Evernote Hello (Android, iPhone) – Scans Business cards, automatically connects, makes meetings memorable. Great for prequalification presentations, jobsite, and pre-construction meetings!

CoBook (iPhone) Imports your contacts with Rich Profiles, organizes volumes of contacts with intelligent search by name, company or group. It also displays the local time for each contact – a handy feature!
To get it to work with LinkedIn, On your iPhone, open Cobook’s Settings and simply shake your phone. Aggregating your contacts in one place so you’re never caught without your contacts while at the jobsite.

Tout Email analytics, email templates, live feed interaction with links to call, email or access your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system for personalized follow-up. If you don’t have a CRM solution you can import your contacts by group or association. Works with Outlook, Gmail and synchronizes with your LinkedIn Connections. The ultimate in easy follow-up to all your important construction meetings and business development opportunities.

Five Hundred Plus For those of you with over 500 LinkedIn connections, this personal CRM tool now has a team feature if you have team members nurturing a prospect. Keep you LinkedIn connections close and nurture referrals with those that influence the construction industry.

ProInsights.me (Android tablets, iPad and the iPhone) This app offers a better way to visualize your connections with infographics, has an intelligent search that’s useful for finding someone when their name escapes you. Sorry no videos available on this one but there’s a quick overview preso on their website. Most construction professionals are visual, so make your LinkedIn connections and relationships easier to navigate.

NoteLeaf (Android, iPhone and Blackberry) This is a fantastic app that takes your Google Calendar (Which I sync my Outlook too daily) and gives me a recap of who I am meeting with 10 minutes before my meeting on my mobile device. Although not currently accessible in beta trials, add your email and get invited to their official release. I’ve used this for over a year, keeping me informed with my construction prospects, influencers and customers.

Charliehq Another suggestion to sign-up for early. CharlieHQ will give you a reminder before a meeting and help you stay current with a contacts activities. Heard about this tool via my network. Looking forward to it’s release!

The post LinkedIn Secret Tools for Construction Business Owners and Business Development appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

These seven applications will help make  LinkedIn deliver business results and fulfill your 2013 resolution of leveraging Social Media. Best of all most of these apps are free to use (some offer premium services).

For People You Meet and want to Keep in Touch With: CardMunch is a Business Card App that transcribes contacts and connects on LinkedIn, currently for iOS only (owned by LinkedIn)

To Meet People When Traveling: HereOnBiz ( iOS only) is perfect for when you are looking to meetup with connections in other cities, and receive notification when connections that matter  are nearby or at the same event.

For People You Need to See More Often: HookFlash is a WebRTC app for video calls to your LinkedIn Connections ( iPad only)

To Keep Track of Who You’ve Spoken To and When: ConnectedHQ is a lite Customer Relationship Management solution CRM (owned by LinkedIn) which also incorporates profiles from Twitter, Facebook and Google+ providing a universal address book, comprehensive profiles, daily agendas and events.

To Showcase Your Expertise: Slideshare lets you upload your presentations and docs (owned by LinkedIn) so you can embed them on your LinkedIn Profile in the Summary, Education or Experience Sections.

To Keep Your Conversations Fresh: Rapportive is a Gmail  plug-in for access to LinkedIn, Skype, Twitter and Facebook profiles (owned by Linkedin)

To Find More Connections in Your Industry or Your Prospect’s Industry: Intro – Lets you define what industry and role you are looking to connect with from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MeetUp on iTunes and Android’s Google Play

Learn one App a day, and in a week you’ll be ready to make LinkedIn Pop! If you are in the construction industry, I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn to learn more about software, apps and construction specific tech topics a.

For more LinkedIn apps that have  working relationships with LInkedIn , check out  my Quora answer

photo credit: Adriano Gasparri via photopin cc

The post 7 Little Known Apps to Make LinkedIn Pop! appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Follow construction leaders you find on LinkedIn

I suggest you start following  Associated General Contractors Chief Economist, Ken Simonson – you can tell he is part of the elite group of thought leaders on LinkedIn by visiting his profile and noticing the “Follow button” – I’m already following and have met him numerous times at AGC events.  See how his profile has a large Follow/Following button rather than a connect button:

Add to the  Recommended Construction Thought Leaders List

Now there are many other talented people that serve and are dedicated to the construction industry that  are authors, bloggers,  business leaders, educators and innovators that often share their wisdom.  Apparently LinkedIn doesn’t know the construction industry that well so I though we could  get a list going of who should be considered and help Architecture, Engineering and Construction learn at a more rapid pace.  Please add to this list with your thought leader recommendations in the comments.

