The Unintended Benefits Of “Sent from my iPhone” – Published On BetaBoston

sent from my iphone

When iPhone was first launched, these 4 words – “Sent from my iPhone” – were perceived by many as a way to flaunt your new device via emails. When I got my first iPhone, I made sure to remove the email signature fearing I would come across as a swagger. But, what started as an annoying display of status (or brand marketing for Apple), has become a very practical aid for professionals. This is primarily due to the fact that expectations and perceptions of the email recipient are very different when email comes from a smartphone instead of a desktop. It may not seem as apparent, but here are some unintended benefits of this ubiquitous signature, which beg the question – should this signature be included in some of your desktop email replies as well?

via The unintended benefits of “Sent from my iPhone” | BetaBoston.

9 Ways to Design Brand You – LinkedIn Group Discussion

@haydee – thanks for sharing the insights. Great article. I also think discovering your audience and constantly engaging with them is also extremely important. – JASMEET SAWHNEY

personal brand

You are the CEO of your own company – YOU Incorporated. In today’s fast-paced, competitive and interconnected world it is vital to have a unique powerful and personal brand in order to stand out and be memorable in the eyes of others. Think of some…

via 9 Ways to Design Brand You | LinkedIn.

3 Reasons To Reconsider LinkedIn Groups – Disqus Comment On V3IM

Shelly, Totally agree with the value of LinkedIn Groups – they enable users to build ‘credible’ connections, build thought leadership (digital footprint), get leads, etc. I am not so sure about improvements made by LinkedIn in terms of Groups functionality. I still find them extremely difficult to use. There are many issues:

1 – If you are a member of multiple groups, email digests feel like a spam and most people I talk to have turned them off because they simply cannot keep up with them

2 – There is a lot of promotional/spam discussions that puts people off

3 – It is extremely difficult to reach discussions that are relevant to a user – total lack of filters (part of the problem is people who just post random stuff)

4 – There is a bias towards discussions that are active even if they are old (even though there are few active discussions – they get most of the comments) – most other ‘relevant’ discussions go unnoticed

I would love to know your thoughts on these problems and how you are solving them today. Also, what other improvements would you like to see in LinkedIn Groups? Please share..

- JASMEET SAWHNEY

Linkedin groups

I spend quite a bit of time on LinkedIn and that activity most definitely includes participating in LinkedIn Groups. Paying attention to the discussions that happen in different groups, participating, sharing data and personal experiences helps me do a better job of serving my clients and it also gives me insights into some of the issues my clients and prospects and sometimes even their clients and prospects face on a daily basis. As a result, I regularly meet and interact with a ton of new and interesting people and that’s rarely a bad thing.

Because I find Groups to be such a valuable part of the LinkedIn experience, I thought I’d share 3 reasons that might make you rethink your own use of Groups.

via 3 Reasons to Reconsider LinkedIn Groups | V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency.

LinkedIn Groups for Sales Success: Your Secret Weapon – Comment on SmallBizTrends

Hi Margie,

Thanks for providing the tips. Totally agree with the value of LinkedIn groups. They help with leads, but also help users build credible connections and thought leadership. But, I think the LinkedIn group experience requires improvement. I would love to know how you tackle some of the issues I face:

1 – If you are a member of multiple groups, email digests feel like a spam and most people I talk to have turned them off because they simply cannot keep up with them

2 – There is a lot of promotional/spam discussions that puts people off

3 – It is extremely difficult to reach discussions that are relevant to a user – total lack of filters (part of the problem is people who just post random stuff)

4 – There is a bias towards discussions that are active even if they are old (even though there are few active discussions – they get most of the comments) – most other ‘relevant’ discussions go unnoticed

Can you please share your thoughts on how you are solving these problems today? Also, what other improvements would you like to see in LinkedIn Groups? Please share..Thanks!

- JASMEET SAWHNEY

linkedin groups sales

Did you know that people who participate or engage in LinkedIn Group discussions get an average of four times as many profile views?

LinkedIn Groups allow you to connect with thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people. Many more than you could connect with via your first-level connections.

Using LinkedIn Groups for Sales Success

There are over two million groups on LinkedIn, with a focus on a variety of topics.  These include:

  • Corporate
  • College alumni
  • Nonprofit
  • Trade organizations
  • Conferences
  • Industry-specific
  • Interests – such as skiing or animals

via LinkedIn Groups for Sales Success: Your Secret Weapon.

The Light Within — A Professional Context — Published On Medium

the light within

It is the light within, hiding deep beneath our skin

It holds our destiny, shapes our lives

It strikes more often than we realize

It brings us to extremes more often than we like

It makes us low and high, losers and winners, it is the light within.

