NBS – Our Messaging Process – GW

So few people understand the potential to connect and build their network using LinkedIn.

Which means that most people simply have a LinkedIn profile but rarely communicate.
So there isn’t much point in putting a large effort into crafting individual connection request messages.

It’s better to find the people who see the value in building their network and build a relationship with them.

To make the most of your time and effort to find people who actively use LinkedIn and may be open to connecting face to face you need to connect with many people. As such it pays to automate some parts of the process.

To filter through the hollow profiles and find others like you, who are using LinkedIn with the intention of getting to know people in person.

However, automation is only a tool to remove the ‘tedium’ of sending out many connections requests.

When you do find people who are open to communicating, it’s important to use the tools as an aid to help you converse (people can tell if you have just sent a robotic response without looking at their profile or the message they have sent you).

The goal is always to build enough trust so that people are comfortable enough to meet you.

Searching for the right people on LinkedIn using Boolean Searches

Ideally, you want to create a great filtered list of relevant people on LinkedIn that you can send connection requests to.
The ideal way of doing this is to first set up a Boolean search to help produce a filtered list.
Following this, you have the ability to automate connection requests using a Chrome extension called Linked Helper.
However, initially, you may start by just sending manual connection requests so that you can become more familiar with the process.

Sending them Connection Requests

Typically you search for people you want to connect with on Linkedin and send them an invitation to connect with you.

It’s best if this invitation is accompanied by a message (rather than you just pressing the ‘Connect’ button in the ‘People you may know’ section of Linkedin).

It takes a bit of time but it is really appreciated by the person you want to connect with to know why you want to connect (and our reason is better than most other people’s because we can help them build a network for whatever legitimate purpose they desire)

This process can be so easily automated using the Chrome Extension: ‘Linked Helper’ – a fantastic automation tool!

We’ll be explaining Linked Helper more in the upcoming sessions.

Sending ‘Thanks for Connecting’ messages

When someone connects with us we send them a ‘thanks for connecting’ message and suggest meeting face to face.

For example: (Use your own wording)

Hi, %First%,

Thanks for connecting!

Viewing your profile, I can see we have aligned values – especially……
Your background in Digital Marketing triggered me to think of a few people I know who may be good contacts for you.

Would you be interested in meeting face to face?

I am currently expanding a group of professionals (from various backgrounds) who are interested in achieving better results by collaborating together.

I am fortunate to have built a large number of Know Like and Trust relationships and I’m always happy to help like-minded people meet other great people.

Cheers

“Highlight This” Chrome Extension

This free Chrome extension highlights words you choose on their profile (like “passionate or “driven”).
This enables you to more quickly identify words on their profile that you can refer to in your messages.
Click here to learn more about the Highlight This extension

Which Date suits you best?

After you have suggested catching up at an event, send a message asking ‘Which Date Suits You Best’

For Example (use own wording)

Great %First%,
I’m looking forward to meeting you.
Looking at your profile, as I mentioned in my previous message, I think the best way I may be able to benefit you is by introducing you to others I know.

I know a few people who may be good contacts for you.

With that in mind, I’m now meeting with like-minded others regularly on a Monday evening – some great things are coming out of it.
Any chance you could make it along on a Monday evening sometime in the next couple of weeks?
We usually meet in Hamilton (Brisbane).

Cheers

This is such valid thinking because:

• They may not be particularly interested in what you do (as displayed on your LinkedIn profile).
  • However, if they understand the value of making the right connections, they should be interested in your offer to introduce them to relevant others.
• It takes the pressure off you as you are simply the conduit for them to meet relevant others.
  • You may know some people in the room who will be relevant contacts for them.
    • However, your coach knows a lot more potentially relevant contacts for them.
    • And their coach knows even more.
    • So, in fact, you are able to introduce them to many relevant others.
• And if they decide to become a contributor through the NBS, mere introducing them to others will transition to advocating for them – especially to people in our extended network (people who are not attending the Hub who are our well-known contacts – that is a vast number)

Confirmation message and Calendar Invite

There may be a few messages going back and forth about when they can attend (this is good as typically you establish rapport & build trust in the process).
Eventually, you will set on a date that suits them and send them a message like the following:

Great %First%,
We meet in the upstairs Function Room at the Hamilton Hotel (442 Kingsford Smith Drive Hamilton) at 7.15 pm.
Dress code Smart Casual.
Entrance $10.

I look forward to meeting you on the 9th and introducing you to the others I have in mind – I’ll let you know when I have confirmed with them.

I’ll also send you a calendar invite in a moment to remind us both.
In the meantime, it would be great if you could take a quick look at the following website which explains why and how we collaborate differently:

www.connectcollaborative.net

Cheers

Notes:

• These days most people work from an electronic calendar.
• And it is essential to get a time booked into their calendar.
• You can do this by sending a calendar invite.
• In an upcoming session, we will explain how to send a calendar invite and most importantly cover some tips you use when sending a calendar invite.

Great news – I have managed to line up a couple of people I have set up for you to meet

Hi %First%,

I have spoken with 2 of the people I have in mind to introduce you to on Monday night.
George and Alice are both great and are in fields related to digital marketing.
They are both looking forward to meeting you.
Look forward to seeing you on Monday.

On the day of the Hub

Hi %First%,

Looking forward to meeting you tonight.
Just thought I’d let you know the entrance to the upstairs function room is on the Kingsford Smith Drive side and there is plenty of free parking all around the building.
Quite a few people usually arrive around 7.15 pm so make sure to ask the person a the registration desk to point me out.

Cheers

You may be tempted to think that combining some of the above steps would be far more time efficient for you.

However, experience has shown that these steps work best and enables you more chance to build rapport and find out who is actually more serious about wanting to attend.
Also, the Activity Sheet has been designed to record these steps and that is what you want to Duplicate.

Prokeys

This is invaluable for helping you to compose frequently used messages (such as the above).
Prokeys is much faster and easier Copy Paste!
It is good to use this Chrome extension because you want a standard process to Duplicate in your team.
We’ll be covering Prokeys in depth in the upcoming sessions.

Special Case Messages

Sometimes you will spend some time thinking through a great response to a message someone has sent you.
It’s also good to record some of these messages in Prokeys so that they are there ready for when you need them next time.

For Example:

Sure %first%,
We are networking for the general benefit (I have a background in the IT industry).

We are not promoting or associated with any particular industry or person.
Simply, a number of us were dissatisfied with the results we were getting from typical networking events and we decided we could set up a better model for collaboration.

We put together the following website which explains why and how we collaborate differently:www.connectcollaborative.net
Happy to meet at what I call my ‘Coffee Alternative, introduce you to some of my contacts and allow you to evaluate whether this platform could work as well for you as it is for an increasing number of others.

Cheers