Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections. An Interview with Al Kushner and Michael A Forman
- mforman521
- Sep 29
- 12 min read
📍 📍 I. We're talking about how AI is transforming marketing, revolutionizing content creation, sharpening audience targeting, and taking campaign optimization to the next level. But here's the big question. Can AI help us build better relationships? Or are we just risk risking turning our networks into just another automated process?
My guest today is here to unpack exactly how business can leverage AI to stay ahead without losing the human touch that makes networking so powerful. So come on, let's grab it. I would like to welcome to the podcast Al Kushner, and I don't want to butcher his background, so I want him tell you a little bit about it.
Al, welcome to the podcast. Thank you Michael. Glad to be here and appreciate the opportunity. So background. So I am an award-winning author. My new book is called The ai LinkedIn Advantage. Not sure if you can see it over here, but it is a it is a resource for those who are looking to, maximize their presence on LinkedIn and using AI technology to really elevate your, not only your level at your presence, but also to make your presence impactful on LinkedIn. And that's really what it sets the sets it apart from other books on the marketplace. That sounds great.
And really every listener should pay close attention because one thing I promote is for business is LinkedIn. So if this is going to give them a little advantage, they should really pay attention. Okay. How is AI transforming the way business, the way businesses build and nurture professional relationships?
Does it compliment or compete with the human connection? I believe it, it compliments it because it's just helping you to create ideas to structure sentences in a way that is compelling to whoever you're going to be targeting to. So if you have any any information that you'd like to share, this just helps to enhance that information and provide something that will be relevant to whoever your target is.
And I think it's gonna make a big difference, particularly on LinkedIn. So what you're saying, so the, what they wanna post on LinkedIn and they use ai. Do you suggest that they go over what they want to say or should they add their own little personal touch to it? Yeah, of course. AI is just a tool that you would use to help you create ideas for content.
It's always good to be yourself and be authentic because that really is gonna make a difference and people can see that. So if you're talking in a certain way it should be conveyed in the. Information that you are trying to relay to people. So it's always important to provide information that's of value.
When you're on LinkedIn, it's more about giving than taking, and that's really what my advice would be to do, give more than you receive. Good. That's right in line what we're always talking about. In what ways can AI help marketers and networkers identify the right people faster without losing authenticity in the process?
I. I think the most important thing when it comes to LinkedIn is to have your profile optimized, because the first thing is that people are gonna look at is your profile, and you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Simply put. So if you're, for example, your profile headshot is not.
Professional or even your backgrounder that can really impede your ability to make quality connections. So you really need to optimize that, make sure it looks good, make sure your information, your background is is informative. I stress a lot of bullet points because people don't have time to read along the sentences and such, so you really want to, be as concise as possible, even.
Your headline, your, the words that you have in there should be strategic, almost optimized. So when people are doing searches, let's say you're an SEO expert, it should be in your header itself, as well as other things that help people find you on LinkedIn. Good. Good. Very good. Okay. With AI driven personalization on the rise, how do we ensure we're not just automating connections but actually building meaningful ones?
The important thing is that you wanna establish yourself as a thought leader. In order to do that, you should create content that's gonna be valued to wherever your target audience is. My example, I've created newsletters. I have about five different newsletters on LinkedIn, and when I send out at least once a week people look forward to receiving that information.
Okay. And what generally are those newsletters about? It depends. I have the newsletters for referral partners, which are, let's say accountants or attorneys or financial planners. And I would talk about topics that, about LinkedIn and how they can make themselves more, impactful how to, for example, get referrals on LinkedIn, how to use it in a way to outreach and not become sound like salesy.
So these are just examples of articles I do every week and it really is making a difference. In addition, I also do videos as well and videos I take it are more inviting than even just the newsletters. Absolutely. In fact videos are perhaps the biggest growth I've seen on on the platform because the algorithm loves videos.
So if your video is between 60 to 90 seconds, which is a sweet spot, that'll make a difference, particularly if you're posting in groups. And that's my next thing to talk about. Groups are definitely gonna help you raise your level of awareness and also make you more connections than you can imagine.
Okay. What's a practical example of how AI has helped you or your clients optimize networking related marketing campaign? I've used it to reach out to influencers on LinkedIn. A lot of times these influencers would post at various times on LinkedIn and I would. Be alerted when their post is online and reply back to them, usually in a timely fashion.
'cause the key thing is they may have thousands of followers, but what happens is as soon as they post, the first few posts that are gonna be on there are gonna be viewed better than the ones that are, down with the hundreds of other people. And when you posting, you gotta be a little bit more than just thanks for sharing.
But also take the information that is posted and maybe see what ways you can add to it. Add value to the influencers, post raise questions that may not have been asked that really compliment what they're doing. And you'll find that not only you'll get possibly more followers to look at your profile, but even the influence themselves may decide to reach out to you because they find you of value for their post.
How do you suggest getting more, everybody has a certain amount of LinkedIn connections, followers, and everything else. What, how would you suggest them getting more LinkedIn connections? The best way, of course, as I mentioned, it's a joint groups because you have an opportunity to connect with people that are like-minded or looking for the services that you offer.
