to it.  It was meaningless fun.

This will be the last LinkedOut comics for a while…need to find some time to create some new ones.  In the mean time I’m bringing in a pinch hitter.  JD Gershbein of Owlish Communications will be taking the reins indefinitely.

JD’s cartoons focus on social media, not just LinkedIn, so he should expand the conversation.  He’ll provide the cartoons and I’ll try to provide some commentary on what the cartoon says about LinkedIn.

Have a great day.

14 linkedin freddy and jason Wednesday LinkedOut Comic: Two For One Special

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Wednesday LinkedOut Comic 12: Spare a Few Connections?

May 27, 2009 By Sean Nelson 5 Comments

12 linkedin spare connections Wednesday LinkedOut Comic 12: Spare a Few Connections?The concept to this comic just popped into my head one day and here I am months later trying to see how I can use it to make a point or share some wisdom.

Reading it now I liken the economically disadvantaged (want to be Politically correct in this day and age) person’s request to sending out an invitation using the canned LinkedIn invitation template.

“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

–Your name

If you use the above invitation to connect with another member you will be making a mistake 99.9% of the time.  The only wiggle room might be if you know the person extremely well and they would connect regardless of what the invitation says.

I even customize these.  My invitation to a good friend might say “I can’t believe that you haven’t had the sense of mind to connect to me yet.  Once again I have to clean up your mistakes.  You can hit the Accept button now”.

Of course knowing some of my friends they immediately hit the IDK button.

The canned invitation is simple.  It’s fast.  It’s convenient.  It’s against the laws of the universe.  LinkedIn should replace the copy with “Type your invitation message here”.  That’s what I think.

All that from a simple comic.  What do you think?

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Wednesday LinkedOut Comic 10: Naked Profiles

May 13, 2009 By Sean Nelson 12 Comments

10 linkedin naked profile Wednesday LinkedOut Comic 10: Naked ProfilesWhen I was writing my first LinkedIn eBook I created this cartoon to add to the chapter I was writing on profiles.  A year later, I still see people with basic information on their accounts.  They likely would tell you that LinkedIn doesn’t work.

These days, though I see more “Partially Nude” profiles.  So here goes the Top 10 profile mistakes or omissions:

1.  The number one mistake is not having a good photo.

2.  Lack of employment detail

3.  Minimal or no summary

4.  Failure to customize profile URL

5.  No website listed or failure to personalize web links

6.  Not using status updates…on a regular basis

7.  Not using applications

8.  No answers or asked questions

9.  No recommendations given or received (or if there are some, not having 10 recommendations received and 15 given)

10.  This may get some push back but here it goes…Not having at least 200 connections

Bonus Mistake:  Another push back item…hiding your connections

Double Bonus:  Misspelled words in their profile…here’s a hint:  type your profile in word, spellcheck, and then post into your profile.

There may be others, these were just the 10 (12) that came to my mind right off the bat.  Mistakes 10 and 11 might be arguable depending upon how you are using LinkedIn.

What did I miss?

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Wednesday Comic 09: Expanding Your Network

May 6, 2009 By Sean Nelson Leave a Comment

09 linkedin connections Wednesday Comic 09: Expanding Your NetworkConnecting is a contact sport.  If you want to build your network you need to be active on LinkedIn, seek out others to connect, and utilize offline networking to meet others.

The North Fulton Chamber of Commerce has been my best source to find connections.  LinkedIn in return has helped me build deeper relationships in the chamber.

Offline and Online networking are a great compliment to each other.  It doesn’t matter if you are a LION, a Turtle, or a Hound Dog, if you want to be exposed to more opportunities you need to expand your network.

Expand connections…contract wasteline.  Well, batting 500 in baseball would make me a superstar.

How about you?  What has been your best source for finding new connections?

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Wednesday Comic 08: LinkedIn Answers

April 29, 2009 By Sean Nelson Leave a Comment

08 linkedin answers Wednesday Comic 08: LinkedIn Answers

If you have small children you really will get this comic.  LinkedIn answers is a great place to share and gain knowledge.  It’s also the primary place that you can interact with the entire LinkedIn network.  You can communicate with your direct connections and with fellow group members, but most of the 38+ million users are not within your reach.  Answers provides the ability to demonstrate knowledge and experience, part of the credibility building process.

How do you use Answers to enhance your networking and grow your business or online brand?

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Wednesday LinkedOut Comic 07: Update Your Profile

April 22, 2009 By Sean Nelson 1 Comment

07 linkedin profile updates Wednesday LinkedOut Comic 07: Update Your Profile

When you created your account on LinkedIn one of the first things you probably did was to create a profile.  Creating a profile is one of the more time intensive tasks you will do on LinkedIn.  It’s a process that should never end.  As your experience, knowledge and career progresses you should continuously update it.

When you switch jobs or change careers it should be one of the first things that you update.  Too often I come across profiles that are out dated.  Is your profile up to date?

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Wednesday Comic 06: Duplicate LinkedIn Accounts

April 15, 2009 By Sean Nelson Leave a Comment

06 linkedin duplicate Wednesday Comic 06: Duplicate LinkedIn Accounts

Ever feel like you’ve connected to someone previously?  Deja Vu?  No, they probably just have two LinkedIn accounts.  If you are one of the duplicate accounts folks you’ll have to contact LinkedIn to have one of the accounts removed.  Click on the Help button at the top of the LinkedIn page and under the FAQ’s you’ll find the steps to follow.  Make sure that before you cancel an account that you copy the names and emails for your connections on the account you will be closing.  You will need to re-connect with these people under the remaining account.

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Wednesday Comic 05: LinkedIn User Guide

April 8, 2009 By Sean Nelson Leave a Comment

05 linkedin user guide Wednesday Comic 05: LinkedIn User Guide

I am notorious for not reading user guides and just jumping in to learn things by Trial and Error.  With all of the LinkedIn resources avaialble what are you doing?  Have you purchased any good resources?  Found any good Free resources?

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Wednesday Comic: LinkedOut 4

April 1, 2009 By Sean Nelson Leave a Comment

04 linkedin menu Wednesday Comic: LinkedOut 4

Every now and then I find I need to take a break from LinkedIn.  How about you, do you ever just need to get away from it so that you can find a fresh perspective?

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