Evan Lewis Consulting Ltd
  • Home
  • About
  • References
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Interesting stuff...

How to LinkedIn InMail - and get results

11/4/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
A common mistake I use to make on LinkedIn was not keeping InMail and invitations personal. In other words the recipients thought I had sent them another message along the lines of Viagra spam.

The LinkedIn InMail tool does a good job of allowing you to create targeted, meaningful messages and save them as templates for tracking and future use. The following list will help you craft messages that get results. 

I commonly get over 35% response rates on messages I send.

  1. Write a compelling subject line.
  2. Don’t assume too much. I’ve even written something like, “Forgive me if I’m missing the mark here…”  Be a little bit vulnerable.
  3. Ask for help. LinkedIn is a community of professionals who like good karma and are willing to help because they know somewhere along the line the favor will be returned. Plant and harvest later or elsewhere.
  4. Identify the connection you have with the person(s) and reference it in the opening lines of your message.
  5. Be casual and personable, but not gimmicky.
  6. Tell them where, when, and what — the what being the most important thing your organization is trying to achieve with this position. In other words, the key performance objective.
  7. Promote your employee value propositionor the best one or two things about a career with your company.
  8. Don’t include the job description or tell them too much. Include just enough to appeal enough to their interest or willingness to help in order to create a dialogue.
  9. Ask for a brief dialog over email, chat, or an old-fashioned phone call.
  10. Ask for referrals if the opportunity is not right for them.
  11. Ask for a direct connection and offer to help them in any way at any time.
Here’s a sample InMail message containing these elements…

Subject Line: (Specify the industry) Career Connections

  1. Tell  them why you’re contacting them and ask for help: I reviewed your profile today and found we share some commonalities in the(industry). Forgive me if I’m off target here, but I thought you might be able to help.
  2. Specify the position, location, and the key performance objective:We’re looking for a (insert position/skill set) in (insert location) — ideally someone with experience in (type of work/processes/technology) and who can (paint a picture using the most important position performance objective — or the most important thing one could achieve in the position and how it will make a difference).
  3. Promote your USP: The best thing about working for us is that you (insert the best thing and make it personal).
  4. Ask for a dialog: Let me know if you have interest and we can talk live.
  5. Ask for referrals: If the timing or fit is not right, please let me know who you recommend.  
  6. Ask for a direct connect: Also, please connect with me directly (insert email address). Perhaps I can be of help to you in the future. 
Other tips for continued LinkedIn Recruiter sourcing success:

  • Save your message as a template and track its results in LinkedIn Recruiter Reports.
  • Connect directly with those who reply to your message, even if the opportunity is not right for them. By connecting you may be able to be of help to them in the future.
  • Look through their connections for those who have similar skill sets and ask for an introduction.
  • Save your search and go back later and see which of the top potentials did not respond. Perhaps they have not visited LinkedIn in a while or maybe they’ve been on vacation. In this case, call for them directly at the company where they work.
Thirty-five percent may not sound like much, but keep in mind targeted postal mail (the bumf through the front door) only gets a 4% rate of response.

1 Comment

Attracting Top Talent - Wise words from a former boss

4/4/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
WE may still be operating in an incredibly tough economic environment but there are still plenty of small start-up companies out there who are continuing to grow and prosper.

Starting a new company can be a daunting prospect but one of the most important stages in any business comes at the point when it is time to start recruiting employees. Hiring staff is a huge milestone in the journey of any young business and one of the most crucial decisions you will have to make.

Get the process right and the influx of new blood will help take the business on to the next stage – get the decision wrong and the results can be disastrous for a small operation built around a handful of people.

I can still remember when I started out running a business from my broom-sized office in Pall Mall. I never thought I would actually reach the point where I would hire more than one employee. I now run more than 30 companies and employ hundreds of people.

Right from the early days I always set myself targets. You might not always reach them but they are still vital because they allow you to watch your company grow right in front of you. Taking on new members of staff should be part of the target setting process.

The first thing you need to do is to ask yourself exactly what role you are looking to fill. If you do not have a job specification then take some time out to write up a detailed description.

Some of the questions you need to be asking are: what value will the new person bring to my company, and more importantly, is the appointment crucial to the continued success of the business?

Often there are instances of firms hiring when they do not have a proper idea of the role they are looking to create. Once you have a proper idea of the post then you can get a real grasp of the qualities you are looking for in prospective candidates.

These days there are plenty of ways to look for candidates, including recruitment agencies and through business contacts. And of course social media is becoming more and more important as a recruitment tool thanks to sites such as LinkedIn.

Finally, it is easy to forget the cost of employment, not just in terms of salaries and benefits, but also in terms of providing suitable equipment such as cars, computers and phones.

It is not uncommon for small firms to struggle when it comes to hiring but owners should not be put off by the potential problems and pitfalls.

Get the process right and new employees can have a really positive impact on the business. If you want to take your company to the next stage in its development then you really have no choice but to take on employees.

Source: James Caan

0 Comments
    Picture

    Chris Bishop

    So, after many years of reading blogs and tips and hints etc, I have decided to start doing it myself.
     
    I will mainly be advising on some of the challenges around working within a corporate environment and how to steer the good ship through into calmer waters.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Archives

    September 2017
    January 2016
    January 2015
    June 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    October 2012
    August 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • References
  • Blog
  • Contact Us