Hi, everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of relationships rule. I'm continuing my journey on my four part solo series on relationship marketing and navigating your year end connections and beyond. And this is episode three in this series, we're going to talk about navigating your busy networks and, and what I would call the holiday hustle. So welcome. My last episode was a bit on the philosophical side. And I have to admit it wasn't originally planned that way.
However, when I received the blog post from Seth Godin in my inbox that day, it just inspired me to dig a little deeper and, and talk about that. So I do hope that you enjoyed it, and got some inspiration around the power of giving and receiving generosity and gratitude, and gave it some food for thought.
My hope is that you begin to think about acting on your promptings, sending unexpected cards to people in your network, and paying close attention to details on things like your LinkedIn profiles and websites that you can use as starting points to build rapport easily with new connections and prospects. Thinking how you may serve others, rather than focusing on what's in it for me, will take you a long way, and start to build that muscle until it feels so natural, you'll be
operating that way all the time. So now we're gonna take a look at the importance of strategic networking during this busy holiday season. With some practical strategies that can be done easily show gratitude, and set you up with new prospects in the new year. Let's start with LinkedIn networking tips. Number one, take inventory of your existing connections, it's a great time of year to do that. And here's a way that you can do
it. That might yield some new business for you. You can bring up all your first level connections by going to your mind networks page and listing your connections and hone in on a particular type of prospect by using filters, perhaps using Boolean search logic to create your optimal list. And if you aren't familiar with Boolean search logic, then let me know
and I'll send you some information. It allows you to cover more than one option for a name of a title for example, or some other things that you might want to search by, then choose one of your first degree connections. To do this, to do this project with and look at their first degree connections. Using your therefore your second degrees, and using filter searches there as well have them do the same thing with your
first several connections. Review the names with each other with the goal of making a few warm introductions for each other. Maybe choose five or 10. To get started with. And that's probably all you could ask somebody to do an introduction for at one given time anyway, then let the magic begin, send a threeway message introducing the person to your connection. And you can ask me for a sample intro message if you like. This strategy is a great proactive way to initiate and nurture new
connections for the new year. When you take inventory, you can also identify those prospects, past clients and referral partners that you may have ignored this past year, and perhaps send them a mobile video message reconnecting and wishing them well for the new year. Notice I said mobile video message because in order to send a video message, you do have to do it from your mobile device. And it just wanted to remind you of that it will show up on people's desktops and laptops as
well when it's recorded. But to record it, you must do it on your mobile device. When scrolling your newsfeed, Don't be the person who just likes your connections posts. add value to the conversation by taking the time to comment. So you'll be noticed and seen for your expertise and leadership as well. Number two, show gratitude to your LinkedIn network. You can endorse your first degree connections for their skills, although I only recommend this if you have experienced those
skills from that person recently and personally. So it is indeed a sincere endorsement. You can share or repost someone's post they will always appreciate that it gives them their their comment there content, a new audience when it lands on your profile or your newsfeed. So that's always appreciated. And also you could give some recommendations to some Have your most recent connections that you've worked with, for example, or people that you know their character and so forth.
That's always a win win. When you recommend people without being asked, it's amazing what happens, the law of reciprocity always comes into play. And it might not be reciprocated by that very same person. But it will happen, trust me, it's just the law. Another fun thing you can do to recognize a person or group is to give kudos. This is a feature that's not used very often, but it can be very effective. And actually more so
when it isn't overused by you as well. To find how you can give kudos to somebody, you would go to their profile, and just below their headline and so on, you will see a more button and one of the options there is to give kudos. It says that in LinkedIn that you can use this feature three times a week, but I actually think that's too much to be. To be honest, I think you want to send it to your connections once in a while just to make it stand out and make them stand out. Number three is
seeding new connections. I love New beginnings to you. While it's time to direct your attention to the New Year and being proactive to initiate and nurture new connections as the year begins. LinkedIn can be leveraged for the new year by doing strategic searches. As you decide what your goals are for relationship marketing in the new year, you can begin to search specifically for new connections that will help you move towards those goals. Do you want to venture into new
geographic locations? Do you want to focus on working with a specific industry, financial industry health and wellness manufacturing specific types of entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, authors speakers, begin to create specific targeted searches to find your target market or your ideal market, and start to build a list on a spreadsheet perhaps, of people to reach out and connect with. Remember to keep your connection request note brief. Then when someone accepts
that's when the work begins to build the relationship. How many new connections can you manage each week? How will you keep the new connections moving forward. This is a great time of year to plan your approach your target audiences and your tracking methods for leverage leveraging LinkedIn to plant seeds for fruitful relationships going forward. This is also a great time of year to spruce up your LinkedIn profile for the new year. So you will start the new year making a strong first
impression. This is the backbone of your presence on LinkedIn. So remember, if you're busy putting up a lot of content on LinkedIn, and you don't have your best foot forward with a fully optimized magnetic profile, showing you in your best best best light, then it may all be for naught. So now I want to turn my thoughts to thoughtful gifting. Yes, this is the time for gift giving. And gifts can be so many different things.
They can be unique time effective ideas that leave a lasting impression on your clients and colleagues. Sometimes it's good to shake it up and not do the same thing as you have done year after year. It disrupts things doing something new and it gets people talking. It makes them pay attention. For example, I've already received two calendars this year. Some print print calendars from two realtors that have been sending them to me for years. Do you still use a print
calendar? I don't know. I just think it's time for a change sometimes. There's a motto or credo from Send Out Cards, the company that I'm partnered with that I love to share and that I follow. Give to give send out to give. Create joy everywhere you go. Be kind to those you come across today and all day. Every day. Choose kindness, kind words kind of actions kind thoughts. Every time you send a card or gift you are choosing kindness and kindness matters. sending letters of appreciation,
recognition and joy. It matters. Every single card and gift you send creates a ripple effect of kindness that reverberates over and over again. As long as the kindness keeps going. That keeps happening. Be the start of a kindness ripple in the lives of your friends and family by sending them what I like to call a hug. With the folded it. There is a lot to think about an axon in this episode, and my hope is that you begin to integrate something from each of
the ideas I've shared with you. Examine your existing connections and shake the tree a little with those you haven't spoken to for a long time, rekindle those relationships, show gratitude to your connections, LinkedIn and out and elsewhere. Even disrupt your usual urine process, send a different message, send a Happy New Year card instead of a Christmas card. Sometimes a small act like that will get
noticed and trigger a new and different response. Seed new connections for next year, make this app activity part of your daily and weekly operating procedure. Now I just like to share a little quote with you that comes from an ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu the founder of Taoism. He said kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness kindness in giving creates love. I like
that. So I will see you next week with the last episode in this series in which we will take a look at sustaining those relationship marketing habits, and how to look at how to be consistent all year long. So thanks for listening, and if something inspired you or if you have any questions about this episode, please feel free to reach out. And in the meantime, stay connected and be remembered