The document outlines ten do's and don'ts for effectively using LinkedIn, focusing on building connections and providing value rather than just making sales pitches. Key recommendations include personalizing connection invites, asking for referrals, and maintaining active engagement with your network. The goal is to build meaningful relationships while enhancing one's professional presence on the platform.

1. mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity
10 LinkedIn
Do’s and Don’ts

2. Chris Daltorio
Leadership Coach
@ChrisDaltorio
@MyNewVelocity

3. The Company We Keep

4. | 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
A lot of sales professionals struggle
with what’s right and what’s wrong
when it comes to connecting with
prospects on the world’s largest
professional network: LinkedIn.
Your investment into skill
development and best practices will
determine if LinkedIn is a waste of time,
or a high-yield activity.
Here are a handful of do’s and don’ts to
consider when using LinkedIn.
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

5. 10. Do: Connect
Quicker!
There’s an argument that you should not connect with people that you do not
know, but that would be like not going to a networking event because you
don’t know the people attending yet. That’s what the event is for!
Connect with prospects, clients and strategic centers of influencers that
you know in real life. In addition, connect with people that you want to
get to know as well. Keep them informed with market intelligence and
insights that may be relevant to their role within their organization.
Resist the sell and don’t sound like everyone else!
QUICK TIP:
Millennials tend to feel less
worthy about inviting unknown
influencers/prospects into their
network. I challenge all of the
millennials out there to have
the mindset of, “I can add
value to you, you can learn
from me and my company. I’m
a go-giver so we should be
connected.” Your mindset and
attitude are things that you
can control. Change your
mindset, change your world!
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

6. 9. Do: Harvest the Gold!
Be sure you’re always “referral worthy” with your first connections. These are people
that you know, like and trust. They also represent the “untapped treasure” of
referrals awaiting you.
88 percent of your clients (well over 90 percent overall in your network) are willing
to give you a referral. However, only 8 percent are ever even asked. Referrals are
free for your network to give and they’re like gold to you. Why aren’t you focused on
this more?
QUICK TIP:
When asking for referrals,
leading with a specific name
instead of “who do you know”
increases the likelihood of an
introduction by 400 percent!
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

7. 8. Do: Track the
Action!
If you spend an hour on LinkedIn, what should the output be?
The answer will vary depending on your focus, but be sure to have an idea of what
that is.
A lot of the sales professionals we coach shoot for:
• Researching and reaching out to five to ten new targets that fit their ideal
client profile per week.
• Liking, commenting, sharing and posting on 30 posts from their network per
week.
QUICK TIP:
Don’t worry about being
perfect in any step of your
LinkedIn process. Action
clarifies your strategy and
leads to better results than
delaying ever does.
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

8. 7. Do: Write a Short
Note on Every Invite
Resist the temptation to just hit connect. A personal note is a must when inviting
someone to connect. Additionally, we have conducted A/B testing, and third party
experts agree that a short note is best. Shorter than you will want to write. A
personal note is better than no note, and shorter is always better than long!
Here is an example:
“Hi Mike, I noticed we have a lot of mutual connections and are both here in Ohio,
but have not met yet. Hope to change that soon.
PS – Great post you published on the new trends you’re seeing in our space. I gave
my comments on the post already. Thanks for sharing!
QUICK TIP:
When using the LinkedIn app,
you need to hit the more
button instead of the connect
button to add a custom note to
your invite. After you hit the
more button, just click on
“personalize invite”.
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

9. 6. Do: Like, Comment
and Share!
Our belief is that you should connect with anyone that fits your ideal client profile,
regardless if you know them yet or not. Go to work being a go-giver rather than an
annoying solicitor.
When you take the time to genuinely comment on articles from people that you
eventually want to engage with, you’re 10 times more likely to have them excited
about meeting with you if you’ve become someone they’ve had online
interactions with.
To build your network today, play the long game and watch what happens.
Remember, don’t comment just to comment, this is a great time to add value or
pose a question that gets them thinking and maybe gets them to respond back to
you.
QUICK TIP:
No one knows anyone
named someone. This
means that when asking for
referrals in the future, don’t
ask who do you know that
you can refer me to.
Research who they know
(their first connections, your
second connections) that you
want to be introduced to and
ask!
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

