5 Tricks from a LinkedIn Jedi – via Inc.com

Here’s a great article on Inc.com that taps the knowledge of David Gowel, author of The Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals, and Change the Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn.  (click on the link for the Amazon listing)

He lays out 5 strategies to help you better leverage LinkedIn.

1. Don’t be a “Johnny Milker” (Don’t hit up your contacts right away for introduction requests)
2. Update, update, and update again. (You Status Update, that is)
3. Don’t run through walls to make connections. (Sometimes it’s better to ask for a introduction first than to just ask for the connection)
4. Don’t accept any old schmo.  (Folks differ on this one – some say add everybody but Gowel is a fan of the select carefully approach.
5. Search is the best tool on the Internet. (LinkedIn’s data is specific to business and rivals a general search on Google).