3 Tips for Connecting on LinkedIn with Debra Mathias
Branding with Friends | Episode 20
Featuring Expert Guest: CEO of Connect to Clients and LinkedIn Trainer, Debra Mathias
Watch or listen to the video interview below or scroll down to read the transcription.
Meet Debra Mathias, CEO of Connect to Clients and LinkedIn Trainer
Annie: Hi, there. Welcome to a new episode of “Branding with Friends,” the show where branding meets key service business topics. Here you're going to learn tips straight from the experts on everything from networking on LinkedIn to trademarking to online courses. We focus on what you can do right now to use these topics and the power of branding to attract your ideal clients. I'm your host branding expert, Annie Franceschi of Greatest Story Creative. I help service business owners tell their story and show their values through clear messaging and consistent branding. I'm also a former Disney storyteller, professional speaker, and the author of the best-selling book Permission to Try.
Today I am so excited to introduce you to one of my friends from the business world. If you have been wondering about LinkedIn and specifically trying to find more referral partners there. Today's episode is just for you. My guest today is the wonderful Debra Mathias. Debra has over 30 years of sales, marketing promotions, branding, and sales management experience. As President of Connect to Clients and a LinkedIn trainer and coach for over 11 years, Deborah brings her strategic, actionable approach to everyone from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies. Her dedication to the success of others is what sets her career apart. Applying her LinkedIn strategies gives companies and individuals the toolkit they need to succeed in social media marketing, Debra has actually been named one of the top 50 LinkedIn Trainers Worldwide in 2020, ranked by Miller Marketing LinkedIn Rockstars List. What a rock star, Debra! Debra is also the host of LinkedIn Local Raleigh Triangle, a worldwide networking initiative held quarterly in the North Carolina Triangle area, to help allow LinkedIn connections to meet face-to-face to market, promote and grow their businesses. Debra is also a former racecar driver for 13 years, and a 16-year breast cancer survivor. And she puts that same focus determination and passion for success into every aspect of her life. Debra, thank you so much for joining me today.
Debra: Thank you so much for having me.
Annie: Absolutely.
Debra: Thrilled to be here!
Annie: I'm so glad you're here! And if you're watching “Brand Friends” for the first time, you know that Debra has brought some juicy, three actionable tips you can use on LinkedIn soon. So, we’ll make sure she's going to share the first two upfront. And then we're going to save that last tip for the end. So make sure to listen all the way through, watch all the way through to get as much value as you can from Debra. And she's got some exciting things she's brought along for our audience today as well. Debra, tell me a little bit about why LinkedIn? You clearly have a lot of strengths and decades of experience in lots of different things for business. Why have you become so passionate about LinkedIn?
Debra: Well, it all goes back to 2008, when the stock market crashed. I was working for a courier company in Columbus, Ohio, and that was their sales and logistics manager. And everything I did as a professional sales representative for that company didn't work. So I came back frustrated in January 2009, and got to my desk, and there was this thing called LinkedIn. So I got on, I set up a profile. And I literally took my prospect list and my top 100 client list and started connecting with people because I thought, well, if they won't talk to me through phone calls, emails, texts, I was even, like, taking cups, and you know, giving it with candy to people. Nobody would see me. So I got on LinkedIn, and I started reaching out to these people. And, lo and behold, they started connecting with me, and we started having conversations. And it was probably about three months into the process of me doing this that I finally stopped to ask somebody, why would you, you know, connect with me on LinkedIn and set up an appointment when I had done everything imaginable, you know, and the gentleman looked at me and he goes, “Credibility. I could look at your LinkedIn profile and see who you were, what you had done.” He goes, “And my wife is a breast cancer survivor, and you're a breast cancer survivor.” So it hit me then how valuable the profile on LinkedIn is, and you can really tell your story and your credibility. So that's why I'm so passionate about LinkedIn because it truly gives you the opportunity to tell your story just like you are without telling your story.