Brent Darnell – Construction Communications Wizard

Anirban Basu – Economist

Andrew Abernathy – Virtual Construction and Collaborative team building

David F. Carr – Construction Tech News

I’ll update this post weekly with all your additions.  Once we have a list of 25+ compiled I’ll see if we can get them submitted to LinkedIn.  This is obviously a join effort and with the help of the industry we can leverage the construction industry expertise and share best practices, critical thinking, technology and leadership that can propel the future.

Suggest Topics for Thought Leaders in the Construction Industry

Here are areas I’d like your suggestions for:

• BIM
• LEED
• LEAN Construction
• Civil Engineering
• Construction Finance
• Construction Business Strategy
• CAD
• Business Intelligence
• Equipment/Fleet Management
• Project Management/Operations
• Estimating

Again make suggestions in the comment section.

We’re all missing out on tribal knowledge.  Let’s pool it together.  Thanks for your submissions and please share this with others.

The post Construction Thought Leaders on LinkedIn appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Architecture in Bermuda 1939 – before LinkedIn existed

Architects and Planners have been busy creating profiles on LinkedIn. The latest statistics (as of May 16, 2012) show there are 1,128,581 LinkedIn profiles in the Architecture and Planning Industry. For those readers interested in knowing just where all these profiles are in the world, here’s a breakdown:

United States 337,376
India 69,140
Italy 63,357
United Kingdom 59,815
Brazil 50,974
Spain 43,815
Netherlands 29.585
Canada 29,339
France 27,700
Mexico 24,250
Australia 23,352
Germany 14,110
Portugal 12,983
Chile 11,784
South Africa 10,582
Denmark 10,479
UAE 10,361

US Cities: Greater New York City Area 37,569
Greater Los Angeles Area 19,362
San Francisco Bay Area 19,340
Greater Chicago Area 14,322
Greater Boston Area 13,313
Washington DC Area 12,115
Dallas/Ft Worth Area 9,333
Greater Seattle Area 8,915
Greater Atlanta Area 8,720
Greater Philadelphia 8,227

So you’re country or city isn’t listed? Ask me in the comments – I’ll be happy to answer. I’d also like to know where you are and if you are leveraging LinkedIn for your business. Share your stories.

Those that like this post may also be interested in:

Construction Industry LinkedIn Statistics

Construction Firms have Overlooked the Value of LinkedIn

The post Architecture and Planning Industry Stats on LinkedIn appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Citation: Construction Industry Linkedin Statistics by Country April 24 2012, ChartsBin.com, viewed 24th April, 2012,

Are there countries (or cities) you need the numbers on? I’m here to help, just ask in the comments section, or drop me a line on LinkedIn.

The post Construction Industry LinkedIn Statistics appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Keep in mind that joining a group doesn’t mean “Aha – look at all the people I can spam!” but rather “How many people can I honestly help” and “What can I share that will make a difference to each group member”. Business development also means more than marketing. We all need an education, to network with peers and with prospective clients. Be careful in joining too many groups or weighting them too heavily to your peers (I see this problem often), rather that to focus on your targeted prospects. Remember you are looking for business opportunities. Once you have a discussion going you can build trust and eventually set a face to face meeting. Yes, that’s still how it’s done in construction. So which groups seem to be most beneficial for construction business development professionals?

