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In this special episode I take a break from the normal format to concentrate fully on a comprehensive review of LinkedIn's Sales Navigator product.I believe that this product is critical to the future of LinkedIn who are still trying to break away from an unhealthy reliance on their flagship Recruiter product so I thought it was about time I upgraded and gave Sales Navigator a thorough appraisal.What is Sales Navigator?The first thing to understand about Sales Navigator (SN) is that it is not a conventional premium account. It's DNA comes from the Recruiter product and so it sits separately from LinkedIn.com.To access SN you click on a link from within your normal LinkedIn account which opens a separate tab with a different user interface. Premium accounts are basically normal accounts with added features, SN is very different and is designed for people who are focussed on using LinkedIn as a social selling tool.It is principally a lead generation and social listening tool, it's not a CRM (contact/customer relationship management) tool....not yet anyway!TerminologyOne of the first things you notice about SN is that LinkedIn have chosen to rename things, despite the fact that they are (mostly) the same as the traditional features on LinkedIn.com. For instance;Leads - translation = PeopleAccount - translation = CompanyLead builder - translation = Advanced search (with all filters)

New LinkedIn Acquisition. Fliptop, the lead scoring business announces LinkedIn takeover

Users are reporting a change to their LinkedIn inbox. The invitations and archive folders have gone now but you can still see your invitations, they are just in a different section.CommentaryIn this interview with Forbes magazine Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn CEO) reveals that they are currently testing a new messaging feature for LinkedIn. This is great news and not before its time. What do you think it will be like? Will it be on the desktop app or mobile or both?I can't wait to see what it will be like and think it could be a game changer for LinkedIn. New features are always rolled out gradually so if you get it before me then please let me know and send me some screenshots to [email protected]

I need to warn you about a product called 'Advanced Social Messenger'. Do not use this product on LinkedIn or you might be the next recipient of a message like this!Finally this will be the last episode for a couple of weeks. I'm going for a much needed break in the sun when I intend to do very little except relax, eat and drink!

A change from the normal format this week as I interview the team behind Autopilot for LinkedIn. A system that allows you to view multiple profiles automatically.

On the call are Scott Offord and Philip Cardwell

I have been using Autopilot for about 10 weeks now and i have been really impressed with the results

It is really important to note that using Autopilot is NOT just about getting profile views, this is merely an indication of potential. In order to make your profile views count you need the following;

Because Autopilot views more profiles than possible on a free account you will need to upgrade your LinkedIn account to a Business Plus premium account (you may have the option of a free months trial).

Like most systems, Autopilot can be misused but if you focus on the above points I am convinced you will see great results.

Using Autopilot can benefit your business but it is also a very powerful tool for jobseekers, check out this case study that Scott mentions in the interview.

I appreciate that this episode could be be interpreted as an 'advertorial' for Autopilot for LinkedIn but nothing could be further from the truth, I approached Scott and Philip because I wanted you to know more about this. That is why I am posting a general link to Autopilot as well as my affiliate link which will pay me a small commission (at no extra cost to you)

You can take a free 15 day trial of autopilot and then decide if you wish to continue using the product, for me it was a 'no brainer'!

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Is trimming your connections a good idea? I can see how it would help with engagement and that is a very important aspect of using LinkedIn but it would also reduce your opportunity for introductions. What do you think? Ping me your thoughts at [email protected].

Question

I have two profiles on LinkedIn, the one I don't use only has three connections. How can I close this account?

ANS = see below, you go to your settings under the 'Account' tab

My question for you;

How many 'Interesting' quotes did I get away with?

If you haven't yet you can do so by clicking on the image below

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News    China passes 10 million LinkedIn members    Google+ share link disappears from published posts    There is a bug with skill endorsements    You can no longer download your connections! Well you can but it comes as part of the archive and takes a couple of days to arrive.    New LinkedIn Slideshare lead generation feature    Slideshare presentations are appearing in some channels

Commentary    LinkedIn ads could work if you combine them with Google re-marketing.....and you have a decent budget!    Lottery ticket updates have no place on LinkedIn    How often do females get harassed on Linkedin? This is the blog post I refer to.    Keeping your profile up to date. These politicians show varying levels of accuracy        Jo Swinson - good work, lots of information and fully up to date        Esther McVey - Not updated at all.        Frank Roy - not much information to start with but it has been updated    Lynda.com advertise their courses in Linkedin Pulse.....and manage to get into a channel!