Turbocharge Your Networking with LinkedIn
Do you ever grow weary of the trivial chit-chat at networking meetings? I certainly do. So much of what passes for networking is speed-dating gone bad. Walking through crowded rooms, chatting awkwardly, starting conversations with the same lame questions as everyone else and hoping to stumble upon a gem instead of a jerk.Don't get me wrong, I love meeting new people and always value making meaningful connections and engaging in stimulating conversations. Always! It simply doesn't happen often enough in networking meetings. But it can.What if I said you already have the power to radically transform your networking? Would you believe me? Actually, you usually carry it in your pocket or purse. Okay, a few of you still carry it on your hips -- not that there is anything wrong with that!A series of events from this week served as vivid reminders of exactly how powerful of a networking tool LinkedIn is (or can be.)
It started with a lunch meeting on Thursday with Mark Borst, Customer Experience Director for DeKalb Office. Mark is one of the brightest, most creative CX guys out there. If you are in the CX world, you really ought to connect with Mark.During lunch, he reminded me of the CX Knowledge Exchange later that day. I went and enjoyed the fascinating conversations on the interplay of Customer Experience and Employee Engagement.At one point in the evening, someone asked me, “How did you find out about tonight’s meeting?” As I began answering their question, I had a flashback that reminded me of the power of LinkedIn.
Connecting the Dots
In April 2015, I was attending the CXPA Local Atlanta Networking Event at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta. Another friend, Mike Wittenstein was presenting. And another friend, Carlos Quintero, had invited me to attend. Mike unveiled a fascinating program using professional actors from the Alliance Theater acting out Customer Experience simulations. Later, we ended up at smaller tables for networking and facilitated discussions over lunch.There I sat with four ‘strangers’ and was looking for ways to break the ice and engage in meaning conversations rather than the standard chit-chat. While I don't remember the exact inspiration for my actions, I vividly remember the results.I whipped out my iPhone, opened the LinkedIn app, and started a round of what I now call LinkedIn Roulette.Here’s how the game is played (I made up the rules).With the LinkedIn app opened, I typed in the name of each person seated at the table (thank God for name tags) seeking to discover some common connection or shared interest. To my amazement, I found multiple connections with each person.Next, I sent each person an invitation to connect (customized, of course) and then looked for openings to interject our shared connection in the conversation.
Hey Tom, I see you know Philip Bray from SafeHouse; what’s your connection with Philip?
That led to us discussing how we had both volunteered at SHO which resulted in our swapping stories and created a bond beyond the topic of CX.On the other side of Tom, sat Mark. When there was another lull in the formal conversation, it was my turn to play LinkedIn Roulette with Mark and see what would happen.It was at that moment when I realized I picked the winning number (connection).
"Hey Mark, how do you know Johnny Myers?"
"Johnny Myers? You know Johnny? We were great friends in Houston. Then we both ended up moving to Atlanta, and my wife worked with Johnny. I can’t believe this! So, how do you know Johnny?"
I shared how Johnny and I had met through SafeHouse (small world, eh? The same organization came up twice in our conversations.) and how we had worked on a couple of projects together.
Deepening the Connection
A few days later, I received a text from Johnny. I replied and shared that I had met a friend of his. That’s when things got real interesting for me. Here’s the actual text exchange:
Then, I sent this screen grab to Mark with a subject line of Johnny says we should connect.We arranged our first one-on-one meeting and were amazed at how quickly and deeply we connected. Johnny was right!Mark and I now meet about once a quarter and always enjoy stimulating conversation and incredibly generous mutual exchange of ideas and information. Yesterday’s lunch was rescheduled twice before we finally pulled it off. As we talked, I shared that my wife was having dinner with some friends and earlier in the day, I had said, “I need to find some meaningful connection time with others while you are at dinner tonight.”Mark immediately responded, “Tonight is the CX Knowledge Exchange, why don’t you join us?”That was the long story of how I ended up at Thursday night’s meeting. People at the table laughed and smile. Meanwhile, I had already started another round of LinkedIn Roulette. I had already sent invitations to connect.Our table host, Jim Bass, was sitting across from me. When I looked at this profile, I noticed a side project he was involved with that fascinated me.As the formal discussions were winding down, I asked Jim,
What can you tell me about The 21st Century Church Project?
He lit up!Had I just picked another winning number on the LinkedIn Roulette wheel?Now it's your turn. Next time you find yourself sitting at a networking meeting or meal tap the power of LinkedIn to turbocharge your networking. Please let me know what you do and how it works in the comments below or by tweeting me @kevin_monroe.