Linkedin is easily one of the most overlooked of the social networking sites until now by businesses. This social networking platform isn’t about accruing lots of friends or fans or ‘likes’ anymore. It’s about demonstrating your level of expertise in the field that you specialise in and getting in front of prospective clients. This report looks at The Biggest Social Media Trap of All and How You Can Avoid it and Develop collaborative relations.

1. THE 9 BIGGEST
MISTAKES
BUSINESSES MAKE
WITH LINKEDIN
Our Exclusive Report
How to use Linkedin even when
you hate selling!

2. 2
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

3. Avoiding the Traps
The Biggest Social Media Trap
of All and How You Can Avoid it
and Develop
collaborative relations
Boost Your Connections with the
Largest Business Social Media Site in the world
3
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

4. Introduction
Linkedin is easily one of the most overlooked of
the social networking sites until now by
businesses.
If you get it right it could be one of the most cost
effective networking tools within your organisation
So many businesses make crucial marketing mistakes
when using Linkedin.
This social networking platform isn’t about accruing
lots of friends or fans or ‘likes’ anymore
It’s about demonstrating your level of expertise in
the field that you specialise in and getting in front
of prospective clients.
4
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

5. Introduction
LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the
world, designed to let you connect with other
business professionals and build a network of these
people.
This gives you the ideal platform to establish
yourself as an expert in your field.
You can use it to find strong Joint Venture (JV)
partners and even use it to gain even more
knowledge about your niche.
But there’s a lot more to networking on LinkedIn the
right way than just creating a profile and hoping for the
best. Don’t be one of these people.
Here are some of the more glaringly obvious mistakes so
many businesses make when using LinkedIn.
5
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

6. Mistake 1.
Unfocused
Profile

7. Un Focused or Bland Profile
Are you aware of the 3 minute elevation pitch?
Well you’ve created your LinkedIn account,
the first thing you’re asked to do is to
create your profile. This should only take
you a few minutes, as LinkedIn has made it
very easy to just fill in the blank spaces.
Unfortunately, if you fill in all the blanks,
your profile will end up looking
suspiciously like a CV.
The vast majority of people go ahead and
fill these blank spaces.
7
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

8. What clients want to see
What they don’t realise is that potential clients don’t need to see the entire
list of companies you’ve worked for in the past. They don’t want to scroll
through endless job descriptions you’ve had as you worked your way up to
where you are now.
Instead, consider focusing your profile to suit what a prospective client
wants to see. Focus on what specific problems you’re able to help solve.
Of course, if some of your previous job roles do contain these elements, it is a
good idea to refer to those job descriptions as actual benefits.
8
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

9. Mistake 2.
Un-optimised
and Bland
Profile

10. Un-optimised and Bland Profile
After reading mistake 1, you could be mistaken for thinking your entire
profile needs to focus solely on attracting new customers or attracting
new business networks. There’s nothing wrong with this, but you still
need to be sure you take advantage of the various applications and
features LinkedIn offers you.
The words you use to describe what you can do for customers and what
you can offer future JV partners are important, but you also need to
remember that LinkedIn gives you the ability to optimise your profile.
A well-optimised profile should contain keywords that future customers
will search for in order to find people within your industry or niche.
10
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE
A Tip
Head over to the first
page of people search
on your LinkedIn
account and type in your
own keywords. You
should see a list of
results for people who
match those keywords,
terms or phrases

11. Un-optimised and Bland Profile
A Tip
Just like with Google, you want your LinkedIn search
results to show on the front page wherever possible.
Look closely at how those highly-ranked people have
achieved this and then tweak your own profile
accordingly.
Remember, you still have to strike a balance between
focusing on your target audience and appealing to those
search results, so take your time.
11
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE
be honest about your
experience with your
products or services and
they’re visitors are likely
to leave you a glowing
recommendation that
others will view
positively

12. When someone reads your
summary, they want to know
“what's in it for me”
Oh! and you really should
consider presenting a
photo on your profile
12
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

13. Mistake 3.
NOT USING
LINKEDIN NEW
FEATURES

14. NOT USING LINKEDIN NEW
FEATURES
LinkedIn constantly adds new features and applications designed to
make navigating around the massive social networking site easier for
users. Many of these also make it easier for people to connect with
you in return.
If you hope to succeed on LinkedIn, you will need to familiarise
yourself with these applications and use them to your advantage.
These include:
The ‘publications’ feature lets you include links to your articles, sales
pages or individual web pages right on your profile. You can include
anchor text in these links to help your optimization efforts.
Third-party recommendations about your business, products or services.
14
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

15. NOT USING LINKEDIN NEW
FEATURES
Add Certifications to show prospects your areas of expertise, training
and ability.
The InMaps feature to show you precisely how your network of
connections actually come together
The Signals feature is like a timeline that shows your connections’ latest
updates.
Link your Twitter account so that tweets get posted to your LinkedIn
updates.
15
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

16. NOT USING LINKEDIN NEW
FEATURES
SlideShare lets you share visual presentations and videos with people
viewing your profile.
The Creative Portfolio Display application lets you show off your
portfolio of work right on your profile.
LinkedIn Groups allows you to join or begin your own group that is
focused on your own industry or niche.
Not using the endorsement features
There are so many applications and features available that you should
work out the best way to try and use them wherever possible. This will
help to make your profile engaging.
16
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

17. Mistake 4.
Not asking for
Recommendations
or giving
endorsements

18. Not asking for Recommendations
or giving endorsements
Many LinkedIn users have garnered recommendations from
other people who have used their services or products in the
past. These recommendations act as real testimonials, which
show visitors to your profile that other real people are happy
when working with you.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many LinkedIn users who will
automatically rush to your profile to leave a recommendation
just to surprise you. You will need to ask for a recommendation
from the people within your network.
18
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE
A Tip
Try out the new
ENDORSEMENT
SYSTEM
IT GETS YOU INFRONT
OF YOUR
CONNECTIONS
CONNECTIONS

