How To Use LinkedIn To Eavesdrop, And Other Life Changing Strategies

Ok. So if I had a dollar for every time someone said “I only use LinkedIn for business, Facebook for family and friends, blah, blah, and blah…”

So prove it.

What exactly are you doing to use LinkedIn for business?

Come on, tell me. In the comments below. I am curious (seriously) how you are using LinkedIn for business. Because I want to learn how to better leverage the platform myself.

1. Oh sure, you can engage with other LinkedIn users on various LinkedIn groups, connect with people who need the help you can provide, identify people who can help you or your clients, etc.

2. And sure, you can seek to connect with someone you don’t know by asking someone you do know to help make a connection.

[and this only works if your connection actually knows that person, which as time passes, this is becoming less and less likely, because people connect with people they don't really know far too often...thus negating what was once the TRUE POWER of LinkedIn...just so people could say they had a boatload of connections and look all influential and such...]

[and just because you have an account, and you have a few recs, and you've joined six groups, and a total of 117 connections, don't -- DO NOT -- tell me you "use LinkedIn for business...]

So let me share with you a new strategy to employ here. And trust me, it isn’t rocket science. It isn’t hard. And I’ve talked about it before. But it works. How do I know?

Because I sold a piece of business on Tuesday as a result of this strategy…

It requires two things:

1. An understanding of RSS and using an RSS reader.

2. Devoting a few minutes a day to monitoring the output.

Actually, three things:

3. Doing something with your new intelligence gathering capabilities.

So, first, a quick course on RSS. [if you are in business, and you are not using an RSS reader, you are losing out] Read here for a quick tutorial on RSS via Wikipedia. Here is an article that talks about using RSS to help generate sales.

I use Google Reader, which is a great tool, and syncs nicely with all my other Google Apps, and will only get better when it syncs better with Google+. But that’s another conversation.

I use my RSS reader to monitor several hundred blogs, news sites, Google Alerts results for all my clients and prospects, and Twitter Search results for all my clients and prospects and Facebook Fan page postings.

So, again. #3. Lastly, I monitor my LinkedIn connections activity on my RSS reader.

Several times a day, I review the RSS feed of ALL my LinkedIn connections. I see all kinds of stuff. New connections, new projects, new content, and important announcements.

I promise…if you spend JUST a few minutes reviewing this content, you will identify someone you should connect with. And simply reach out to, perhaps invite to coffee.

You never know where those conversations will lead, and they might lead to business…

In my case, an old friend of mine announced on LinkedIn that he had moved to a new job. I reached out an offered congratulations. He said thanks. We agreed to meet for coffee and catch up.

Once at coffee, he learned about what we do here at Dreamland. He expressed interest in doing some work with us. Fast forward a few weeks, we closed the deal.

Yes, all because I happened to catch on LinkedIn, via my RSS feed, that he got a new gig.

Don’t tell me social media doesn’t impact sales. And don’t tell me it takes hours and hours and hours…..