Do you feel as if you don’t have enough time to build and maintain important business relationships? Do you still use a Rolodex to keep track of contacts?
Speaking engagements, serving on boards and joining community organizations have served us well for many years in developing business relationships and building a good reputation.
While these practices are a key component of relationship-building and maintenance, and we must continue to do them, they are also very time-consuming.
Today, there are a number of tools available to help us to maintain and augment our business relationships. Social media sites such as LinkedIn can help you save time and effort to stay “virtually” connected with more people.
If you have been procrastinating about using LinkedIn, this article is for you. If you are a long-term user, I hope you pick up some useful tips.
LinkedIn is the largest and most popular professional social media site available today. It allows users to easily create an online profile, establish connections and boost their professional presence. But, like other things in life, to be successful, it is important to set goals and follow an action plan. Here are some suggestions to help you make an effective and efficient use of this resource.
First, register and create a complete and thoughtful profile. Many people have a LinkedIn account but their profile is incomplete, thus making it not worth the effort to have a profile in the first place.
Once your profile is complete you can start building your network. Your usage will depend on your goals. Are you looking to connect with potential clients? To connect with peers? Integrate into a new job? Find a job? Increase your visibility? Keep track of an industry? Obtain business updates? Ask for a professional recommendation?
LinkedIn is a good place to crowd source. If you have questions about a business, a legal issue, or need a referral, members of the LinkedIn community are often keen to share their knowledge and provide you with valuable suggestions and time-saving information.
You can post a question to a group or use LinkedIn’s “Answers” feature. Of course, you will have to do some of your own research.
LinkedIn also offers the opportunity to increase your visibility and show your expertise by answering questions and posting significant updates. If the response involves an issue of law, you should note that your answer is only “general guidance.” I use my LinkedIn to provide my network with valuable updates and information on articles I have written on immigration and business law. I also use LinkedIn as my virtual and extended Rolodex. My LinkedIn connections typically update their contact information much more timely than I could.
For people integrating into a new job or establishing a new business relationship, LinkedIn is a great resource. You can learn about your fellow colleagues and/or your clients’ interests, education, work history, view their connections and much more, all of which facilitates relationship-building.
Taking charge of your online identity
Having an active and efficient LinkedIn profile takes time. Some tips in taking charge of your LinkedIn identity include:
• Schedule “LinkedIn” time. Designate an hour a week or a few minutes each day to build your LinkedIn presence. Once you have a complete profile, you can work at improving it with the various tools LinkedIn offers.
• Create a personalized “headline.” This is the title/description directly below your name on your profile page. The headline should be meaningful, more than “attorney” or “lawyer.” You should make it more descriptive of your practice or niche area. Remember to keep it short and sweet.
• Customize your LinkedIn and Website URLs. LinkedIn allows you to create a customized LinkedIn URL quickly and easily. You can also add links to your profile page such as links to your website or blog. This feature enhances branding and search engine optimization.
• Request and respond. Invite new connections to join your network and respond to invites from others. Some people may want to connect with as many people as possible, while others prefer to have a smaller and more selective network. It is your choice. I do suggest not letting LinkedIn search your Outlook database for possible connections. It is too intrusive and impersonal.
• Keep ‘in touch’ with your network. Send a brief note to two or three connections each week. You will be surprised by the positive response. There is often a focus on creating more connections, but strengthening relationships is also critical. Think about what value can you offer to your connections. Suggest an article on a topic of interest; provide a recommendation for a colleague.
• Grow your network. Join groups and participate. Start by searching for and joining groups. Sign up to receive group updates (weekly updates might be more time efficient), get a feel for the participants and the topics and then engage in discussions, answer questions or submit links to news of interest.
• Treat your network with respect. Reach out to organizations and people on LinkedIn, but remember that it is your profile and reputation with which people will connect. Treat your network with the same respect with which you would like to be treated.
The JBA on LinkedIn, a benefit to you. Look for The Jacksonville Bar Association (JBA) on LinkedIn. The profile was created to increase The JBA’s online presence, allow members and our community to learn more about the organization, and provide attorney members with an additional opportunity to connect, grow their practices and improve their own online presence. If you are not a member of The JBA on LinkedIn, I hope to see you there soon!
Textese 101
Text messaging or texting has been widely used for more than a decade, and over time, our messages have gotten shorter and shorter because of “textese.”
Textese is a language made up of clever abbreviations aimed at communicating with fewer letters and therefore, faster exchanges of conversation. We have all sent or received texts that contain the ever-popular “lol,” “omg,” or “idk,” and in most instances followed by a cute emoticon.
Should we let textese overlap into your spoken vocabulary or legal writing? I certainly would not recommend it. In addition, I would keep it out of your LinkedIn profile, but it can be very efficient when sending time sensitive informal emails and texts.
Before you try to communicate using textese however, make sure your recipient is fluent as well. So when in doubt, spell it out.
Getting lost in translation? Here is a quick “textese to English” lesson that you can save for future reference.
? – I have a question
2 – to, too
4 – for
8 – ate
abt2 – about 2
adr – address
aml – all my love
bc – because
bf/gf – boyfriend/girlfriend
brb – be right back
btw – by the way
b4 – before
b4n – bye for now
bz - busy
c – see
cm – call me
ct – can’t talk
cx – cancelled
fwd – forward
gm – good morning
gn – good night
gr8 – great
g2g – got to go
ht – hi there
idk – I don’t know
ilu – I love you
ims – I am sorry
lmk – let me know
lol – laughing out loud
mtg – meeting
omg – oh my gosh
pls - please
ttyl – talk to you later
u – you
ur – your, you’re
y – why
I look forward to connecting with many of you in person and on LinkedIn and “btw g2g ttyl.”