AN EXCLUSIVE:
Our Interview with a LINKEDIn® Legend.
Joyce McMenamin interviews Sheilah Etheridge
For months I had been wondering if online only networking was really 'worth it' - if it were a professional best practice or merely a time-wasting hobby. Back in August, I decided to learn more - firsthand. I took the LINKEDIN profile I had begun almost a year prior and before I knew it, I was spending hours each day in the LINKEDIn® "Q&A" forum. I wasn't there long before I discovered a LINKEDIn® legend, Sheilah Etheridge. When I met Sheilah she was at the top of the "Q&A Expert" list, having answered more than 12,000 questions in the forum, since arriving there. That is no small feat.
Remember when I said I had become hooked on answering questions in the forum myself? I can personally attest to the fact that for even a professional writer with decades of management and business experience under my belt, the trek to the Top of the LINKEDIn® List of Experts is daunting. I eventually made it there after a few weeks of trying to get to the #3 spot. Challenged by a network-mate to make it to the #1 spot, I dug in and answered more than 252 questions within one seven day period.
My own experience in the "forum" helps me understand, appreciate and stand in awe of the huge milestone Ms. Sheilah Etheridge reached earlier this month when she answered her 13,000th question in the LINKEDIn® Q&A forum.
When I asked Sheilah for an interview about her experience she graciously agreed to sit down with me for a few moments, from her home in Alaska, to share her unique online networking experience with all of us.
Sheilah, you recently answered your 13,000th question on LINKEDIn’s Q&A forum, making you the first person to have reached such a high level of participation in this professional networking forum. What prompted you to answer so many questions?
It was never an intentional act or goal by any means. I found the LI Q&A’s about a week after they were added to the site and thought I would participate and get a feel for some of the members and their mindset. I am very efficient with my time and do not like to sit idle so many times as I sat waiting on hold for a call, or waiting for a 400 page report to print I was using that time to answer questions.
I always provide spontaneous answers so there isn’t much time involved in answering a question, however, there is a great deal of time invested in the follow up dialog between myself and the person asking the question. I would log in and log out throughout the day when I had a minute or two and answer a couple of questions here and there. I found that the Q&A’s is the single best way to start getting to know people before connecting.
I do hope people will not see the number of answers I have provided as a challenge or a goal. The number of answers means nothing in the long run. It is the quality of the answers we give that matter. One really good answer is always better than a thousand thoughtless answers.
Have the people at LI sent you a Thank You card, a bouquet of flowers or some acknowledgment of your HUGE accomplishment?
No, I doubt they even realize it. In all honesty I didn’t even know it until another network member told me. I never look at the experts list and find it a complete waste of space. I will say, that in the past, before adding the current help FAQ on Linkedin, I would occasionally get an email from someone at Linkedin thanking me for my contributions and also on occasion asking for help.
How long did it take you to answer 13K questions?
The vast majority of my answers were given in 2007. Linkedin added the answers section in January of last year. It had been up and running about a week when I gave my first answer. I have been far less active this year, but do still enjoy the site and will continue to contribute.
You probably know the answer to this question – if not we’d love your opinion on something we often see in LI's "Q&A" forum:
- Sometimes we see people "asking questions" who 'advertise' that they plan to take the answers they receive and place them on their blog or in a book. Noting that this is a public forum, once a Question or Answer is posted, doesn’t the Copyright revert back to LI?
This is a pet peeve of mine. I have had to contact people to remove my posts from their blogs, newsletter, and other sources on a number of occasions. I finally contacted the US Copyright office, and confirmed that any question we post or answer we provide have automatic copyright protection. We are the author and we hold that protection.
However, Linkedin recently changed their TOS and by agreeing to the TOS we are essentially granting Linkedin full permission to use our posts in any way they see fit. That does not mean we give up full rights, but we are granting them permission to use whatever we post. That is NOT the same as granting fellow members the right to repost our questions or answers. Both Linkedin and the member could file a suit on copyright infringement against those who continue to do this.
A member “should” clearly state their intent to repost along with a link to the site where our answers will appear. Short of that they need to request permission from each person before reposting. The only safe way to accomplish this is to gain express written permission from each person. If the member goes back later and adds a clarification stating they intend to repost, that will only apply to anyone answering after that clarification was added. Many members do not practice these requirements and as a result we often find ourselves associated with other people’s work. I have had to track down many and force them to remove my name and answers.
