Chris Mercer (Mercer Capital) is a big fan of LinkedIn, which he uses to expand his network of fellow professionals, potential referral sources and prospective clients. At the recent NACVA/IBA conference in Miami, Mercer shared his strategies for using the social network. The first step is to create the best profile you can.  “LinkedIn is your public profile on the web, and people will look at it on LinkedIn more than any other place,” he says.  Chris believes photos help (of course, he’s handsome, so this might be biased!). “You wouldn’t you go to a cocktail party with a mask on,” he told NACVA/IBA attendees.

Mercer provided copies of  “Professional Services Networking: Your LinkedIn Primer,” a 41-page guide he wrote on making the best use of LinkedIn. The Primer is available on his LinkedIn profile.