Do YOU Know the Best Hidden Secret of LinkedIn?

Don't YOU just crave the good old days...like 6 months ago...when we could go to a conference or meeting with our name badges on and just meet people? Times were simpler back then...weren't they?

I don't know about YOU but social selling and being visible to our clients was gaining more and more traction before we were all locked down on quarantine. Now with everyone's travel limited and offices slow to reopen, being able to connect with and grow our network has taken on a whole different motion and meaning.

The digital buyer's journey and our ability to be "sensemakers" in the sea of endless information means that it is more important than ever to have:

1. The Right Contacts

2. The Right Content

3. Ability to Put things in the Right Context

I know when I first joined LinkedIn I got caught up trying to consume content and put it in the right context for the information I was seeking or found inspiring.

Where I got stuck was, "how do I find the right contacts and grow my network in a meaningful way?"

Well, after using the site for many years I have discovered some hidden secrets that were in plain sight...it's just that they don't really stand out in our daily use.

By far my favorite LinkedIn functionality enables you to find key contacts in your extended network, get warm introductions or simply follow key decision makers. It's available to everyone without having to sign up for any premium functionality. Let me show you how!

Click in the Search Box on the top Left Corner of the screen and you will see a box pop up below it as follows:

Click on "People" and you will see the following Tool bar appear below:

Click "All Filters" and be prepared to be amazed!

Ok...so maybe the screen shot doesn't amaze you YET but once you start using it you will wonder why no one told you about this before!

Here are a few examples of things to try that will help YOU find key contacts in your network that you couldn't before:

1. There is a new VP in the IT department of your target customer but you are not connected to them. Try using the Current Company filter on the top right. You may want to also filter on Location (i.e United States or specific state) and play around with Title in the Bottom right (i.e VP, VP IT, etc..) and see what results come back

2. You just changed sales roles and got a few new customers assigned to your "book". You are wondering if there is anyone at your current company that used to work there that can make some "warm" intros. For example, I work at Hewlett Packard Enterprises now (Current Company) and my Customer is Intel (Past Company). If too many results come back you may want to filer only on 1st connections to narrow down people you are directly connected to within your company

3. You can also look for people from your Alma Mater by selecting Schools that may work in your target company (Current Company)

4. A close friend of yours is on the job hunt and wants to know if you have any connections at a company they are targeting. It is not a company that you have connections in but you search it and find that even though you do not have any 1st connections that you know people that DO have connections there. So you reach out to who you know and ask if they can help your friend. In the example below; I am not connected to the IT Director at Amazon but I know 6 people who do know her

A few last tips on connecting now that you know how to find key contacts:

• Shamelessly leverage warm introductions whenever you can. It not only makes the connection more credible but gives you a chance to touch base with someone that maybe you hadn't been in contact with for a while

• If you don't have anyone to introduce you, be sure to write a note to put your connection in context. My preference is that you don't "sell" to them right away but rather you express that you are looking to expand your network. I would then "drip" them with relevant content and interact with their posts to build credibility

• You can always "follow" the person rather than connecting. It is a good way to see what they are interested in as they post and interact with content. You can then find an appropriate window to connect at a later date

So that's the BEST HIDDEN SECRET OF LINKEDIN! Play around with the filters to find key contacts that you have been struggling to meet. It may be a while before we can visit an office or meet up for coffee so make the most of the Digital Tools available to YOU.

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

• What is YOUR favorite functionality of LinkedIn that you feel is under appreciated or used by others?

• Now that YOU know you have access to these filters and search capabilities what examples would YOU highlight that I missed?

• How comfortable are you using this functionality to connect with key contacts? Any best practices or ways YOU have found to make this more useful in your role?

• What have YOU found best works to increase the chances someone will connect with YOU?

Thanks for reading and remember…YOU make a difference!

Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite