Maximize Your LinkedIn Presence by Saying Thank You!

Lisa's LinkedIn Tip> Send a THANK YOU MESSAGE.

Most people say thank you to those that do something nice for them. But many of us forget to say it on LinkedIn.

Take the time to send a personal message through LinkedIn when someone:
1. Connects to you
2. Likes your update, comment or discussion
3. Comments on something you've said or started
4. Endorses you

Find them under Notifications (click on the flag at the top of the page). It's all right there for you to easily see who to thank.

BENEFIT: You're now top-of-mind, don't forget to include key information about yourself and/or your company at the end of your message. Not a sales pitch, just information. 

Here's Mine...

Sincerely,

Lisa

Lisa Scott

Partner, EdOutWest.com

30 years of creative strategies in pixels and print
Your full service marketing company

Lisa@EdOutWest.com : 303-847-1533

ADDED BONUS: Many times those who receive your thank you message will look at your Profile page, so make sure your profile features your value and uniqueness in a professional way. 

QUICK TIP: Keep different thank you messages on your desktop so you can copy and paste with some minor personalizations. This keeps the thank you's flowing without having to rewrite them every time.

This thoughtfulness will set you apart from the LinkedIn crowd. 

How not to lose a client because of your lack of planning

There are many professionals in this situation, but I will use the hairstylist who works at a salon as my example, because this just happened to my daughter. She called the salon on Friday to schedule an appointment with her favorite stylist, they said she was no longer there and would not share where she went or how to reach her. 

Unfortunately for that stylist she lost a good customer, my daughter didn't have a way to reach her, she didn't even have her last name to do a Google search.

Here's a few ways to solve this problem so YOU too don't loose a client:
1. Create a Facebook page for your services, then invite your clients to like it. This is different from your personal profile, separating business from pleasure, so to speak. The next time they're in your chair, ask them to fire up Facebook on their cell phone and Like your page, offer a discount on their next visit if they do it right then! 

2. Send an email to your clients. Even once every month or two is fine. Keep it short with only one tip or piece of advice. In each one include how they can reach you other than your place of business. Throw in a special offer and/or a referral rewards program to grow your client base. 

Of course you hand out your business card to everyone...let's just hope your client doesn't lose it and that was the only thing they had with your contact info on it.

WE ALL MUST BE PROACTIVE TO KEEP OUR CLIENTS
There are many ways to stay top-of-mind, consider online communication through social media and email marketing as effective ways to get found and to keep your clients coming back.
Of course this doesn't apply to everyone, but I hope it reminds all of us to be proactive in reaching out to our clients, and for them to be able to reach us.

Thanks Steve Jobs!

What a great quote to find today! 

I was speaking to a client today about why their desire to "collaborate on the design process" of their website is not how we work at EdOutWest. As experienced website designers and developers, we know a website has to look great, but design is not only how it looks. User Experience, Mobile Optimization and much more are also part of the design process.

How to upload the image you want in your company page updates.

Now we can customize our image when we post a link!

LinkedIn added another great new feature for company pages. Instead of settling for what pops up when we share a link on our company page, we can now upload the image we want in our company's updates with links.

Here's how:

1. Create your update, paste in your URL, and then wait for the preview

2. Click the icon in the upper right of the preview image

3. Pick your image file (JPG, GIF, or PNG, max: 100MB) and click Open

4. Hit Share once your image has loaded

Done, it's as easy as that!

TIP: While you're on your company page, make sure to add a banner image (see ours above). For some businesses, this 646-pixel by 220-pixel space is simply used to showcase a giant logo, but why waste valuable real estate on your logo when LinkedIn already gives you a space that? So take advantage of the space for some creative and clever marketing!

3 Questions To Ask Your Clients to Build A Rock Solid Relationship.

Asking these questions will enhance your existing relationship and strengthen it for the future. These types of questions shift the conversation to the other person, and will be a much more effective conversation than you just talking about your products and services.
Ask these at your next meeting:

1. What have we done recently that you found valuable?
Finding out how your products or services have helped your clients will make it easier for you to serve all your clients, and how to market to new ones.

2. Can you give me suggestions for improving communication with you and your organization?
Showing your customers you're interested in making their life easier, even with something as simple as how to communicate, means a lot.

3. What are your three top priorities for next year?
This keeps you in the loop so you can plan accordingly to be of assistance. 
TIP: Mark your calendar with notes on the what and when, so you can reach out to your clients and offer help with their future plans as they're ramping up.

REMEMBER, your focus should be on their priorities, not yours. This mindset makes you a valuable asset.