————————————————————————————-

It takes us far and beyond, below and under

It turns impossible into possible, possible into impossible

It drives us to excellence, leaves us doomed, it is the light within.

It propels us to achieve the unachievable, drowns us in mere existence

It transports us to heights of happiness, and wells of sorrow

It cultivates completeness, and shoves us to hollowness, it is the light within.

via The Light Within — A Professional Context — This Happened to Me — Medium.

3 Deadly LinkedIn Profile Mistakes To Avoid – Disqus Comment on Jeffbullas Blog

So, it seems everyone loves this article – but, I am still trying to make sense of it?!?! Are you suggesting that every single professional should turn their LinkedIn profile into sales BS?? Quite frankly, if I see this kind of a profile, I’ll think twice before connecting. It’s the same reason why you don’t pick up a sales call when you know a telemarketer is calling. And, the same reason people don’t like Car Salesman – this article seems to be suggesting that our LinkedIn profiles should sound like one as well. This is a big problem with some sales people, they think everyone else sees the world like they do. Such a profile would almost seem like a scam to normal professionals. There might be some professions where this might work – where there is quick sales/hiring without much deliberation. But, I am not going to give business to anyone who tries to shove sales pitches down my throat via their LinkedIn profile. For most practical scenarios, a LinkedIn profile is not at the bottom of the sales funnel – it is at the top. And, if you annoy anyone at the top, there aren’t going to be any leads. There is a big shift happening from this traditional sales ‘cold call’ paradigm to the new Inbound approach. But, it seems I am the only one who feels this way (at least here). Or, maybe I just didn’t get the essence of the article – my apologies if that is the case. – JASMEET SAWHNEY

linkedin profile mistakes

The sad truth is you are probably committing 3 deadly mistakes that turn you into a leper on LinkedIn.

If it makes you feel any better, you aren’t alone—thousands of people are making these 3 LinkedIn profile mistakes, turning their social media efforts into a giant waste of time.

Now I won’t bother tell you that you need a professional profile picture or recommendations on your LinkedIn profile. Those are a given. This article will explore the science of personal branding—why most people blend into the background and are instantly forgotten on LinkedIn.

Fix these 3 mistakes and you will immediately elbow your way past the hoards of competition and make a much better first impression on LinkedIn.

via 3 Deadly LinkedIn Profile Mistakes to Avoid – Jeffbullas’s Blog.

What Type Of Information Should You Share On Social Media? – Worklife Blog

We all have social media accounts and share content on one or more social networks. In fact, social sharing has become one of the most common activities on the web. There are some who get a kick out of sharing everything in their life (“I just took shower and water was really cold!”); some feel connected when they share; some want to stay relevant within their circles; some want to build their credibility; and there are others who do it for various vague and valid reasons. But, very few understand how effective their sharing is, and how can they improve?

No matter what you do, I can bet you have limited time. When you spend time on social networks, it can take away good chunk of your time depending on how addicted (or dedicated) you are to building your presence. But, it is not hard to see that everyone’s social content does not get equal engagement. And, this is fine, if all you want is to share your personal pictures with friends and family. But, for most part, all of this sharing comes with an expectation – that your connections and followers will react. If there are no reactions, incentives of sharing are diminished, which leads to decreased sharing.

via What type of information should you share on Social Media? | Worklife.

Ask The Headhunter: Users Sound Off On LinkedIn – The Rundown On PBS

Comment from Jasmeet Sawhney: Great article, Nick. I agree that double-dipping is a big problem. But, do you really believe LinkedIn’s push into content/publishing is only to boost their job-board business? There is a big community element in it for the user, no?

via Ask The Headhunter: Users Sound Off on LinkedIn | The Rundown | PBS NewsHour.

Ask The Headhunter: Users Sound Off on LinkedIn – Published on PBS NewsHour

jasmeet-sawhney-linkedin

Jasmeet Sawhney: Great article, Nick. I agree that double-dipping is a big problem. But, do you really believe LinkedIn’s push into content/publishing is only to boost their job-board business? There is a big community element in it for the user, no?

via Ask The Headhunter: Users Sound Off on LinkedIn | PBS NewsHour.

Founder Brand Void Is Killing More Startups Than You Think – MassChallenge Blog

The following is a guest post from Jasmeet Sawhney of MassChallenge Finalist, Worklife.io.

I was recently browsing our own people directory at MassChallenge. My goal was to see how many people have good web presence, so I picked some random names and did searches on Google and other social sites.

As I went from 1st name to the 30th, a pattern had emerged – one of the 3 things was happening for every person I searched (in decreasing order of frequency):

  • One or more social accounts of the person showed-up without any consistent presence in search results
  • It was difficult to locate the person on search and social sites
  • Only 2 people had 5 or more (out of 10) results on the first page of Google results

via MassChallenge.