Annie: That's why I love the piece about credibility. And I'm really glad you're here, because Debra and I have known each other for several years, but sort of like through our networks. We've never actually sat down and done a one-to-one until just roughly a few weeks ago to share our stories and connect better so and I think we have LinkedIn too. Oh for that a little bit of constantly seeing each other going, “Okay, okay, we need to talk!” So I had to have Debra on to talk to you all about how powerful LinkedIn can be because she is one of the leading voices, especially here, and by Live in Durham, North Carolina, and in this area, you can't talk about LinkedIn without Debra’s name coming up. So, Debra, you have brought these great tips for us. What is, if we're thinking as a coach or consultant service business owner, how can we better use LinkedIn to find great reciprocal and awesome referral partners? What's the first thing we should do?
#1 Action TIP
Be selective in your connections
Debra: My first tip is to be selective. I've had so many people go, “You've got so many connections on LinkedIn!” And I'm like, “Yeah, but I may get 20 connections to request every day. And I may only accept three of them.” Be selective and choose your referral partner because you have something in common with them, you have a common interest. Don't just connect with everybody. And then, you know, hope and pray they'll become a referral partner. Actually build that relationship, because you've got something in common with that person. Be selective.
Annie: Can you give some advice, in terms of identifying who would be the right people to select from? As you say, be selective of who you're going to reach out to and who you're going to accept connection requests from…
Debra: My criteria is really simple: If I don't feel that I could do business with that person, or that anyone in my network could, I probably won't connect. I truly believe to become a great referral partner, you have to look at who you're connecting with and say, “Is that person someone that I could and would feel comfortable to refer to someone in my network?” So, I look at my connection. Start with your connections. People don't understand on LinkedIn, whether you have 100 connections, or 1000, or 10,000, there's a goldmine in there of referral partners that you can build relationships with, by just reaching out and say, “Hey, can we have that 30-minute conversation and get to know each other a little better?” And that person may not be, you know, a person for you. Well, that's okay. Go through and scan your connections to find that 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 referral partners that you can count on.
Annie: That's a lot. You got a really good staple there, itself all the way up to 20, to be thinking that way. I think a lot of people I talked to you struggle with this. And that's why I'm so happy to have you on. And I think one of the things I tell them to sort of piggyback off of what you say is, you know, when you say do business, especially as a coach or consultant, I always tend to be like, “Does this person work with my ideal client? Or might they be my ideal client?” Sort of those two things: either work with or be really well-connected to, right? Because you don't have infinite time to reach out to everybody. And I used to do so much unfocused networking many, many years ago, and I get so burnt out on it, because I just took coffee with everybody. And that was not a good use of my time. Or there's if we didn't share ideal clients, if we didn't possibly have a very strong connection. And I also think you've also sort of pointed to something else that's very valuable, which is to think about the warm relationships you already have. And I think ours is a good example: yes, we're connected on LinkedIn, we've been connected for years, but we've never done a one-to-one. And you raise your hand and said, “Hey, let's, you know, we've had a couple of meetings on the calendar, but they always got pushed because of client work.” So we finally made it happen. But that was because both of us kept going back and saying, “Hey, I would like to talk with you.” So it doesn't have to be this like mining through a bunch of strangers, then you can start with the people you already know. Right?
Debra: Right. And the one thing I'd like to point out, too, is everybody knows who would be somebody they would like to work with and who their clients can work with. So start there, that's the only place, those are the only people you really need to be focusing on: Is this person going to be someone that I can introduce to my network to help that person out?
Annie: Absolutely. And I think that is just so under-sold so many times. And I see that I'm constantly consulting for my clients and teaching them that the world of marketing right now is all about converting brand new people, like get the ads get on Google, like get SEO. It's all about converting. But taking people who have no idea who you are and getting them to work with you is so much harder than working with people that you already know, or friends of friends or clients because of clients, right? So, realizing LinkedIn is a representation of the people you already know. It's not this like scary computer thing in many ways. It's just a way to connect to an incredible group of people you may know or have direct connections to people who want to work with you.
