Networking using LinkedIn

Last week for the first time I experienced ‘Business Therapy’ and it came from a group that I recently joined on LinkedIN.

I came late to LinkedIn, enjoying the community atmosphere in places such as BT Tradespace more, I just dipped in and out of LinkedIN. As most of you with an account there would agree, there is a strong recruitment theme running through the site and I had heard that only recruiters got business from it! (which is a load of twaddle if you ask me, anyone can get business if they have a plan).

Ian McAllister from Ajiri gave me some guidelines which were excellent and I carried on dipping in and out of LinkedIn, but changing little bits of my profile and connecting up with people I already knew. I should have applied Ian’s advice, but for some mad reason I didn’t.

Then came LinkedIn groups and I thought hmmm, being a bit of a forum junkie the groups would be a good way to interact with local people. So I set up my own Essex networking group and joined a few others including the East Anglia SME Group expertly chaired by Gordon Ramsey style coach, Gerald Price.

It was Gerald’s group that held the meeting that I went too. Here’s the interesting part – it was held in a pub. The pub managers cleared a huge space and set up a board room style area for all the attendees to sit around. Everyone got a drink and people got stuck in.

First up was Stuart Noton who has a marketing business called Business Vitamins with his wife and partner Selena. Stuart spoke about his business and his clientele and before he knew it he was under the ’spotlight’ and advice and ideas were flowing his way. For 25 minutes Stuart had the benefit of some good minds with a wide range of views.

Next up was a very calm, focused project manager called Tim Hearne, there was a good discussion about projects that Tim had managed and what sort of projects that he could save companies money on.  Jack Kuperman sprang to my mind as we chatted and I have been meaning to introduce them, they have similar ideas and attitudes and I feel the fact they are 6000 miles apart would make no difference. One for the to do list.

Then we met a very busy architect and planning guru Martin Casey. Martin was fascinating to listen too. He marketing was very different to everyone elses and that generated the ‘Bill Stickers’ stories and how to fly post an empty shop… very handy, but I cannot recall who to attribute the skill too.

Then briefly we spoke to Kevin Clark who is a IT Technical consultant. The majority of Kevin’s work came through networking and referrals which is the stage I would like to be at one day. Soon.

Through out all of this a yellow hard hat was on the table and that belonged to networker supremo James Davey from Hard Hat Business Advice. James had a lead for just about everyone and dispensed some excellent thoughts and advice.

I also spoke and this time I spoke about needing a photographer to do ‘Photos for a fiver’ at the Brantham event and how Business Scene was a multi network event and I persuaded Gerald and the guys to come along and see what it would be like to have more than one woman at a networking event

Then Gerald spoke about his aims and his successes and I was impressed, he had some amazing ideas and his delivery style was very Gordon Ramsey – behind it you could see a sharp, analytical mind.

I left the pub with admiration for the people who I had just met and despite the long drive home, I am looking forward to meeting them again in Bury in a few weeks and then the next day in Brantham.

More groups need to meet up, online is complimented by the offline and the best way to gain more business from LinkedIN is to connect and meet and build the relationships.

Your thoughts? please comment.

Sarah

Related articles

• A big small-town hotdog in East Anglia
• Linkedin 10 Great Tips For Your Business (in progress)
• New LinkedIn service-Whitepapers
• Social Networking World Forum: Shaping the Future of Social Media