30 Best Construction Business Development Groups in the USA:

New Addition updated on May 2, 2012: Owner’s Representatives – see comments

A/E/C Industry Networking Group
AGC Construction Leadership Council
Architecture, MEP Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) Networking Group
Associated General Contractors,Subcontractors,affiliates,
Business Development Forums
Business Development
Business Development – The Missing Link between Marketing & Sales
Business Development Leaders
CapturePlanning.com Business Development & Proposal Management
Construction Management
Construction Management Association of America
Construction Marketing Ideas
Construction Professionals Forum
Construction Users Round Table (CURT)
Design and Construction Network
Design-Build Institute of America
eMarketing Association Network
Federal Business Development Network
Federal Government Contractor Network (TFCN)
International Facility Management Association
International Council of Shopping Centers – ICSC
Leadership in Capital Projects (LinCP) Forum
Marketing Advertising Brand Management
McGraw-Hill Construction
Retail Industry Professionals Group
SMPS National CPSM Group
Society for Marketing Professional Services
Society of American Military Engineers
The HEALTHCARE DESIGN connection
The Owner’s Dilemma

Best Construction Business Development Groups in Phoenix
Alliance for Construction Excellence
Arizona Builders’ Alliance
ASU Arizona State University
Arizona Association for Economic Development
Arizona Land Development
Arizona Professional Networkers
CMAA Arizona Chapter
IFMA Phoenix
Society for Marketing Professional Services Arizona Chapter
ULI-the Urban Land Institute
Valley Partnership

Most of the national LinkedIn groups have 1000’s of members but a few are specialty niches. Some are construction or business development focused while others are not. The local groups are often more intimate with a few hundred members. Pick and choose wisely. Take the time to look at the membership statistics of each group. Sometimes more members isn’t better as the seniority and regional info is a tell tale measurement. Remember that balance is important and plan to participate after listening to the discussions that evoke the most responses. Finding what resonates in the group will keep you busy and make you more successful.

If you found this construction business development article helpful, I’d like to hear from you. Either connect with me on LinkedIn (say biz dev in the invitation and use the “we’ve done business together”) or leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you.

The post Top 30 LinkedIn Groups for Construction Business Development appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

My favorite question in the Salary Survey is “What are the primary sources your company uses to recruit new hires (check all that apply)?” While the same question was asked for Field, Office and Executive recruiting, the chart below displays the comparison of office and field recruiting sources:

Source: AZ Construction Salary Survey – CFMA VOS – Dec 2011

The actual reported LinkedIn recruiting usage in the survey were 8.7% for the field workers, 17.4% for office personnel and 12% for management and executives. While Monster, Craigslist and Jobing.com usage were more popular, the Arizona construction industry has begun to embrace some social media. Facebook and Twitter usage were almost non-existent, used by less than 4% of participants. While serving the construction industry, it is still surprising that when it comes to technology that we continue to lag behind other industries. Compare this with statistics from the 2011 Jobvite Survey [slideshare] where

“89% of U.S. companies will use Social Networks for Recruiting”

and you clearly see the disparity.

LinkedIn is the business executives and professional recruitment golden roledex. If your Human Resources Department didn’t realize it, your professional recruiting firm does. As Jobvite has reported, “2/3 of Companies have Hired Successfully using Social Networks”. This is why I blog and teach contractors about LinkedIn, social tools and technology, because there’s a bottom line business value, and it’s not just in recruiting employees.

For those that participated in the Arizona Construction Salary Survey, the full results will be sent to you via email in January 2012. The 2011 Survey is available for purchase for $100 (2009 Survey is available for $50). Request your copy via Email.

If you are looking for ways to better Leverage LinkedIn or have successfully recruited field, office or management positions in the construction industry on social networks, please let us know in the comments. Lastly, please share this with your business connections so they can benefit too.

The post Arizona Construction Salary Survey Says… appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Twitter (My followers) – Thank you for following, mentioning and retweeting my content. If it weren’t for you no one would hear me and Twitter would be a big time waster – funny thing is that the majority of uniformed business people think this way. Let’s keep the Twitter value a secret as it is a competitive advantage, especially for the AEC sector.

Twitter (I’m following) – Thank you for unselfishly sharing your business acumen, thought leadership, and technology wisdom with me.  For taking the time to answer my questions and developing lasting friendships with many I may never meet in person, I am forever grateful.  I look for ways to reciprocate with you and hope to continue growing personally and professionally through your blog posts, event tweets and shared content.

Linkedin – A special thanks goes to each personal connection who has written a recommendation for me.  Your “trust” gift to my profile has attracted speaking engagements and business opportunities that have contributed directly to my professional success. To my connections – your likes and shares have helped countless others with their social media, technology and business education. Thank you for sharing announcements, blog posts and networking opportunities with the construction industry. We’re all working for the same outcome – growing infrastructure opportunities, a healthy housing market and a prosperous year ahead.