Debra: Absolutely. And that's one of the reasons that I tell people, because a lot of my new clients that I have just gotten on in 2020—they're scared. They're like, how do I even use this thing? And I'm like, look at it as what you've done, because that's exactly what I did. I took my sales process and turn it virtual. That's all I did. I did nothing. It was so simple. It's not, you know, brain surgery.
Annie: That's coming up so much in the work that I'm doing with clients. As I'm doing some business consulting for them, it's really this: apps and systems. Also, it's not a system unless you figure it out, well, what is your sales process? What is your referral partner process? How do you build these relationships, then it's just a matter of using something like LinkedIn to make it easier for you. But you know, LinkedIn is not the process or the strategy, you decide that just like you perfectly explained, you were just taking your sales process. And now you do it on LinkedIn versus picking up the phone or sending an email you send in LinkedIn messages. Right, right. That's simple. That's, that's simple. And yet that complicated, which is why exactly, and you're here. So I think that's a good lead-in to our next tip. So if we know that we need to be selective with who we're reaching out to whether they're warm or cold connections, what is the next thing we want to make sure we're doing?
#2 ACTION TIP
Make your connection requests about the other person
Debra: Make it about them. The one thing that I find, especially since the pandemic, and since you know, 2020, most people that are reaching out are trying to sell you immediately. I have probably 10 messages right now reaching out to me through inmail that start selling me in the connection request. And it's like, no, make it about the person. Like the first thing I do when I reach out with someone is, I ask them, you know, who can I introduce you to in my network that you can do business with and give, instead of trying to get, right off the bat. Because if you give somebody a couple of good referrals, and it turns into business, all of a sudden, whether you meant to or not, you've created a referral partner, because you gave. It's all about giving first, because all you have to do is ask someone, “Tell me about yourself,” and they will. And then, that way, you can figure out in your network that would be a great person to introduce them to. I do that with every training session I have because I want to start off with showing the people that I train, look, I'm going to introduce you to two or three people that you can do business with.
Annie: Yeah, it's such a giving mindset, right. And I think that is whether you're doing on LinkedIn, or you're taking this advice and taking into your emails, or your phone calls, or whatever. I think sometimes many of us feel nervous. We feel weird. We don't know, you know, what to be saying in these conversations. So we forget to make it about the other person. And we forget, you know, I can't tell you, unfortunately--I'm working on this for the book--but how many people I've given referrals to that I get no more than just a quick thanks in an email and never hear from them. And then over time, I just stopped referring that person, if I feel like they're just, like, here. Yeah, I can keep making me business, that will be great. That's not how business networking should work. And it's not how it does work, right? Because how many times, right, if ever you just kept sending me visits, and I never sent you a gift or sent you a client or something to say, “Gosh, you're changing my business. Thank you so much!” If I weren't doing that, you go, “Well, I guess he's not interested in working together.”
Debra: Yeah, I've got a great story for that. I have a tremendous referral partner that probably five or six times a year, she brings me groups to train. And I can't do business with her because she's not in a profession where I can do business with her. So just recently, I sent her a huge basket of candy and gift and said, “Thank you so much for everything that you've done for me!” Just showing that you care. And I've introduced her to people now that she can do business with, but it's not the same when you're exactly right. You've got to give to get.
Annie: And I think your first point really leads into the second really nicely because if you're being strategic and selective about who you're networking with in the first place, this second part shouldn't be hard at all. And it should actually make the relationship much stronger. And that's sort of the point, even if you do it for no other reason, then you want to keep getting business from somebody, you send them business. Or in your example, you send them a gift just for thoughtful appreciation. Wow. Like, thank you so much! My clients are so happy because I sent them to you or whatever the case may be, so I love that that's part of your LinkedIn strategy, but it really, really is. And I know that when I get these random requests, I'm going back to what you were saying about the selling in the messages. Like, who is teaching this? Whoever is teaching this needs to stop teaching this?
Debra: Yeah, you're right. And I've even asked, “Is this system working for you? And I've had people come and go, “Oh, yeah, it's working for me.” I go, “Great. And then I hit ignore. It's like, I'll have a conversation just long enough to tell them really, okay, well, if it's working for you, great. I'm not going to connect with you, since you're doing a good job anyway.