There are people I do not wish to have my name associated with for any reason and more importantly some members have actually changed the question on their site and our answers appear to be addressing a completely different issue. These actions are both unethical and technically illegal.
Most visitors to LI would be extremely impressed to see that the quality of your answers usually goes far beyond ‘simple one liners’ or one word answers. May we ask: How many hours, in a typical day, do you spend answering questions for LI?
Far less than you would imagine. As I mentioned earlier I give spontaneous answers and often times have no idea what I will say until I am done typing. I also log in and out periodically and may answer one question or five in any given time period. Also, many of the “how do I” type questions involve merging accounts and that answer is one I simply copy and paste. Many members do this because Linkedin didn’t adequately address these questions for the first year and the Q&A’s were flooded with requests on closing and merging accounts. I do not copy and paste any other “how do I” answers, but many do and I don’t blame them at all. It simply takes less time to type it from scratch than it does to find that particular document and copy it over. However, you must write your own response to copy and paste, do not copy someone else’s.
I would like to offer one tip for your readers that can be incredibly useful. When someone opens a new question and begins to type in the “header line” if they will type a few words and stop (waiting 2 to 7 seconds) Linkedin will bring up an entire list of similarly asked questions. If your question isn’t listed keep typing, if it is listed choose the one you want and look at the answers already provided. Or rephrase your question to solicit different responses.
This is true of any type question, not just help questions. Of course they can also search the Q&A forum itself as well.
Some people might look at this and think: “Sheilah, you should just write a book about everything you know!” Do you have any plans to write about your experience on LI?
Ah yes, hindsight is 20/20. I have actually helped quite a few people write eBooks and as well as real books on the topic of Linkedin and networking as a whole. One person requested my help (and other members as well) and did in fact quote our words and give credit to each of us. Other members who I helped were by far less forthcoming and used my material to write their own book, make a video, begin teaching Linkedin classes etc. I cannot say I am upset about it because in the end it did not pay off for them.
Due to the fact, that they didn’t understand the site to begin with, their books, videos and webinars were not a success. It takes more than someone else’s words to produce something of value. One cannot always teach what they don’t understand. Many have also lost out because they used the Linkedin Logo without permission and Linkedin does not take kindly to trademark infringement.
I have given a great deal of thought to writing a book in recent months because much of what is out there is not what I would consider quality work and can be very misleading to those who do not fully grasp networking. I would not however write a book on Linkedin specifically.
- What are the benefits to answering so many questions in the Q&A forum?
I would have to say the main benefit has been in the opportunities that my time has produced. I have gained clients from my time on Linkedin and done several small short term projects, but more importantly (in the long run) has been the opportunity to meet people I would otherwise never have met and be able to tap the knowledge of those same people (and of course allow my knowledge to be tapped by them). That is a valuable resource that anyone can benefit from. It requires an investment of both time and energy because we need to get to know the people we network with. We need to learn their strengths and weaknesses in order to recommend them to others and in turn for them to recommend us. It requires knowing the person, not just their company or their job title.
What are the drawbacks?
It can become overwhelming at times. Waking up to several hundred emails can be daunting. I find that as we develop relationships with these connections we need to be able to track who does what and where. What they can do for others and/or who may benefit from knowing that person etc. It isn’t enough to know someone works in IT or software development, we need to know what they actually do in IT, how well they do it and what (if any) limitations exist.
Tell us about your business and if there has been a ‘bottom line’ benefit to your business from participating in the LI Q&A forum?
I perform a wide variety of services in accounting and business management. I do all accounting functions from basic bookkeeping to full accounting and internal audits. Financial crimes audit are a passion of mine. Embezzlement is a leading cause of many small businesses failing and a regular audit does not always find what has occurred. Thieves are smart and know how to pass a regular annual audit.
I also come in and look at how you are running your accounting department and will show you ways to streamline the processes so that nothing is overlooked and efficiency is always achieved. I get to know the people on your team and their duties and will often suggest changes that should as well as “must” be made. I ensure you have a solid checks and balance system so that security is always maintained.
In addition to that I offer services to business that do not need full time employees for accounting, payroll and HR. A great deal of money can be saved by outsourcing these functions to me rather than having full time people employed. In addition outsourcing many of these duties frees up time for the business owner to perform tasks better suited to them without the concern of constantly double checking a less experienced person’s work.
