Do Some Good, Join A Board Of Directors

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your community is to join a Board Of Directors. When I review LinkedIn profiles, I consistently notice a lack of volunteer experience. Let's review some of the benefits you earn from one.

HELLO! IT'S CALLED NETWORKING!

This may be obvious for some, but when you participate in a Board, you work closely with about 10-20 people that have a deep care and commitment for something that is also very important to you. These relationships will go a long way to helping you find a new job and engage in new business opportunities.

IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD

There is something very cathartic (how's that for a 50 cent word) to doing good and helping others.  I serve on the Board of Directors for Pathfinders for Autism in Hunt Valley MD because my son has autism and I wanted to do something to make a difference. I didn't start as a board member. I first approached them about a fundraiser, then they asked me to volunteer for an event and then they asked me to join a committee. Each opportunity gave me new exposure and experience. I also serve on the Board of Directors for The Carroll Technology Council in Westminster MD. I have been in technology sales since 1999 and the CTC was a good fit to serve the place I call home. I started as a volunteer, then a committee member and then was voted to the board by membership.

IT IS GREAT EXPOSURE

My board membership has allowed me to work with former MLB players, and to stand at the front of Maryland House of Delegates for an awards ceremony. I have met the star of Motorweek and have worked with local radio personalities.

FIND YOUR PASSION AND HELP

It really is this simple. find an organization you want to be a part of. display a willingness to help and eventually the opportunity to join the Board will come. It is hard work, but the reward is worth 1000 times the effort you put in. Also, adding the volunteer section to your LinkedIn profile helps you move up the LinkedIn search rankings. Want more reasons to join a board? Send me a message and we can talk.

Seth Godin, Saturday Night Live & Otaku

I AM A CHILD OF THE 70'S

When I saw this SNL picture posted on Facebook the other day, it brought back so many great memories that I shard it on my wall. And then something very interesting happened. In just over five days, this photo received over 1000 likes and over 100 comments. This is remarkable because, 95% of the people that liked and commented are not friends of mine or "connections." Rather, they know people that know me and the image caught their attention.

THE PURPLE COW

If you are not familiar with the name Seth Godin, he wrote a fantastic book called "The Purple Cow"
Go out and get your copy today. I loved it so much that I bought a copy for my mentor. Why do  I share all of this? Because, effective social media marketing is about  being the Purple Cow. it's about being remarkable. It is about having "Otaku."

WHAT IS OTAKU?

I will let Seth explain that part.

PRETTY COOL HUH?
As a quick summary. Otaku, isn't easy to create. But when you do, you can inspire over 900 total strangers to participate in just under five days.
Let me hear from you! What is your Otaku? What has really worked for you? Let's share ideas and help one another succeed.
Thank you for stopping by today. I truly appreciate your participation.

What Dale Carnegie Taught Me About LinkedIn

I am starting today with an expression of gratitude to my friend Buddy Bresnick. He is the owner of the Dale Carnegie Training franchise covering Maryland, Central Pennsylvania, The District of Columbia and Norther Virginia. Buddy and I met for lunch in April and he encouraged me to take one of The Dale Carnegie courses. I chose one for communications and leadership. It was a fantastic course and if you are interested in taking it as well, you can look it up here.

When you graduate from a Dale Carnegie Class they give you a pocket sized "Golden Book" that highlights many of the ideals in the courses they provide.

Here is a short list of the great insights I learned this week and can quickly apply to LinkedIn.

GIVE HONEST SINCERE APPRECIATION
The #1 value to LinkedIn is connecting with people and delivering value. The idea being that when you give ten times you will get one back. The one you get back always seems to be worth 100 times what you gave. Show those people that help you sincere appreciation. You may simply reciprocate with an introduction. It may be a heartfelt "thank you." It may be a gift that is highly personal that speaks to how well you know the person and what is important to them.

BECOME GENUINELY INTERESTED IN OTHER PEOPLE
This concept goes along very well with the first one. When you genuinely become interested in another person, it greatly facilitates your ability to make introductions for them that provide impact and value. If you know they have a customer in a specific vertical and can make an introduction to another business in that same vertical, DO IT! and watch what happens, for you and the person you helped.

BE A GOOD LISTENER
Isn't it funny how these concepts all seem to flow together. Before you engage a prospective customer "listen" to what they are saying. What questions do they ask or does their company ask on LinkedIn? Have they been featured in the newspaper, or some other media? really listen to what that content is "telling" you. It will give you great keys to connecting.

