Do you truly know your LinkedIn network or are you like many other financial professionals who have just collected LinkedIn connections over the years?
Are you one of those users who just accepts any old connection request from LinkedIn members you don't even know because you didn't want to be seen as "rude"? Do you accept connection requests from fellow financial professionals?
If this sounds like you, ask yourself the following questions:
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If I don't know my LinkedIn connections or I haven't spoken to them in six months or more, will those connections help me grow my practice?
- Will that other financial professional I just connected with help me grow my practice?
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The answer to questions above is a loud and clear "NO." If you have not spoken to a connection in more than six months or you have never spoken to a connection, they won't help you grow your business since you are not top-of-mind or they have no idea what you actually do.
As a financial professional, it is vitally important that you actually know your LinkedIn connections as they could become clients. Those connections could also become Centers of Influence (COIs) for you down the road.
Here's a simple trick to get to "know" your LinkedIn network: Use your ABCs. There are 26 letters in the alphabet and 52 weeks in the year, so you can go through alphabet at least twice. Here's how:
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Step 1: Log into LinkedIn.
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Step 2: Click on "connections."
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Step 3: Filter by "connections only."
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Step 4: Sort by last name.
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Now that your connections are sorted by last name, start with the letter A and ask yourself: "Has it been six months to a year since I last spoke with this connection or have you never spoken to them?"
