The Power in a Link

Open Doors, Close Deals, and Change the Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn

By: Dave Gowel

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

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 audiobook 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 audiobook:

• Advises listeners how to spur effective network growth by projecting the right message online
• Demonstrates how to build and enhance listeners' online presence
• Shows listeners 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.

©2011 Dave Gowel (P)2012 Gildan Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"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 to displace hope with decisive action." (Roger Staubach, NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback and Executive Chariman, Americas, Jones Lang LaSalle)

Useful Information in a Slightly Irritating Book

There is some good information in this book about LinkedIn. Even as an experienced LinkedIn user, I learned a lot. That said, the substantive content of this book could be presented in an hour.

The remainder of the book basically consists of the author telling us about how great he is. I have rarely seen an instance of someone so often and loudly patting himself on the back. For instance, I do not know how many times Gowel refers to himself as a "LinkedIn Jedi" (a title bestowed by a Boston technology writer), but it could be turned into a college drinking game. Wouldn't two or maybe three references be enough?

I'm not saying I'm not impressed by Gowel's background. Hey, just tell me (once) you were an Army Ranger and I'm impressed. Tell me (once) that you started a successful tech business and I'm impressed.

Unfortunately, this self-congratulatory approach appears to be gaining traction among Gen Y authors. For me, it is a lot better to show me how good you are than to tell me again and again how good you are. But maybe I'm just an out of touch curmudgeon!

Oh, and about the narration. Sean Pratt is a go-to narrator. I have listened to many books Sean has narrated. He is smooth and polished. However, he sometimes has a tendency to sound like Niles Crane, the foppish younger brother from "Frasier." In this case, this tendency made the content even a bit more irritating.

unlocked the real power of LinkedIn

This audio book provides a great insite into this networking tool as a means to augment, not replace real world connections. A clear distinction is drawn between LinkedIn and other social media platforms,and several user stories a presented to illustrate this.

Not very instructional

I was looking for instruction and this is all story and experience. Not what I was looking for.

Wake up to the Real Power in a Link!

Everyone should listen to this book before using Linkedin. If you have already started using this business tool the the wrong way, this book has the clear steps needed to get you on the right track. Dave Gowel has done an excellent job explaining why the vast majority of Linkedin members have grossly underutilized this tool. He has presented his own personal successes using Linkedin the right way and clear steps that anyone can follow to build and organize a real-world network that will change your life.