Facebook friends – It’s wonderful to connect with old friends and new, sharing breathtaking photos and humorous video moments. For those also sharing business content, thanks for caring about my success. A special thanks goes to Mari Smith and ALLFacebook who continue to make facebook changes less intimidating and offers ideas for your business to leverage Facebook. For the contractors and employees who have chosen me as a Facebook friend or liked my company page, please inform your employer that Talent attraction and community outreach work well here and to the residential contractors it’s a must for reaching business opportunities!

WordPress – Appreciation goes out to all my blog subscribers, and those that have commented on a blog post. Each of these small actions (like, share, +1) has helped to drive traffic to my website often leads to business synergies.

Google+ – You’re new to the party. While few people have asked to be in my circles, many of those that have are my closest influencers, news sources and advisers. Thank you for being here – Your deserve a +1 everyday. Thank you Google for making a better social network that makes content curation, communication and collaboration easy.

To my entire Business Network (those I email, see at association meetings and call on from time to time): You know the secret to networking is just genuinely caring about the success of others and building trusting relationships. May you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family and come back with greater appreciation for every connection you make each day.

To my family that I love dearly: I know I see you infrequently and wish that instead of video conferencing and phone call a Star Trek Transporter were available so I could be there more often, share more meals, hug, laugh and cry together. May your turkey be plump, your pies be sweet and your afternoon nap be restful.

The post Everyday is Thanksgiving on Social Networks appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Having volunteered to lead this workshop, students learned the importance of a LinkedIn headline, joining Linkedin groups, networking, volunteering and gaining experience at every turn – all while documenting their activities using their smartphones – capturing pictures, video and notes to showcase what students are doing outside the classroom. Each student added new elements to their profiles and contemplated what other LinkedIn applications (Slideshare, Box.net, Google Docs, etc) and social media they might want to use to enhance their findability.

With 55% of members attending the Construction Users Roundtable Conference expecting a labor shortage of construction managers, here are a few hungry students you may be interested in:
Graduate Students:
Navid Behzad
Arpita Ghosh
Christine Tancinco
Seniors:
Chrystine Bohman
Chris Celani
Jon Geele
Kim Young
Amanda Nichols
Kent Rinker
Juniors:
Sean Yeager
Sawyer Zuber
Kim Rahberger
Sophomores:
Sterling Smith
Freshmen:
Ashley Bernardez

Already Employed:
Patricia Traegde Sundt Construction

You may notice that many of these students are female. ASU excels at recruiting women to the construction careers through their Advancing Women in Construction program, connecting women business owners (mentors) with students(mentees). If you know high school students considering construction project management or engineering, share this post with them and have them consider emailing:
Dawn Rogers
Program Manager Recruitment and Retention
Del E. Webb School of Construction Management
Arizona State University

If you are looking for a speaker or in need of an educational workshop to help leverage LinkedIn, please contact me, Carol Hagen. I am available in person or via webinar for your business, group or association.

The post 16 Construction Management Students Are Hungry in the Desert appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Construction companies and the AEC industry struggle to leverage social media. They don’t understand the value that LinkedIn brings as they just see more emails notices they don’t want from overzealous salesmen. The business value is hidden in learning the obvious but overlooked features and functions. Let’s look closely at LinkedIn Today.

LinkedIn Today has a story trending about the Hensel Phelps Construction solar project and I couldn’t help but peek to see who was sharing this story. By clicking on the number in the lower right, a popup displays (shown above) of my connections up to the 3rd level sharing the story with their network. Why is this important you ask? What if this story was about your firm? If the social media maven at Hensel Phelps is paying attention there is an opportunity here that doesn’t occur when someone shares privately via email. An opportunity to make LinkedIn connections, show gratitude and strike up conversations. It’s the advantage that social media marketers have been shouting about but that your construction, engineering or architectural firm is still trying to figure out. If it catches someone’s interest and you know about it, don’t miss out on these social openings. You may find your next client!

If you found this interesting you may also like these articles:
LinkedIn Privacy
Google Loves LinkedIn

If you want to learn more about what you don’t know about LinkedIn or other social tools, I’m available for consulting, speaking engagements and strategy building.

The post Has the Construction Industry Noticed This in LinkedIn Today? appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.