All Entries Tagged With: "networking"

Dialogue in New York- a quick recap

Last week, I went to the city for several new business, client and partner meetings. Now, when I say the “city” I mean New York City. Growing up outside Manhattan for 14 years there really is only ONE city- and it’s New York. As a Bostonian and now suburbanite, when I head into Boston, I head into “town”, but I digress…

Some quick thoughts to share:

• Don’t bother bringing your iPhone. Seriously, it’s dead weight in your pocket, the AT&T network is simply too overloaded
• Be sure to visit the new “underground” Apple Store on Fifth Avenue- across from the old Plaza
• To save a few dollars, and to get some much needed exercise, I walked most of my way through Manhattan. Grand Central to 90th and 2nd. 90th and 2nd to 86 and Lex (through park), Wall Street to 16th and 6th. Best decision I made.  You simply can’t spend time in taxicabs or the subway when you’re in the city, you “feel’ the city by walking through each neighborhood.
• The site of the Twin Towers is still very much an empty space. Hard to believe it happened 9 years ago.
• Can’t wait to bring the family there next week, next month, or very very soon!
• Interesting fact of the day: I traveled to NY from the Greenwich train station. More people go IN to Greenwich to work, then go OUT of Greenwich to head to the big Apple- who knew?
• If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, seriously consider switching over to Apple.  While your iPhone doesn’t work, you can still do lots at the Apple Store (there are five of them in Manhattan) While at one of their stores, I was able to get an hour of training on some new company software, recharge my latpop, warm up (it was 29 degrees out) and enjoy the company of some genuinely nice, friendly people. It’s practically like having a remote office in every city.

Linkedin Basics- YOU are the key link

A friend of mine proposed a few questions to me earlier this morning. Do you connect with everyone on Linkedin? Would you connect with neighbor who has 6 connections and works in an industry unrelated to yours? Is it the quality or the quantity of your connections on Linkedin that make it valuable?

I connect with people on Linkedin if:

• I have worked with them professionally
• I know them  personally
• They come recommended through a friend or business colleague

So, yes, I’ve turned down invitations to connect with people (I don’t know them).   I’ve also connected with people I haven’t met.  (I don’t know them, but I have some sort of reference point for them)

Should you  connect with people who were fired from a job, laid off or between opportunities?  Of course. Should you connect with people you wouldn’t recommend professionally, but know personally? Yes.

The value of your Linkedin network is there for you and your network, and not for someone to look at, rate, and overanalyze.  Six of my connections (and I am sure some of yours) list their title/occupation as “full-time mom”. There’s nothing wrong with that.  If my network helps a full-time mom get back in the workforce, great. If a full-time mom’s network helps me and my  business, great.

Your Linkedin network is both an outbound marketing tool for you and your personal brand, but also an inbound marketing tool to help other people find opportunities and shared connections within your network.

How do you use Linkedin?