I’m an open networker.  But I’m just the average open networker (of which there are quite a few of us) – connected to the mega networkers and five thousand plus similarly minded people.  I was wondering what benefits, and pains, the top five most connected people on LinkedIn enjoy compared to the rest of us.  I got to ask the #4 most connected person on LinkedIn, Steven Burda, about his own experiences.

Mr. Burda is a young extremely enterprising individual who definitely knows how to successfully self promote. He works at Boeing in a financial capacity and runs his own consulting business, through which he has no doubt capitalized on his experience and success using LinkedIn. So the first question naturally is how did this rise to the #4 spot start? Steven has been on linked since 2006. His primary reason to join, was one many of us consider when first signing up.

Why

He said, like most people getting yet another invite to join a social network, he was skeptical at first. Nonetheless, he wanted to network with other young professionals.  Having 0ver 40,000 connections you would think Steven has connected with anyone and everyone. Yet he says he has built his noteworthy connection base by only connecting with positive people. That’s probably a must for someone to stay excited about using this service.

How

Once he saw the overall benefits of being on and using LinkedIn, Steven started reading interesting profiles and reaching out to them, connecting with people based on shared interests, and always sending personalized invites. Don’t ask me how he finds the time to that, but I believe him. He also joined open networker groups like TopLinked to connect with other open minded individuals looking to grow their professional network of contacts. Steven is not premium member. He said he can do everything he needs to without.

In the process he said he has fun making business acquaintances both locally and all around the world. Steven says he’s had the opportunity to interact with people he normally would never have had the chance to meet. Some of these people he’s gotten to meet in person as well. He enjoys the personal development he has obtained through interacting with people. Through his participation of LinkedIn’s Questions and Answers functionality he’s been able to learn about himself and follow up with experts of various fields.

Successes

I asked him for some success stories he’s had from being on LinkedIn and specifically through his status as one of the top connected person.  Why else would one go through the hurdles to be one of the top connected? He says he can’ t tell me how many times he’s been approached with opportunities. That provides a great sense of security, especially in this economy.  Steven said he believes in the saying, “dig your well before you’re thirsty.”  The opportunities he has had extended to him include numerous job inquiries as well as invitations to test new products in the hopes he’ll be a product champion to his massive network. He has also been featured in several books focusing on modern networking.

Tips on Growing Your Network

Steven says

• to have fun but keep your profile professional.
• Pictures of friends and children are kept on Facebook.
• Pay it forward. 99 percent of the time he is willing to facilitate an introduction -provided there’s a legitimate request. He says he’s never lost a penny, just time.
• Never try to sell anything in your emails.
• Quantity and Quality – don’t focus just on numbers

Pains

Besides the obvious inbox nightmare I think would come with having that many connections, there are other logistical concerns with having 40000+ connections that I haven’t even thought of.  Steven grew his noteworthy network to 40,000 plus connections before LinkedIn imposed it’s site wide 30,000 connection limitation. LinkedIn was nice enough to let him keep the connections that he had made surpassing this limit, but it was pretty much game over conducting business as usual.

Because of this limitation Steven can’t connect to anyone new. So who care’s right? He’s already #4 for those seeking bragging rights, right? But Steven can”t connect his own neighbors or even family members who have joined LinkedIn, and often largely in part to his evangelism for LinkedIn.  To add someone new he would have to remove well over ten thousand connections just to be able to add one.  On top of that there’s the over 50,000 pending invites – which he claims, if accepted, would make him the most connected person on LinkedIn.  Tough to develop opportunities like this.

To be #1

I already asked Steven what successes and benefits he has over the normal person on LinkedIn or even compared to an open networker like me with thousands of connections of my own, but what benefits does the #1 guy (Ron Bates) enjoy that even Steven does not?  Besides the greater exposure of being #1, Mr. Bates has even further reach. That means by being connected to more people Mr. Bates is indirectly connected to the most people within the overall network of the currently six million plus individuals on LinkedIn.  However the difference between one and four isn’t that much. Both Steven and Mr. Bates are what Steven calls Supper Connectors.  Through a connection with either, you will have a very high chance of being indirectly connected to anyone you may seek an introduction with.

In the end

Steven says LinkedIn has a love hate relationship with him. Obviously they love his evangelist influence and overall goodwill within the LinkedIn community. He believes it is because of people like him, the mega connected, however that LinkedIn imposed the 30,000 connection limit. Steven is a virtual hub. Through him you can reach almost anyone – had he been allowed to grow his network naturally anyway.  I guess the 30,000 limit keeps anyone from from reaching evryone (especially as LinkedIn continues to grow) thus protecting LinkedIn’s premium services – which happens to include the ability to reach anyone one on LinkedIn whether you’re connected to them or not. Minus the connection limit, Steven concurs with LinkedIn’s policies such as account restrictions for people receiving too many “I Don’t Know” responses from connection invites. I guess you can say their feelings for each other are mutal.

In the end, Steven says he’s a big believer in LinkedIn. LinkedIn is not networking.  It’s just a platform, a tool. People make it happen and it is how you utilize it.

Steven Burda’s linked in profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/burda