19. Mistake 5.
Assuming People
will just come to
you

20. Assuming People will just come to you
Be Proactive
You need to be proactive about engaging with other people.
Remember to update status messages regularly and take the time to comment on
other people’s updates or messages.
Create new content and distribute this for others to see.
This keeps your name fresh in people’s minds, but also helps
to circulate fresh content for you.
Make use of introductions. If one of your connections knows
someone that you want to know, engage in an introduction.
A free LinkedIn account only allows you five introductions
per profile, so use them wisely
20
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

21. Give people you want to connect
with a good reason
Tell them what benefits you offer if
they accept
21
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE
A Tip
Head over to the
Q&A boards and see
if there are any
questions you can
answer that will help
to prove your
expertise within
your niche.

22. Mistake 6.
NOT JOINING THE
RIGHT GROUP

23. NOT JOINING THE RIGHT GROUP
Look at groups that focus on your industry and also provide you
with up-to-date information from other experts so that you can
continue to expand your area of expertise.
You’ll also be associating yourself with other people who are
considered authorities in their fields, but not necessarily
competitors.
Look for groups your prospects belong to and
join those. Be a helpful member of the group
and remember to participate in conversations,
answer questions and respond to comments.
23
2/27/2014
"
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

24. Mistake 7.
Not creating your
own Linkedin Group

25. Not creating your own
Linkedin Group
Creating your own group is one of the easiest ways to attract the
right people to you. Having your own group means you can create
your own community of followers who you know already want to
hear what you have to say. The messages you send out or the
announcements you make or the content you post will be actually
heard.
Think of your own group as being your very own platform that lets
you provide helpful, thoughtful, insightful advice. It lets you build
trust with your followers.
25
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE
As the technologies
of the 21st century
evolve and mature,
we become the
beneficiaries of
exciting approaches
for real time
networking
experiences.

26. Don’t just create your group and sit back
believing people will automatically come to
you. Think about ways to provide a benefit for
what the people in your target audience really
want.
Offer something that represents real value to
entice them to join and then constantly overdeliver plenty of benefits for enticing them to
stay
26
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

27. Mistake 8.
Not capturing
contact information

28. Not capturing
contact information
People join groups, follow people, or show an interest
in all sorts of things all the time. However, you’re only
allowed to follow up to 50 groups at a time on
LinkedIn. If your followers decide they’d rather follow a
different group than yours, they’ll drop yours in favor
of another.
Don’t make the mistake of losing that potential
contact forever. Instead, consider adding some ways
to capture their regular email address for future
contact.
28
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

29. Mistake 9.
Thinking you don’t
need Linkedin

30. Thinking you don’t need Linkedin
30
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

31. 8 reasons why 225
million are networking
1
225 Million people
can’t be wrong
Here are
8
reasons
31
2/27/2014
5
You can research
for your next job,
business start-up
or project
2
3
You can promote
yourself as a
professional
You have the ability
to connect with
hiring managers
6
7
Establish new
contacts from
related industries
or new industries.
Create the
opportunity to
introduce a product
line to different
groups
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE
4
You have an
opportunity to
connect with top
influencers
8
Create new
business
development
opportunities

32. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR
1 DAY COURSE
Click to visit
Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster
Enterprising Womens Club
FOR OUR SPECIAL OFFER
EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU
OR CALL 0203 551 2621
32
2/27/2014
AVPTGLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES FOR RAINMAKERS – HOW TO USE LINKEDIN EVEN WHEN YOU HATE SELLING BY DIANE SHAWE

33. About the
author
M.Ed, mIoD, IEBE, IEEE, MVTF
Founder & CEO of AVPT
@expresscourses
@expressonlinecourses
Diane Shawe
AVPTGLOBAL is a Globally Accredited Academy provider of over 390 Soft Skills courses using a
cutting edge online Learning Management system to supply fluid transferable and live
curriculum supported by qualified Virtual Tutor Facilitators both in the virtual and traditional
learning environment.
Our courses are designed to allow students to study whilst on the move attaining evidence and proof
that full competence has been reached through our online “Educational Passport”

34. About Kensington,
Chelsea and Westminster
Enterprising Women’s Club
Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Business Club
E
nterprising Women are proud to announce that we are launching a new business club in Kensington,
Chelsea Westminster in March 2014. If you have a business in the area, please register to find out the latest
information about joining us at this exciting event.
Host, Diane Shawe, kindly welcomes all women to come along and be a part of something unique!
"We are living in exciting times with lots of changes and opportunity. Applying crucial relationship building tactics
and maintaining those relations is a skill. To gain consistency in business failure to persist and be responsive
does not help to manage expectations, so I hope that this group will be more than support and entertainment. I
will strive to make sure that our club is effective, constructive and dynamic."

35. Click to Join
Our Mission
Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Business Club is about you. We will draw on the expertise of
existing clubs around the country, but look forward to evolving the Club to meet the needs of its
members, whether you have decades or months of experience and whatever sector your business
is in. Women make an important contribution to business in the region and to the region’s economic
future and having a community in which this can be celebrated and nurtured will further strengthen
this contribution.
Diane Shawe

36. Thank you
M.Ed, mIoD, IEBE, IEEE, MVTF
Available from
March 2014 in
amazon
£6.99
Founder & CEO of AVPT
@expresscourses
@expressonlinecourses
Diane Shawe
Paperback include
full negotiations
course £16.99