The Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals, and Change the Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn [Paperback]

Dave Gowel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 27, 2011

Make your LinkedIn account work for you and your business

LinkedIn is not just another social media tool. It's the world's largest professional online network, with over 120 million users in over two hundred countries. The Power in a Link shows you how to employ this remarkable yet misunderstood resource to execute networking strategies and processes for your business, secure deals, and use (not abuse) your existing relationships.

Author David Gowel, the man the Boston Globe has called the "LinkedIn Jedi," delivers the understanding necessary to map networks, stimulate word of mouth, and leverage unparalleled business intelligence to close deals. Arguing that LinkedIn is not social media at all, but instead belongs in a category all of its own, the book cuts through the noise in the crowded social media world with practical applications and explains why all professionals should embrace it in order to achieve success faster through relationships. This book:

• Advises readers how to spur effective network growth by projecting the right message online
• Demonstrates how to build and enhance readers' online presence
• Shows readers how to seek targeted introductions to the connections that matter most
• Explains why LinkedIn has been misunderstood and therefore misused by many users as well as how to correct past LinkedIn mistakes

Partly conceptual, partly autobiographical, and partly technical, The Power in a Link includes success stories from Gowel and other professionals that demonstrate the effectiveness of his techniques.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Make your LinkedIn account work for you and your business

LinkedIn is not just another social media tool. It's the world's largest professional online network, with over 120 million users in more than two hundred countries. The Power in a Link shows you how to employ this remarkable yet misunderstood resource to map networks, stimulate word of mouth, and leverage unparalleled business intelligence to close deals.

"I travel the globe teaching entrepreneurs and often let them know it's foolish not to actively use LinkedIn. This productivity tool is invaluable, but I probably still wouldn't be using it anywhere near the level I am today if Dave didn't ask for a warm introduction to me so he could show me the light."
—BILL AULET, Managing Director and Senior Lecturer, MIT Entrepreneurship Center

"Dave Gowel has shown me that when used properly, LinkedIn allows professionals todisplace hope with decisive action."
—ROGER STAUBACH, NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback and Executive Chariman, Americas, Jones Lang LaSalle

"Building reputation and generating word of mouth doesn't happen by accident. Dave's book provides a fresh, strategic approach to our most basic professional activities."
—JEFFREY BUSSGANG, General Partner, Flybridge Capital Partners, and author of Mastering the VC Game

"V=n(n-1). Metcalfe's Law has seen iterations and 'improvements,' but the basic point still holds: the value of a network is an exponential function of the number of nodes. Most people argue over things like the relative strength of connections, V=n(log n), or the added value of groups, V=2n. They're all missing the real story, Gowel's Corollary: the value of a network is only as valuable as how you use it: V=U[n(n-1)]. As Dave teaches us, page by page, anything times zero is zero!"
—GREGG FAIRBROTHERS, Adjunct Professor of Business Administration, Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, author of From Idea to Success

About the Author

DAVID GOWEL is the CEO of RockTech, a software company that allows professionals to quickly adopt new technologies, with offices in Cambridge and New York City. He cofounded the marketing firm Clearly Creative, where his successes earned him the title of "LinkedIn Jedi" in the Boston Globe. David taught at MIT as an assistant professor of military leadership after serving in Iraq as an Army Ranger and combat platoon leader. He is currently a board member of the East End House Community Center and a founding member of the Kendall Square Association in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 169 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1118134672
• ISBN-13: 978-1118134672
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dave Gowel started his career in the U.S. Army as a cadet at West Point. He became an Army Ranger, served as a Platoon Leader in Iraq, and punctuated his military career by teaching leadership as an Assistant Professor within MIT's ROTC program. It was there that his duties included acting as the Harvard liaison, which coincided with Facebook's explosive growth. Having seen the social revolution first hand while teaching his Cambridge students, Dave realized there was a need in the business world for better education on the topic. Dave left MIT in 2008 to lead the company he co-founded with his wife in 2007, Clearly Creative, which consulted on the integration of new social technologies into traditional marketing, PR, sales and communications programs. While leading Clearly Creative, Dave earned the title of LinkedIn Jedi in the Boston Globe and was warmly introduced to Mark Rockefeller, with whom Dave co-founded RockTech. With offices in Cambridge and New York City, Dave now leads this software company to more effectively scale the technology training he formerly delivered in a more consultative fashion.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars An OK primer, but misses the mark for the experienced user January 6, 2012

By Scott

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a difficult review to write. There are parts of the book that I found really helpful and parts of the book that I found a total waste.

Read this book if any of the following apply to you: (a) You are "new" to LinkedIn, (b) you see no purpose for LinkedIn (c) you think LinkedIn can't help you make any money, (d) your LinkedIn profile is less than 100% complete, (e) you have connections on LinkedIn with people you kind-of-know but don't-really-know, or (f) you consider LinkedIn to merely be "Facebook for business."

If none of these terms describe you, skip this book and save your money.

This book is a primer for people who are new to LinkedIn, are confused about what LinkedIn is or don't use it to its full potential. It provides a solid orientation to what LinkedIn is (an active map of your relationships) to what it is not ("social media").