Annie: I think I'd be curious to hear what you think about this. But one of the working theories I have is people shy away from building genuine reciprocal relationships because it takes time.
Debra: Right? I have been in sales for over 30 years, and if I had to describe what I truly am, I am a consummate, professional, consultative salesperson. I've always built relationships with my clients; it may take three months, six months, even a year. But once you build that relationship, and you take time to make that person understand who you are, and you learn who they are. Yeah, that's the gold because they will continue to send you business and you can continue to send them business. Those relationships don't happen overnight. Right?
Annie: They really don't. Yeah.
Debra: I've had a lot of people try and go, “Oh, this is a lot of work." I don't want to reach out to people and do this.” And I go, “Okay, bye.” LinkedIn isn’t right for you, then.
Annie: There are lots of schools of thought about this. But what I have observed over time in my clients is that there's a lot of chasing the quick winning strategies, the instant sales, and the messaging. And they end up spending the same amount of time that they spent the year building the relationships, they would have the genuine referrals versus trying to chase, you know, a month at a time 12 different quick-win strategies. Not a good use of your time.
Debra: That's what cracks me up. It's like, you're spending the same amount of time I spend building relationships, doing something that really isn't going to produce the fruit of their labor.
Annie: Exactly, exactly. Well, it takes time; it's worthwhile time. And it’s consistency and clarity. And I think something we haven't yet brought up that I think is really critically important to these first two steps is— Okay, so when you first reach out, and then when you have that conversation, are you being clear and consistent about what you do? Are you well-branded? Do you tell a clear story of “this is what I do." “This is who I do it for”? These are my “this is the problem I solved.” “This is the solution I provide”? And then are you sending that along to them? Right?
Debra: Well, you brought up a great point, because some of the people that I connect with, really—and that's why you and I are going to be great referral partners—because they really don't have a clear and consistent message. Because that's one of the first questions I ask: tell me about your company and what you do. What is your brand message? And I sometimes get this deer-in-the-headlight-look, like brand message? Well, I do this, this, and this. Okay, but what is your brand? Yeah, what is your business? And they can't even tell me what their business is. “Well, I do this…” Oh, okay—but what is your business?
Annie: Well, if you're watching this or listening to this, I actually have a brand new tool for this: it's called your “Best Referral Bio.” So if you are watching this episode, you're like, I want to make sure that I am being selective and adding value. And being really clear with the people you're talking to, it will give you my special CHIPS mnemonic device. So CHIPS is your category, hook, ideal clients, problem, and solution. And it will give you three fill-in templates, including a LinkedIn message. So once you've already connected with someone, it can be someone in your network or brand new connection, you can literally plug this template in and say, “Hey, this is what I do and who I do it for. I thought we might want to connect because of this shared value or client connection. I'd love to get to know you. Can we set a chat?” So it's all there. It's not that exact wording, but a good start to being clear about your branding and knowing what it is you do because I can't tell you I'm sure you've had a million of these coffees/virtual coffees/in-person meetings where you come away and you go, “I have no idea what that person does. I have no idea who I would send them to. They're not specific enough about who they're working with. A leadership coach that works with everybody? I don't know what to do with that. I'll put that with the 10 other leadership coaches I know who don't focus.”
Debra: Right. Because I ask so many people, “Who's your target client ?” Oh, everybody…?
Annie: Everybody… nope!
Debra: Oh, no, not really! I want to give you a kudos because that's one of the most brilliant things that I feel anybody could do and you do it well. You've got a clear path that they can take. And if they plug this in, and they answer those questions, they'll get the answers they need to help themselves to brand their business.
Annie: Yes! Available—it's free. It's your Best Referral Bio, and it is at GreatestStoryCreative.com right now, should be in the blue banner at the top. But definitely check that out! And you can pair it with Debra’s strategies today. I'm so glad you're here! We could talk for hours and hours about authentic marketing and networking and treating people well. I love the tips that you shared already. And I know you've brought some tips that people can take home with them. So, what's that special gift you wanted to share with “Branding with Friends” folks today?
