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The Get Clients Collection • Issue 2How to get clients with Linkedin • AGet Clientsarticle from Ian Brodie
 
Ian Brodie’s Get Clientsblog is a leading source of articles, advice, hints andtips to help professionalsgrow their business.Whether you’re anindependent consultant, asmall, local law firm, annational architecturepractice or an internationalaccountancy firm, one thingis clear: attracting andwinning new clients is themost difficult part of your business.The Get Clients blogfeatures regular articles,podcasts and the occasionalvideo focused on helpingprofessionals learn how tomarket and sell their services more effectively.There’s a regular monthly newsletter with more in-depth coverage of key business development topics, and subscribersqualify for a free ebook on
HOW TO GET CLIENTS WITHLINKEDIN
Interest in Linkedin from lawyers, accountants and otherprofessionals has taken off recently. And it makes sense. Despite thehype over Twitter and Facebook, Linkedin offers the greatestopportunity for professionals to make connections that lead tobusiness.Never one to skip jumping on a bandwagon, here are my top 10Linkedin tips for professionals:
1.
 
M
 AKE YOUR PROFILE CLIENT FOCUSED
The first thing people do when they join Linkedin is to create aprofile. And since Linkedin has slots for your previous job roles,qualifications, etc. there’s an almost overwhelming temptation tomake your profile look like your CV.Resist that temptation. When you first meet potential clients you don’t rattle off a huge listof companies you’ve worked for and the responsibilities you’ve had – that would bore the pants off them. Most effective introductionsfocus on who you help, and what problems you help them solve orresults you help them achieve. Then if asked more, you say a bitmore about what you do – and give a little “backstory” as to why you are uniquely qualified to help.Linkedin is for making connections – and for the majority of professionals that means clients and business partners, not...
The
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How to Get More Referrals
 
The Get Clients Collection • Issue 2How to get clients with Linkedin • AGet Clientsarticle from Ian Brodie
...continued
recruiters.You need to design your profile tohave the impact you want on thoseconnections. Treat it like yourintroduction at a networking meeting.Despite the ease of just uploading  your CV details, most potentialclients and business partners won’tget value from seeing the details of  your previous roles. Job titles, mainachievements and company namescan help give you credibility (andmake it easier for others to find you) – but don’t include all the details you would on a job application.Don’t take Linkedin’s categorynames too seriously either – usewhatever space you have to give theimpression you want to give. I usethe “Specialities” section, forexample, to include a list of myservices (in client focused terms, of course).
2.
 
G
ET CONNECTING
 – 
BUT
…
Linkedin works on connections. Themost powerful use of Linkedin is tofind new clients and businesspartners through the search functionor directly via your contactsconnections. The more directconnections you have, the moreopportunities you have to connect. Istill see people who’ve made all theeffort to set up their Linkedin profile – but who have so few connectionsthat they don’t get any benefit.The Linkedin toolbar for Outlook provides an easy way of inviting the your Outlook contacts and people you email regularly to connect with you.However, there’s a catch…
3…C
HOOSE YOUR CONNECTIONSTRATEGY CAREFULLY
There are two very differentstrategies to connecting onLinkedin: “Open Networking” and“Trusted Partner Networking”.In business networking generally, the value you get from your network is aproduct of the size of your network,and your ability to “convert”connections into productive business(work, a referral, etc.). You can growthe value of your network by getting more connections, or deepening thestrength of each connection (getting to know people better, helping themout, etc.)On Linkedin, one strategy forgetting value is to be an “OpenNetworker” or LION (LinkedInOpen Networker). OpenNetworkers focus on growing thesize of their network by initiating and accepting connection requestsfrom as many people as possible.Open Networkers typically havemany thousands of connections.This means that when they searchfor useful relationships (potentialclients or business partners), forexample looking for
 
