Why 2 is maybe the best number...

Sorry it's been so long since I posted - but most of you know I spent a ton of time in January and February visiting offices to roll out our 2009 media plan. Now that it is out I thought I would try to get back into the habit of doing my Hearthside Herald posts...hope you still read them as I have some great ideas.

Today I was perusing my LinkedIn account and it made me think about the quesiton I hear most from agents - "ok, I signed up for LinkedIn and I connected with a few people...now what do I do to make it work?" Truth is, I hear that question from people in all sorts of businesses.

The answer depends on the connections you made already. Hopefully by now you have connected with your old clients and some business friends who would use you anyway. Those people are considered your "first-level" contacts. By the way, if your first level contacts are full of CBH agents, perhaps it is time to reconsider your networking strategy (those people already know a good Realtor).

OK, so you look through your first level contacts (minus the Realtors) and see who they are connected with. These people are called your "second-level" contacts. The great thing about LinkedIn is it gives you a geographic reference for each person on the list. Pick one or two "second-level" contacts and ask your "first-level" contact to introduce you. Now keep in mind that the "second-level" contact does not know you so the only reason they are going to accept you as a connection is if it benefits them too. Keep that in mind as you pick your prospects...maybe you want to pick ones in industries that may be beneficial to you down the road (lawyers, health professionals, painters, etc).

One last tip - if you really want this strategy to work, before you reach out to any "second-level" contacts, go to your "first-level" contacts and ask them for a recommendation. That way when the #2 person sees that the #1 person is introducing you, they can also see that the #1 person has recommended you (which is like gold in the LinkedIn world).

Good luck!