In the LinkedInnovators Yahoo Group, the perennial debate has re-surfaced about LinkedIn linking behaviors — is it better to connect with as many people as possible? Or only those you already know? Or somewhere in between? In the course of the conversation, Barbara Dobrinsky Holtzman posed the question:

If you already know everyone you need to know to accomplish everything you’d like to in life, why bother to network at all?

Here’s my take on this: I’m not saying you should never meet new people – that would be absurd. But most people haven’t even scratched the surface of the potential that exists in the network they already have.

Continue reading Why Bother to Network If You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know?

Your Reputation: Create a Permalink

via Stuart Bruce via Teresa Valdez Klein via Sherrilynne Starkie

PR blogger Todd Defren is directing people to his LinkedIn profile rather than creating an “About” link on his blog. He sees it as a sort of “digital lifestyle aggregator”:

I see a need for a place to tell my “total” story; a place online that can integrate all the diverse fragments of my work, the sum of which = my professional reputation.

I think LinkedIn is a good spot for that: it allows people to provide their employment history, with endorsements from colleagues about their work across each career milestone. It provides for web and blog links. It gives folks a sense for how “well-connected” you are, i.e., how much time you invest in the important work of relationship-building.
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The LinkedIn profile could be like a permalink for your career.

Continue reading LinkedIn Daily 2006-09-05

A Tool to Help with Reference Selling (via Konstantin)

Sales & Marketing Management takes a look at how LinkedIn can be used to leverage referrals:

Your reps can learn where their targeted prospect worked before and with whom. The rep can then see whether the target connects with anyone in his or her business or personal network. There may be people within your company with connections to the target executive.

LinkedIn shows you those connections. The site eases the rep’s pitching duties and is less intrusive for the prospect. It makes getting in contact much easier from the rep’s point of view and much more acceptable for the prospect.

How Carmen Electra Came Within Six Degrees in Romania

For the first couple of paragraphs, you’ll be wondering what the point is of this highly entertaining story from Dave Mendoza. Once he gets to it, though, it’s pretty meaty (but go read the story if you’ve got time – it’s worth it):

Continue reading LinkedIn Daily 2006-09-01