I also rebuild (clean up) accounting systems when someone has had the misfortune of hiring the wrong person and the books become so entangled that no one can tell where things stand. This happens far more often than it should and is often the result of no oversight and lack of skills – which usually happens because someone is trying to save money.
How many contacts do you have on LI?
I am currently just under 1500. I have archived (not accepted) several thousand invitations. Being active in the Q&A’s is a great way to build a network, but I am selective over who I connect to.
How does having so many contacts add value to your life & business?
First of all I see no point in networking on line or in person unless the opportunity exists to meet new people. Because one never knows when or where that golden nugget can come from we need to keep our options open to possibilities. A few of my connections have actually become friends. Real friends, not just someone called a friend. Those people are rare though and for the most part these are business relationships we’re building and we need to be open to “what if” at every turn. The person you connect to may never do business with you, but their friend, colleague or relative may. The only way that will happen is if you have both taken the time to get to know each other.
A good example, I live in Anchorage, Alaska and one of my early connections lives back east. There was never a reason to do business together, we simply enjoyed the Q&A’s and had similar mindsets. I got a phone call one day from a lady here in town that needed accounting services and as it turns out he had sent her my way. He had never mentioned he knew anyone in Alaska and yet I gained a client through him. One just never knows………. I have done the same thing for other people. Once you begin networking you realize the world is a very small place.
Do you spend time networking, at a professional level, elsewhere online?
I do belong to a few groups, but do not belong to any other professional networking sites. I have looked at several but none offer the same atmosphere as Linkedin and I see no point joining other sites only to connect to the same people I am already connected to. I do have a Facebook account and a few of my Linkedin connections are there as well. But we do not use it for business purposes. It is strictly social.
What are your offline networking activities in addition to the time spent online?
I helped put together a Linkedin Live here in Anchorage that showed great promise. Unfortunately, it somehow changed course towards Second Life and fizzled out. But I do have plans to start another Linkedin Live. In addition to that I belong to a few of the Accounting and management accounting organizations here as well.
What does your family think about the time you spend on professional online networking?
They are very supportive and understanding of it now that they have seen what it is all about and the rewards that come with it. But it wasn’t always that way. At first they thought I had lost my mind. They would ask: "Where is the real Sheilah, what did you do with her?" I must admit I asked the same thing myself – several times. If anyone had ever suggested I get involved in online networking I would have laughed them out of the house. I couldn’t imagine it could ever be a productive use of my time. I was wrong, very wrong.
What type of advice would you give to someone just approaching LINKEDIN as a professional network?
Learn the site. It is easy to navigate if you take a few minutes to understand how it works. Become involved in the Q&A’s and do not worry about how many questions you answer. But do answer when you can add value. Above all READ the entire question. Don’t assume you know what is being asked from the header, read it all. If you want to ask a question type your questions in document form first and save it. Go back an hour or two later and read it and ask yourself if the question is stated clearly – your audience does not read minds, and above all check the spelling. Once done, copy and paste it to the question on the site.
Build a solid network, get to know the people you’re connecting to, and above all always be willing to help others. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, let the real “you” show through.
Besides thinking and typing really fast… What types of skills or attributes do you think are required for someone to be a successful networker on LI?
I think a desire to help and to be willing to focus on what you can do for someone else before looking for what others can do for you. It is all about paying it forward. Have fun and be yourself. Anyone can network, even the shyest of the shy.
A word of caution to anyone reading this. Set up your Linkedin account as your own using your personal email address and network in your own time. If your employer asks you to network as a part of your job (this is common in sales and recruiting) find out who owns that account and the connections once you leave your job. Employers are gaining grounds and the courts are agreeing that if you network at work, for work, it belongs to the employer.
SheiIah Etheridge owns SME Management in Anchorage, Alaska - we extend a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Sheilah on making LI history and particularly wish to express our sincere thank you to Sheilah for taking time out of her busy schedule to share her experience as one of the Top Ranked LINKEDIN Experts of all time! You can LINKIN with Sheilah and learn more about her company and network by CLICKING HERE.
LINKEDIn® is a registered Trademark.
Joyce McMenamin is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief at Network Abundance Publications.
October 30, 2008 by Network Abundance Publications
