Rosie is our 1 year old Wheaten Terrier, and when I watch her operate, I can’t help but see how “most” of her behavior is the perfect illustration for how to successfully use LinkedIn for business!
(I say “most” because I don’t think chewing shoes or licking strangers’ faces will endear you to prospects and new connections on LinkedIn. Then again…)
But seriously, close your eyes and think about your favorite dog. What do you love most about him or her? (And if you’re not a dog person, just play along for a minute!)
Key Traits to Leverage on LinkedIn
Here’s what I love about our dog:
Her Personality. She’s always happy to see you, no matter what the rest of the world thinks or has told you. She’s always ready to engage and brighten your day.
Her Unselfishness. Dogs are always giving – love, affection, interaction, play, intimacy, entertainment. Cats are takers and manipulators. (Sorry cat people, but you know it’s true. Your cat owns you! LOL.) Dogs are givers – they’re always bringing some sort of value or benefit into your day.
Her Ability to Read People. Our dog seems to have this innate ability to understand or “read” people – Why doesn’t this new person like me? Maybe if I jump on her and lick her face I’ll win her over! – and responds in an effort to win their attention and affection.
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Her Willingness to Ask. When the time is right, I’ll get a nudge or a polite whine or even a playful bark. Can we go on a walk? Can I have some of that pizza? Will you play tug-of-war with me? Rosie has a way of asking that isn’t intrusive, annoying or inappropriate – she seems able to read situations and settings and then adjusts her “ask” accordingly.
Her Transparency. Our dog is … well, a dog. She doesn’t try to pretend she’s something she’s not or have a hidden agenda. Consider this video of her shortly after coming in from a wintry morning romping in the freshly fallen, wet and sticky snow:
Think about all the attributes I just outlined above:
- Personality
- Unselfishness
- Reading Others
- Willingness to Ask (when the time is right!)
- Transparency
If you can display all (or even some!) of these traits in how you approach and interact with prospects on LinkedIn, you’re going to have massive success. For instance, the ability to “read” your prospects helps you understand what to engage them about and how to engage them. And the willingness to make an “ask” at the right time makes all the difference when it comes to converting a lead into a customer.
YOUR TURN: What about it? Can you share how some of these traits help YOU when it comes to marketing or doing business on LinkedIn? Or are you just an offended cat lover preparing an angry rebuttal for the comment section? 😉 Either way I’d love to hear what YOU think!