contacts inspecific companies, or geographiesor with specific interests or job titles – they are much more likely to findthem (exponentially more likelybecause of the way Linkedinconnections work).The downside of this strategy is thatwith thousands of connections youdon’t know each one very well, if atall. You’re essentially using Linkedinas a giant Rolodex or telephonedirectory rather than as a way of making deeper connections. That’sneither good nor bad – it just meansthat if you find someone you wantto connect with through one of these “shallow” connections, you’reunlikely to get a strong referral tothem.The other strategy is to have fewerbut deeper connections – a “TrustedPartner” strategy. Here you onlyconnect to people you already knowand trust. Most likely from face-to-face interaction, but possibly fromonline interaction too. With this strategy you have lesschance of finding someone via asearch because you have lessconnections. But if you do findsomeone, it will be through someonewho knows and trusts you – andthey will be able to give a strong referral to you and put you in touchwith the person you’re interested inconnecting with.In my experience, this TrustedPartner strategy works best for mostprofessionals. It mirrors the way wedevelop trusted relationships in thereal world. And it reduces the risk that your trusted connections will bespammed from other connections you barely know.Both strategies can work, but youmust be consistent. If you’refollowing a Trusted Partner strategy, you must only connect to people youreally know & trust and turn...
 
BecomingaTrustedAdvisor
 
The Get Clients Collection • Issue 2How to get clients with Linkedin • AGet Clientsarticle from Ian Brodie
...continued
down connections from people youdon’t (Open Networkers forexample).
4.
 
U
SE
S
EARCH TO FINDPOTENTIAL CLIENTS ANDBUSINESS PARTNERS
Many people get going on Linkedinbut fail to use it to help theirbusiness. One of the most effectiveways to gain business value fromLinkedin is to find potential clients...
and business partners. One of thethings I do in my consulting practice isto help clients get more referrals fortheir business. And one of the keythings I teach them is to be very specificin who they ask to be referred to.Linkedin allows the ultimate inspecificity. You can search for exactlywho you want to be referred to – bycompany, by geography, by name, by job title, etc. And you can search across your entire network at once. Or youcan look at the contact list of anindividual to see if there’s anyone you’dlike to be connected to.Once you’ve identified people you’d liketo be introduced or referred to, ratherthan try to connect them directly, give your mutual connection a call and ask them if they can connect you. That’smuch more polite than going directly,and it’s much more likely to besuccessful.
5.
 
G
IVE TESTIMONIALS TO GET THEM
Testimonials are very helpful to have on your profile. They’re a clear indicationof the quality of your work and therelationships you form.But begging for a testimonial isn’t agreat strategy.If you want to get testimonials, useLinkedin to give them to people you’veworked with and who have done a great job for you. Linkedin will show themthe testimonial to approve, then ask them if they want to reciprocate. Theyprobably will.
6.
 
H
 AVE A HELPFUL HEADLINE
 When people find you in searches onLinkedin, or when you contribute toGroup discussions or in the Linkedin Answers Q&A section; the initial thing they see is a little box with your name,photo, and your “headline”.What mostpeople have in their headline is their job title. “Owner at XYZ Company” or“Principal consultant at ABC Ltd”. Bydefault, unless you change it manually,Linkedin takes the headline from yourlast job title.Unfortunately, this doesn’t give people aclue as to whether you might be able tohelp them, or might be interesting toconnect to.You should treat your headline like yourintroduction when networking. Focuson what you can do to help people.My headline, for example is “Helping Professional Services Firms AttractMore Clients and Win More NewBusiness”. It’s much more useful intelling people what I actually do thanusing an “official” job title likeManaging Director. That will get morepeople to click through to my profileand maybe begin to interact with me.You can edit your Headline via the EditMy Profile option.
7.
 
 J
OIN
L
INKEDIN
G
ROUPS TOCONNECT AND INTERACT
Linkedin groups are essentiallydiscussion forums for specific interestgroups. They allow you to find out thelatest news, and to join in debates ontopics of interest. You should be joining groups both of interest to youprofessionally, and the groups where your potential clients “hang out”.I’m a fairly active poster on the LawMarketing group for example. I try toanswer questions and be helpful. It’s allpart of building my personal brand assomeone who’s knowledgeable andexperienced in the field of professionalservices marketing & businessdevelopment.The same is also true of the LinkedinQ&A section. Post sensible answers orpose sensible questions and over time you’ll develop a reputation for knowing what you’re talking about.
 
BecomingaTrustedAdvisor
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