10. 5. Don’t: Pitch in Your
LinkedIn Invite QUICK TIP:
Research their profile for
details to include in your
invite to personalize it.
Look at your mutual
connections, where they
went to school, and prior
jobs or projects that they
have listed on their profile.
We mentioned earlier to always personalize your invites and to resist the temptation
to just hit “connect”. Pitching your value in the LinkedIn invite is not personalizing, it is
spamming and something that prospects shake their heads at.
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

11. 4. Don’t: Sell Too
Quickly
In sales you don’t want to get your buyers guard up. To successfully keep their shield
down, don’t forget to connect and add value first. Delight people.
A simple, 4-step process we recommend:
1. Engage with their activity feed
2. Mention this engagement in your LinkedIn invite
3. Once they connect, offer them a tool or resource for free
4. In every engagement always look for ways to humanize the interactions
Give, give, give and then ask.
QUICK TIP:
Make a habit out of
researching interesting
data that your network will
find valuable, and then
sharing it with two or three
specific individuals.
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

12. 3. Don’t: Optimize your
Profile for Recruiters!
Most sales professionals want to leverage LinkedIn to grow their business, but they
craft their profile to the wrong audience (recruiters, hiring managers, etc.).
Imagine one of your ideal prospects is going to view your page later today, what do
you want them to see? Seven years running President’s club winner and
consistently meeting 150 percent of goal?
Your buyers don’t care that you are a quota-crushing monster.
They want to know if you have the experience and subject matter expertise that can
help them solve their biggest pain.
QUICK TIP:
Instead of listing your
sales accomplishments,
list your customer’s
success stories since
deciding to work with you.
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

13. 2. Don’t: Be a Ghost
Town QUICK TIP:
LinkedIn letters of
recommendation are
testimonials for the world to
see. Set a goal of giving one
per week, or whatever
cadence works best for you.
By giving 50 per year, you’ll
be more relevant to your
network and a go-giver to the
people you know, like and
respect. Now, watch what
happens next. We call it the
rule of reciprocity. At least 50
percent of the people you
give a recommendation to will
give one back in return.
You have 47 connections, no recent activity and zero recommendations from clients?
Don’t let your profile look like a ghost town with cobwebs being the only thing
present.
This is not cultivating an atmosphere that is going to get a prospect eager to connect
with you.
Keep your activity feed flowing with interaction and valuable insights that show you
are actively involved.
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

14. 1. Don’t: Forget About
Your Network
QUICK TIP:
Set 10 minutes aside each
week to reach out to a
handful of people in your
network to add value to or
just to say hi to.
Hard work goes into building your LinkedIn network, so don’t let it go stale.
You don’t want to be known as the person who only reaches out when they need
something. It is important to always be putting water in the well.
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

15. Do Don’t
10. Do Connect Quicker
Connect with prospects, clients, strategic centers of
influencers, and people that you want to get to know.
9. Do Harvest the Gold
Ask for referrals from people in your network, over 90
percent of whom are willing to offer one.
6. Do Like, Comment and Share
Be active and add value through sharing helpful
insights and asking thought-provoking questions.
7. Do Write a Short Note on Every Invite
Personalized notes are essential when connecting, and
short notes get more responses than long ones.
8. Do Track the Action
Set goals for weekly LinkedIn action and involvement.
3. Don’t Optimize Profile for Recruiters
Position yourself for your target prospects, not for getting
another job.
5. Don’t Pitch in Your LinkedIn Invite
Personalize, but do not spam or sell.
4. Don’t Sell Too Quickly
Before you sell, you must engage, give, and
humanize your interactions.
2. Don’t Be a Ghost Town
Keep your activity feed flowing with interaction
and valuable insights.
1. Don’t Forget About Your Network
Stay actively involved with your network when you do
not need anything from them.
Cheat Sheet
| 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts from New Velocity
mynewvelocity.com | Spring 2019 | © New Velocity

16. #beatyournumber