APPEAL TO NOBLER MOTIVES
If you want to connect with someone and do business them, lead with their goals in mind and what they are trying to accomplish. Instead of saying "hey, I read about your company in "fill in the blank" and wanted to meet with you." Try saying" Hi NAME, I saw the article  about your company. It's sounds like big things are happening for your company. I am curious, what plans do you have in place to deal with..." and then ask 3 or 4 specific to that customer based on the article you read. make sure they are relevant to the solutions you can offer.

IT ALL SEEMS OBVIOUS, RIGHT?
The Dale Carnegie program doesn't share any radical ideas. It simply gives you smart, well accepted ideas and helps you work through the most effective way to use them in every day life. How much more successful will you be this week, just implementing these fours ideas?

Save The Date! 20/20 is Coming July 17th

When you go to www.mikeshelah.com and sign up for your free personalized LinkedIn report, you will be THE first to get the latest info and you will get a special promotion for the first 20/20 on July 17th.

But the promotion is only for subscribers.

See you then!

Mike

Stop Posting & I MEME it!

Forgive me if I am preaching to the already converted, but I believe each one of us knows at least one person that does this. If we each take that one person we know and politely explain the situation to them, we can make the world a better place.

90% of MEME's do NOT belong on LinkedIn
In January 2015, I wrote a popular post about LinkedIn Is NOT Facebook.
It was well received and many people commented & shared it. I think the reason it was so popular is because it resonated with so many of my readers. LinkedIn is a professional networking site. Amongst its many valuable uses are: company & industry research, networking, job research and sales prospecting. You may have other uses (and if so, please mention them in the comments section) but the ONE thing it is NOT for is posting stupids memes or brain teaser's.

Telling me I am a genius if I can tell you what 1+1+1+1+1+1x0= has no value to the purpose of LinkedIn.

By no means, am I telling you that I work (and only work) from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday. that would be a flat out lie. The difference is, when I am looking for humor, I know exactly where to go... Facebook. my friends and family are on there and I have a funny profile picture and I share funny jokes and I make funny comments, because that is what Facebook is for.
Ultimately, I don't care what you choose to post, but I can tell you (and I am not the only one) that when people see you posting frivolous items on LinkedIn (regardless of the time it was posted) they will think of you as "less than professional."

The goal of LinkedIn is to be regarded as a professional and an expert.

Let's hear it! Criticize me, agree with me, tell me your experience and your perspective. But most importantly. show this posting to "that guy" or "that girl" in your network that is guilty of this kind of post and tell them
"Look, we've been friends for a long time, so I am telling you this, as a friend, you are making a fool of yourself."
I truly appreciate everyone of you that supports me and reads my posts, thank you.

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Job Search? Try This!

THE JOB SEARCH IS A PAIN IN THE NECK
Trying to find a job: working with recruiters, contacting hiring managers, responding to job postings. It is painful, it is tedious and it is discouraging. But it doesn't have to be that way. Wouldn't you like to cut through the red tape and actually talk to someone? Wouldn't you like to talk to your new boss first? Let's walk through this.

START WITH A COMPANY SEARCH ON LINKEDIN
You found a job you like. Now, find that company on LinkedIn and follow their company page. Next search the employees of that company to find your new boss. There is an 80% chance they have a profile and they are active.

FIGURE OUT YOUR CONNECTION
Do you have a mutual connection? Ask for an introduction and give a specific reason for the intro. Did you attend the same school? Do you attend the same church? Are you part of the same club? Do you share a LinkedIn group?

MAKE YOUR OFFER
Tell your new boss you would like to meet them for coffee or lunch. You want to share your ideas on the position and what you bring to the table.

NOW IT'S UP TO YOU
Come prepared. Your boss will have questions they want to ask. Tell them you will be glad to answer any question they have, but first you would like to share what you are passionate about and how that translates to your new job.

GOOD LUCK!
I want to hear from you. Share your success stories. Tell everyone something unique you did to get a job. Did my article help? Share that story too.

Thank you for reading, please share with others.

LinkedIn Is NOT Facebook

I will start by saying I am a big fan of both Facebook and LinkedIn. I am a fan of them for many different reasons. Many of my "friends" on Facebook, I have met through work. But it is important to understand some of the etiquette and differences between the two.

