LinkedIn: The Ultimate Rolodex of Contacts

The dog days of summer are nearing an end and I can’t wait. I love the fall, winter and spring. Summer, not so much. I don’t like hot weather and I’d rather shiver than sweat.

I’m a huge fan of LinkedIn and have used it religiously since August of 2006.

There are lots of people on LinkedIn who have thousands of connections. Not me. I have around 475. I only add people who I’ve had a quality conversation with or have a personal or business relationship with.

So I don’t generally add connections to my LinkedIn network who I’ve never spoken with. Why?

What if someone in my networks asks me to make an introduction to them and asks me about them and I know nothing about this person? I’d look foolish and that connection is not meaningful at all. Others may disagree and that’s their right.

According to anthropologist Robin Dunbar, he proposed that humans can only comfortably maintain 150 stable relationships. I agree.

In today’s frenzied business world, it’s hard to stay in current contact with everyone.

This past month, 2 separate LinkedIn connections who I worked together doing lead generation with in the past reached out to me. One connection’s company got acquired and he introduced me to his new CEO. The other is working at a current company and is striking out on his own slowly but surely.

I’m humbled and grateful they thought enough of me to reach back out since it had been a few years.

That’s the power of LinkedIn. I am not an expert by any means but there are countless resources out on the Internet on how to leverage LinkedIn to increase your sales and land a new career.

Goodbye summer! Hello fall!

I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000 and wish you a great Labor Day holiday!