Debra: Please, everyone that's watching this, download this and just take a look at these tips. Because these are tips to help you get found on LinkedIn. So many people that I know who have been on LinkedIn for years have not even secured their LinkedIn URL. This is your website on LinkedIn. This is your calling card. It's your digital business card website. And there are lots of other great tips of how to use your phone to send a special video message if you'd like to reach out to someone. And it's full of tips that most people don't really think about but they really need to get found on LinkedIn. Awesome.
Annie: Well, we'll make sure if you're watching this or listening to it that you're going to find the link to go get this great tip sheet on LinkedIn from Debra. I'm excited to use mine. I think if you download the Referral Bio Template plus this, you're going to be unstoppable with building relationships on LinkedIn. Thank you so much. And if this episode got you thinking, “Oh my gosh, I have no idea what to say in those conversations. I'm not clear on it. I do consulting on this.” I also help you come up with your clear message. So don't hesitate to set a time with me. You can do it at GreatestStoryCreative.com. There's a big red button at the top to hop on my calendar. Debra, I'm so glad you're here. And you said some great tips with us today. I remember— be selective, make it about them. What is the third thing we want to leave everybody with? What's that last thing we want them to make sure we do?
#3 Action Tip
Pay it forward and bring value to the relationship
Debra: The last tip is how I live my life: Pay It Forward. Bring value to the relationship. You have to go above and beyond to set yourself, number one, an expert at what you do, and number two, so that your referral partners (plural) will keep you top of mind. So how do you do that? You give to them. You always take time to make referrals to other people. Does it take time? Yes. There are times that I'm making referrals to people at 11 o'clock at night. But it's an essential part of being that go-to person. Like you said, I snapped myself five years ago, when I came to the drawing goal of being the LinkedIn expert. I also set myself as a research referral source for people. I wanted to be that person that when somebody needed a gardener, they called me, when somebody needed a chiropractor, they called me because I had so many in my network. When you set yourself apart like that, and pay it forward by giving those referrals, it comes back tenfold.
Annie: It really does. And I know you've said that to me many times already. And the times that we've known each other, you've absolutely become that Top of Mind person. And I think it also really underscores a branding point as well. I don't want to lose the generosity point and pay it forward. But I think by you coming to this area and committing to a term like LinkedIn, I want to be the LinkedIn person. Like I'm sure you do a lot. You do sales, you do branding, you do marketing, you do all these other things, right? You could have been, “Oh, well I do this and then I can also help you with LinkedIn.” But you're like, “No, I'm going to be the LinkedIn person.” Like it took me a couple years to realize I wanted to be the branding person. So I said, “I have Branding with Annie, when I go out and I when I was actually at your one of your events, someone came up to me goes, I know you, you're Branding with Annie, I can't ever go to your workshops, but I know you.” Like, right. There you go! It doesn't have to be more complex than that. I think that the whole thing, start one with picking something that you really want to be known for, which is the branding piece. And then the harder part, which is the consistency and the commitment, I'm going to be everywhere, I'm going to consistently use that term, I'm not going to give up after a couple months, I'm going to give it a year, 18 months, two years, it took 18 months before someone came up and said, “I know you, your branding, right?”
Debra: Well, and that's the thing—if your audience gets anything from me speaking today, that's what I want them to understand. Don't try to be everything to everybody. Because I did that early in my career. I tried to be everything. Oh, I do sales. Oh, I do branding. Oh, I do promotions. Oh, I do this. And then about a year and a half in, back in 2011, when I was just getting started, It hit me: LinkedIn. Stick with it. This is what you do. You know how to be a referral partner, you know how to show people how to connect on LinkedIn. And that's when I just started making that my brain?
Annie: Absolutely.
Debra: Don’t pick 6 brands. You can only have
Annie: Well, I think it's very human. And it's one of the biggest misconceptions that I'm always trying to help my clients with, especially from a consulting perspective, which is this idea: I think there's a fear there's insecurity of turning away business. But I bet when you started focusing on LinkedIn, your business went like a skyrocket.
Debra: Yep. Doubled.