There is nothing practical in the first 10 chapters of the book. On top of this, the author fills pages upon pages with metaphors, anecdotes and stories to illustrate his points. (Like many pop-psychology or pop-business books, it is a lot of cotton candy and not much nutrition. Now imagine 1/2 a book filled with metaphors like the one I just fed you).

Everything in this book can be found at [...] and elsewhere on the Internet. In fact, you can get more at [...] and elsewhere on the Internet!

Although, it just came out -- this book is not that up-to-date. For example, in Chapter 11 the author writes about a person with the current positions of a CFO, as nonprofit board member and president of the chess club. His solution for this is manipulate the dates so relevant information appears first.... He neglects to inform the reader that they can put these roles in the Volunteer or Organization Sections of their Profile (both relatively new enhancements on LinkedIn).

I was also disappointed at the lack of depth by the author on the subject of LinkedIn. Nowhere is there information about the Products and Services Tab available for Companies, options for integrating LinkedIn outside of LinkedIn (namely the Recommend button for products and services and the Profile and Company badges -- more information at [...] Nor does the author delve into LinkedIn Answers -- a forum I have participated in both in seeking and giving answers.

All that said, I am recommending this book to my friends and colleagues on LinkedIn because, for most of them, a-through-f, above, apply. And if they can use LinkedIn more effectively, it will benefit me as a LinkedIn user.

Regardless of whether you read the book or skip the book and go directly to the resources on the Internet, the real issue for you is probably not knowledge but ACTION. The author himself says that when he checked people's profiles 30 days after they had attended presentations he gave about how to better use LinkedIn, the majority of those people rarely changed anything on LinkedIn.

Will you put what you learn -- whether in this book or from other sources -- into action? Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Have bought 10 copies to share with CEOs December 22, 2011

By Chris C. Herbert

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've voted with my wallet! I read the book and decided that my clients and a CEO peer to peer group I'm involved with need to read and apply what's in this book. So, I bought 10 copies. The book outlines, through real world stories, ways in which Linkedin can be used to grow and optimize your network. Remember two key things when reading Dave's book: 1) the importance of 2nd and 3rd degree connections and, 2) using a litmus test to determine if you should connect (or stay connected) with someone on Linkedin. Also, you'll learn how Linkedin is different from Facebook and Twitter especially for B2B professionals.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Uncovering the power of social capital January 4, 2012

By Oliver G

Format:Paperback

I really enjoyed reading this book. The tips and tricks for utilising LinkedIn were certainly useful but much more useful are the lessons on how to generate and leverage "social capital". I really liked the definition of "social capital" as described in this book and the simple and direct examples of how it can be used to make you more successful as a professional will definitely help me to achieve my goals in 2012.

Well worth a read for anyone looking to achieve more by utilising LinkedIn to maximum effect.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Using LinkedIn as a Force Multiplier - A Must Read Book December 13, 2011

By Alan L. Chase VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

After serving his nation as an Army officer, West Point grad Dave Gowel, CEO of RockTech, made the decision to turn his multiple talents to the business world. Along the way, he discovered the under-utilized utilities of LinkedIn, and made himself an expert in the use of this amazing social networking tool. Dave has probably forgotten more about the use of LinkedIn than many of us will ever learn. He has discovered applications of the tool that even LinkedIn's founders were unaware of.

Prior to co-founding his software company, RockTech, Mr. Gowel devoted part of his previous consulting practice to teaching business men and women how to maximize their ability to leverage LinkedIn to grow their businesses and professional networks. I have been privileged to participate in some of the workshops that Gowel performed for business leaders since 2008.

In this book, he has distilled the most important lessons and offers them to business users of LinkedIn. Whether you are a LinkedIn neophyte or an experienced user of the tool, I guarantee that in reading this book, you will discover new tricks and methodologies for maximizing the ways in which you are able to use LinkedIn to grow your business and to enlarge and improve your professional network. This book makes an excellent gift - first as a gift to yourself and then to colleagues and clients.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great advice and insight on using LinkedIn January 11, 2012

By William H. Tyson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dave provides excellent advice and insights as the "LinkedIn Jedi". Much to my surprise (I thought I knew my way around LinkedIn) he filled in many important gaps. As a bonus, it is also an inspiring story of the rise of an Army Ranger to Entrepreneur, during some of the worst economic upheaval we have experienced since the Great Depression.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great and easy read, with practical examples to leverage your network, both for beginners and experts January 3, 2012

By JF

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I use LinkedIn routinely to read the articles on the front page and stay in touch with business contacts, but I normally don't get "serious" with LinkedIn unless I am looking for a job.

This book however, made me realize that there is much more to LinkedIn. It is a powerful tool that I can leverage to open doors for my business activity, close sales, develop my reputation, or find experts that can help me with advice. But in order to do this, I have to keep working and growing what the author calls "Social Capital".

The book was an easy read, with colorful and entertaining stories, but also down-to-earth, easy to apply advice that can change the way your approach networking and handle your business in general. As the author says, "The concept of networking and asking for introductions is nothing new [...] But now that we've entered into this new era of business, LinkedIn is augmenting some of these antiquated ways of spreading word of mouth".

The LinkedIn train has left and is changing the way we do business. This book will get you on-board.