Colleen McKenna — February 10, 2020 I listened closely the other day to a presentation on proximity. While it was related to a different topic, I saw the immediate connection to the value of proximity on LinkedIn and social networks.
Proximity is defined as nearness in space, time, or relationship.
We talk about 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level connections on LinkedIn all the time. This refers to our proximity to others on LinkedIn. Proximity is everything.
Everyone gets proximity, right?
Proximity directly relates to how close you are to your customers, prospects, influencers, connectors, and talent.
If you haven’t considered the importance of proximity, consider this:
- If you are known by others, you avail yourself of new opportunities.
- People don’t know you, they don’t even know they may be missing out on something important.
- You and your business fall behind, it’s harder and harder to catch up.
- If others gain and surpass you in recruiting and selling, it will become increasingly more difficult to hire the best talent or do business with the best companies.
Proximity is critical.
When people tell me they aren’t interested in or don’t need to use LinkedIn what they really mean is that they don’t think there is value in building business connections and networks, they aren’t as concerned as they profess to be about recruiting, and they are willing to give up their position as an industry leader.
Proximity reveals your influence.
How To Get More Connections on LinkedIn
There are a number of ways to increase your proximity to the people and opportunities that can create a positive impact for you and your company:
- Know who you are connecting with and connect with purpose.
- Connect with your customers at multiple levels of the organization.
- Be the first to initiate the connection request and personalize your invitation.
- Stay in touch with your Centers of Influence, potential talent, customers and prospects.
- Identify 10 1st degree connections (closest proximity) and send them a message through LinkedIn. Just say hello, ask them how they’re doing, send them an article you think they’ll be interested in, invite them to an event.
- Say or share something they will find valuable; be helpful.
Maximize Your LinkedIn Connections
ACTION: Try one or more of these consistently over the next 30 days and see if you increase your activity and more importantly your responses.
Proximity enables you to create opportunities especially if you have a referral business.
How would you rate yourself on proximity to the people that make a difference in whether you generate the outcomes you need?
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