Annie: Doubled! I would say mine's quadrupled. Yeah, yeah. Because annual revenue has quadrupled by picking a specialty. Specifying an ideal client. I know those things will tricky and scary. But that's how you become the expert in a sea of people who are afraid to say that they do one thing or another. So it's well-rewarded bravery. Take it from Debra, if you're not going to take it from me today. Debra, I know you had one more bonus tip. I know there was one more thing you wanted to mention about groups. And we're going to do that as a bonus tips you're getting a fourth tip today from Debra, what was that last thing we want?
#4 Bonus Action Tip
Join LinkedIn Groups
Debra: The last bonus tip about LinkedIn is Groups. So many people don't look at groups. And there's been so many people go, “Well, you know, Groups are not that big on LinkedIn.” Groups can be a valuable resource for you to go. If you're in the insurance industry, go to the insurance industry groups and see what your peers are doing. Go and connect with and have a referral partner in the industry that you're in. Coaches, please go to all the coaches groups that are on LinkedIn and find a coach that can be compatible with you to be a referral partner.
Annie: Or search for a more collaborative partner.
Debra: Right. Yep, exactly. So that's a great source. And that one hit me yesterday as I was training, and that's why I sent it to you. I was like, “I gotta tell her about Groups!”
Annie: So don't forget to be selective, make it about them, pay it forward, I would say pay it forward and pick what you want to be known for. And that bonus tip that you just shared, which is check out Groups. Well, Debra, you have been a treasure trove of information! I encourage you guys to check out Debra. And last but not least, you have an event coming up. So this episode is going to, you know, typically, you might be finding this after this event happened, but she's probably going to throw in another one, because she does it four times a year. So, quickly tell us a little bit more about what's happening on May 11…
Debra: May 11, from 11 am-1 pm (EDT), as you can see the banner behind me, LinkedIn Local Relic Triangle is going to be happening. It's a virtual event. Everyone from anywhere globally can come to this event. And we are going to have not one, not two, but four LinkedIn experts, well five count myself, that are going to be sharing their tips on how to make a difference on LinkedIn. These four experts are friends of mine, and I wanted to bring as much value to LinkedIn local this event as I could. And I've got four of the best LinkedIn trainers on LinkedIn as my panel guests, so please come and hear more free tips online, May 11, from 11 am -1 pm (EDT).
Annie: And I'm sure all the information will be linked here, under Debra’s website, so you can check that out. And she does host it several times a year. So if you're finding this video later, great it is. There is a focus on the North Carolina triangle. But I think the content, especially with these LinkedIn experts, is going to be globally valuable for you if you want to scope it out. I've been to one of their events before, and they're incredible. It was in-person, but I'm sure the virtual is just as if, not more, valuable. So Debra, thank you so much for joining me on “Friday with Friends” today!
Debra: Thank you so much for having me. This has been great!
Annie: Well, absolutely. And I hope that you enjoyed another episode of “Branding with Friends.” So many special thanks to our guests, Debra Mathias, of Connect to Clients. I hope you'll tune in next time when we're going to tackle yet another topic where branding meets business. Until then, I'm Annie Franceschi of Greatest Story Creative. You can find all our past episodes branding resources that your best referral bio template and so much more including time with me at GreatestStoryCreative.com. Here's to your next chapter.
“Branding with Friends” Episode 20
Show Notes + Resources
Here are 3 key tips on connecting on LinkedIn to grow your service business:
Be selective in your connections
Make your connection requests about the other person
Pay it forward and bring value to the relationship
Dive deeper into branding and growing your greatest business with Annie Franceschi:
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--- Facebook - facebook.com/greateststorycreative
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To learn more about LinkedIn Connections or to seek Debra’s help:
• Visit Debra at connect-to-clients.com
• Email her directly at: connecttoclientsconsultingllc@gmail.com
• Follow her on LinkedIn: @debramathias
• Follow her on Facebook: @connect2clients
• Follow her on Twitter: @connectoclients
• Email Debra directly for her “free” LinkedIn tips sheet and a 30-minute LinkedIn profile evaluation
