Good Morning, !

The call is tonite! You will be there won't YOU?
www.yourlinkedinsuccess.com

Today success isn't based on WHAT you know, it's based on WHO you know and on WHO knows you. This is one of the primary reasons you need to craft a professional and complete profile on LinkedIN. But way beyond that, there are 3 essentials to success in the network.

#1 Focus on Building Relationships
This is not a numbers game. It is about a simple formula I like to call C.R.E.A.T.E.

Connect + Relate + Educate + interAct + Excite = Close

When you build relationships you can ditch the pitch and skip the sell, instead you will create an atmosphere for others to KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST you which is imperative to doing any kind of business with them.

#2 Commit Time Weekly to Participate
As with any type of networking, what you put in you get out. If you simply slap a profile up there and never go and interact, never share your expertise, never reach out to others, then you will never reap any benefit. The great part of LinkedIN is it requires less time than many of the other networks but allows truly targeted interaction.

#3 Seek and Give Recommendations
There is a caveat here. LinkedIN can be an easy place to request recommendations from people. This doesn't mean it should be done to everyone you meet or know, nor should it necessarily be reciprocal always. Recommendations should ideally come from those you have actually either done work for, done work with, or truly know in business well enough to make a statement you can stand behind.

Reciprocally writing recommendations for a handful of colleagues and family members that you know personally only, is not a good basis for a recommendation, unless you are crafting a character reference.

You'll be surprised at how many people you'll know that can realistically and legitimately write you a recommendations, research past and current clients, past and current bosses and supervisors, (it doesn't mean you are looking for a job), and even educators you have studied under, or audience members you have spoken to.

Going farther together,

Melissa Galt
Your Success Catalyst
Devoted to YOUR Outrageous Success
www.linkedin.com/in/melissagalt
www.twitter.com/prosperbydesign
www.facebook.com/melissagalt

PS. If you aren't already registered for the call, what are you waiting for?
www.yourlinkedinsuccess.com, Tonite at 8pm EST.