Getting Introduced

A reader asks “How do I meet people with LinkedIn?”

While I’m vocal about not “meeting” people with an invitation to connect, the mechanism to meet people through an introduction sometimes gets glossed over.  So I thought it would make a good article…

Step 1 – find someone

Using LinkedIn’s search function (or rather the “advanced search” function), find the profile of someone within your network that you’d like to meet or get in touch with.  (Another way to do this is browse the connections of one of your connections…)

Perhaps it’s a potential business partner, hiring manager, or sales prospect – whatever it is, you’d like to reach them.

Step 2 – notice how you connect

On this individual’s profile, you’ll see who you know that connects you in a section on the right – have a look.

For our purposes, I’d like you to consider a 2nd degree connection.  That means you know someone who knows this individual.

Step 2+ – perhaps you know several people in common

Every once in a while, I realize that I know a dozen people that all know an individual (that I don’t know).  I take this as a sign that maybe I should get to know this person…

When asking for an introduction you’ll need to pick just one of these mutual connections to do the introduction.

Step 3 – get introduced

At the top-right section of the profile of the person you’d like to be introduced to, you’ll find “Send an InMail” as well as “Get Introduced”.

Getting introduced is the right way to reach out, click that button.

You’ll fill out a form and send a note to both the person you’d like to be introduced to, and your mutual connection.  Your contact sees both your note to them and the person you’d like to be introduced to – and gets to screen your introduction request.

Start selling an MLM product and people may cut you off, reach out with solid material and you should see good results.

That’s it

A 3rd level connection has two intermediate contacts and is a little trickier but works in exactly the same manner.

And remember – you don’t have to reach out through LinikedIn – if your mutual contact is always calling you, perhaps you ought to call him or her and ask for this introduction – and maybe you’ll set something up over lunch…  Your options are endless.

To your continued success – and using LinkedIn to help you achieve it,

steve