Business / Social Networking - A Spider Thread connection an Archipelago of Talented Individuals

Using LinkedIn.com for Business and Social Networking - To Risk or Not to Risk, that is the Question.

There are a couple of factors which determine the right strategy for you when using a tool as powerful as LinkedIn. If you get an invitation from a stranger who has yet to become a friend, “shake hands” and ask what help they seek. Then you can decide whether to take this “blind date” forward.

I see myself as the spider thread connecting an archipelago of talented individualists. Some parts of this grapevine are very active. Others are too busy with the day to day stuff that they don’t visit often.

I view it as only a factor of time before one of them finds a friend they have yet to meet through me.

I encourage you to think about the picture you have of LinkedIn and networking in general. Can you compare it to an animal, bird, or insect grouping? If so, what does that mean?

Take an opportunity to paint a picture of possibilities instead of limiting in anticipation as to what you’ll want to do. Try putting yourself "out there" and see what happens... By all means, protect yourself responsibly, just consider how to let your talent get found.

Isn't it great that a tool like LinkedIn can be used in so many different ways by so many people? Gone are the straight-jackets of formalised database usage! Hooray!

For me, I love connecting islands of technologists and other professionals - many of who don't know each other because they are too busy at the coal face or inventing new things. Sure, some of them know some of their suppliers and, yes, they compete for the same clients.

And yet.... And yet some don't know whom amongst a competitor (or even in a different industry) might be able to help them produce a new product/service which would enhance both their bottom lines. The ability to “stumble upon” or initiate a relationship from a chance encounter (even if it is by design) to something more will be a direct result of your ability to take a risk, to give someone you don’t know the opportunity to get to know you.

The ability to facilitate an introduction is a function of how wide your reach is, how compelling your approach is and how willing to “pay it forward” your “thread” is to leaping from A to D (from them to you to your contact to the target).

With 40 million individuals connecting like little spider thread to make one gigantic web, trying to connect to everyone is probably beyond the realms of possibility for most people.

Make a better goal - perhaps to get to know someone with your same job function, perhaps someone you might meet at a trade show. Perhaps you can find someone with whom to bounce ideas, perhaps something more.

When viewing each Individual an Entrepreneur in charge of their own destiny, I wonder whether you see the “whole” person. Connecting with a person is an excellent opportunity to extend your own thinking, to open up the realms of possibilities.

You may wonder how wide to extend your reach - just don’t limit the realms of possibilities - new sales leads, possible partnerships, and of course contact points for investment ideas. There are very few limits put in place, however that doesn't mean you aren't "protected", reporting a transgressor flags to the authorities that something isn't right, so if you swim like a pod of dolphins attacking a shark, they will have to find another feeding ground or promise to change their behaviour.

Now, this does not mean connecting with any an all. It's simple really - it means to be open to the possibility of a chance “meeting” which may lead to something more.

Unlike cold calling, if you say “no” to them once, they can’t ask you again. So, I recommend if you get an invitation from a stranger who has yet to become a friend, “shake hands” first and ask what help they seek. Just archive it if you're not ready to "share" - it's a bit like saying no thank you to someone who asks if you'd like a cup of tea.

Whilst Answers and Groups are great forums to extend one‘s thoughts, I believe connecting and building relationships one at a time is an activity best practiced daily - or at least once a month. So make an effort to try something new. Who knows where it might lead?