BUSINESS VERSUS CONSUMER
LinkedIn, is an essential tool for the business professional. Largely, that relates to the "Business to Business" professional. It is where sales people go to engage potential clients and the general public will us it to find a job. The business community will use it to fill job openings and to gather intelligence about their competition (at least, they should). Facebook, certainly has a business component (what are they worth? A billion dollars or something like that?). But you don't search for recruiters on there. But here is a good point, recruiters will certainly look for you. Specifically, they will look to see what you post, what language you use, and how your present yourself. If you think you can avoid detection by changing your last name or using a false name, you are fooling yourself. For both platforms, don't say or do anything that you are not willing to say in other environments.

PLAYGROUND VERSUS CLASSROOM
Facebook is my playground. I talk about comic books, baseball, swap funny pictures and jokes with friends and family and I share opinions on things that have almost nothing to do with work. LinkedIn is my classroom. That is where work gets done. I find contacts, I create relationships and I prepare for client meetings with extensive research.

RULE ONE: PROFILE PICTURE
On Facebook, it is perfectly fine to have a picture of you with your spouse or your kids or your pet or your car... You get the idea. On LinkedIn, you really should have a professional head shot that is updated about every five years. If you cannot afford one, make sure the photo is you in professional attire and is a clear close up of your face, so that may people can readily recognize you.

RULE TWO: POSTING CONTENT
On Facebook, you can post just about anything you like. But again, it is important to be smart. Topics like religion and politics are always open for heated debate, some inspiring, others not. Be aware of the consequences of your posts. On LinkedIn your posts should be relevant content to your purpose. If you are looking for a job, share content that shows you to be a subject matter expert in your field. If you are looking to engage potential customers, share information relevant to your field that can be of benefit to those clients.

RULE THREE: CONNECTING
On Facebook you can "friend" anyone you like and they choose to accept or not. On LinkedIn, if you attempt to connect with too many people that you don't already know, LinkedIn will shut down your profile.If you don't know someone and want to connect with them, ask a friend to introduce you. If you don't have a friend already connected, start with an email. There are many great websites like www.data.com that can give you access to professional emails to engage with other business professionals and start that next key relationship.

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST PRACTICES?
I wanted to keep it to three points today. What are some best practices you have for using both platforms? Please share your big wins and if you know of horror stories share them (just don't name names, we want to protect the innocent). Let the conversation begin! I look forward to hearing from you all.

Please check out my website www.mikeshelah.com

What My Birthday Taught Me About LinkedIn

May 19th is my birthday. If you have any experience with social media, you know that a flurry of people will write "Happy Birthday" on your timeline or send you a private message. With this passing birthday I gleaned some interesting information that I want to share.
FIRST: I READ A LOT
This may seem a little off topic, but I promise to get to the point shortly. Recently I read a book called "80/20 Sales and Marketing" by Perry Marshall
You should check it out, it is a real winner. The principal is not foreign to most people. In short it means, 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort. If you focus more on the 20% that is successful you can drastically improve your results.
HERE IS WHAT I OBSERVED
As of the writing of this post I have just over 2,400 connections on LinkedIn. Of those connections, 55 personally contacted me and wished me a happy birthday. by comparison, I have 630 "friends" on Facebook and 130 of them wished me a happy birthday.
SO WHAT IS YOUR POINT?
My point is, in another book I am reading  "The Power in a Link" by David Gowel David makes a great point that too many people think of LinkedIn as Social Media, and it really is not. LinkedIn is a powerful business tool. Because people think of LinkedIn as a SM version of their resume, the majority (or 80%) don't engage it until they need something.
HERE MY SUGGESTION
Instead of thinking about LinkedIn as a "Business Social Tool" think of it as a critical component of your business success. Take the time to engage and grow your network on a daily basis. When you make that change in your philosophy you will begin to see how truly powerful and beneficial, LinkedIn can be for your business.
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK
Share this with your network and give me your opinion. What is working for you? What isn't? What are some of the best practices your see from your connections? Share this and let me know how it goes. More Importantly, make a commitment to spend 10 minutes a day on LinkedIn to make your network more beneficial. That Ten minutes will make a huge difference, thank you!

You are welcome to contact me at mike@mikeshelah.com or 443-808-1670. I will answer any and all questions.