INSTANT MBA: Here's One Of The Worst Mistakes People Make On LinkedIn

Instant MBA

August 22, 2014

Whether you're searching for a job or just want to learn more about your industry, LinkedIn is a great place for meeting other professionals and maintaining relationships.

But if you start every conversation by talking about yourself and your own projects, chances are you're losing more connections than you're gaining.

"Linkedin [is] all about making the conversation about others," says Patrick Mayoh, an analyst for Euromonitor International, in a LinkedIn post. "What they do, what their career goals are, how you can help them."

Mayoh recalls a recent interaction in which he introduced himself to a potential connection, hoping to start a conversation. "The person did accept to connect but added a message about this start-up project he was involved in, asking me to donate some money on a crowd-funding platform," he says. "Not once did I sense this was mutually beneficial."

Mayoh came away completely turned-off by the conversation, with no desire to help.

Networking through LinkedIn should involve the same two-way dialogue as face-to-face conversations. Simply boasting about yourself and your accomplishments won't inspire anyone to want to help you.

Mayoh recommends thinking of how you can help every connection, instead of concentrating on what they can do for you. Going out of your way by showing interest in their projects and careers will motivate others to return the favor much more than asking for help point-blank would.

In the end, you'll both get something out of the interaction.

Click here to read the full LinkedIn post.

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