I would. Post videos in those groups because very few actually do post videos for the most part, and that's gonna definitely raise your game and get you a lot more people reaching out to you. And that's really what you want to have is quality connections, so instead of posting haphazardly, post strategically into groups and use video as a format, that's definitely made it made a difference for me.
Good. Good. Okay. How can small businesses or solopreneurs leverage AI for smarter networking? For smarter networking and content outreach without needing a huge tech budget? With software like Chat, GPT, it definitely helps you to create ideas for articles. It can actually help outline your article itself, and I think it's definitely a good resource where you don't have to spend a lot of money on hiring.
I. People to do that. You just access that. And a lot of times I do on the weekend create my newsletters for during the week, and then I use LinkedIn's scheduling to schedule in advance to post at times when people are most likely to read it and receive it at that time. Okay, good. So what's your take on the balance between AI efficiency and irreplaceable value of face-to-face networking and where should leaders be focusing?
Certainly AI does make a lot of efficiency when it comes to connecting with people especially through Zoom and other types of platforms because. In-person networking has limitations, because you have to be there physically to do something. And a lot of it's by geographic where, on platforms like LinkedIn, you can reach people worldwide for your services.
Why limit yourself? And with AI technology, there's a reason why you can't use it to create content, to reach your target audience. Where normally it would be, almost impossible through traditional waste. Do you network just through. Electronics or do you face-to-face networking?
I do speaking engagements, so when there's an opportunity to speak in front of associations, I do that. And I find that to be very important as far as an outreach because speaking always is going to be raise your level of awareness. I talk about my book. I talk about topics that are relevant to the members of the association.
So I think that's very vital in terms of outreach. Okay, good. Okay. What's your what's your take on the balance between AI efficiency and the, I just, I asked you that question already. Okay. Wait, let me, lemme go down one more. What makes you see businesses, what mistakes do you see businesses making when they try to use AI to shortcut the relationship building?
Very simple. I see a lot of businesses fail because the first thing they do, as soon as they connect with someone is they pitch, slap them. And that's definitely something that for me would be no. And I immediately usually block these individuals because they don't understand, this is not the way to do it.
They have AI creates some kind of, elaborate sales pitch and they think, I'm gonna fall for it. And it's not. That's not how you make a connection. Same thing if you were in person with someone, and as soon as they meet with you and they shake your hand they're already pitching you.
And that's not the way to do business. You really have to do it in a way that it is, seems natural. Just get to know the person first. Find out, their interest. Find out what they like about LinkedIn, for example. For me, I, a lot of times I provide a need book, to give them information that may be valuable to them.
And they're usually well received by those who are. Trust in connecting. So give more than you receive is the way to connect. In, in, when I go and I speak at different conferences or if I go into a a company to a workshop, I always suggest going to a networking event with a servant's heart. Okay.
So that is so that you're always giving and not receiving if you. Go in, as you said, give a pitch automatically, you're gonna turn everybody off. But if you go in and I use something called FORM, family, occupation, recreation, and a message that usually puts the other person at ease. So you have them talk about themselves, have 'em talk about their family, their, what they really like to do, and that what that does that lowers that wall between the two of you, but erases the trust value and that's what really makes it so networking.
Know you you trust you'll do business with you. So that's all part of the same thing. Okay. How can AI professionals. Stay top of mind with their network in a way that feels personal, not robotic. I use for example, newsletters and I've reached out to people and I'd be as authentic as I can in the information I provide.
Being on a regular basis, weekly is ideal because it's always about, being on top of mind, which is what you want to do, create videos of value. So I post videos into various groups that I'm a part of and it gets well received. So it's a combination of things that you can do for any type of outreach just to be on top of mind.
So create content, provide value, and also comment on influencers that are in your field that also help raise awareness. Give things of value to whoever they're posting, and it's something that will help to move the needle, I would say. Very good. Okay. What's one emerging AI tool or trend that you will, that you think will completely reshape how we approach networking and marketing in the next 12 months?
Certainly I would say videos are on the rise and a lot of opportunity there is available. There are ways that. Perhaps you can create even an avatar of yourself with your thoughts and feelings and doing a video without you doing it yourself. I think that would be tremendous because a lot of the information that you have, again, you can't be in two places at once, but for this technology, you probably can, and that would be a game changer I think.
I think you're right. I think you're probably right. I'm listening to you and really how successful you've become, but can you give us one mistake that you've made at really big mistake and how you overcame it? I think procrastination has always been following me most of my life and not really being more reactive than proactive in responding to decisions.
Like writing a book, for example, was something I was debating and whether I should do it or not, and I decided that, a year ago, this is the opportunity to do it if I don't take advantage now. The competition will, and sure enough, I decided to move forward with this and I was really impressed by the work that I've done.
It really gave me an ability to become a thought leader and something that I don't regret. But for me, it was always procrastination because I said, oh, I'll put it off to tomorrow. And that never works. And you won't succeed unless you really just take the, take the chance and go for it.
Good. Okay so let's bring this podcast full circle, and if you had to give one piece of advice to someone who wants to use AI to enhance, not replace their networking efforts, what would it be? I would say that try to get information on the services or products that you're looking to do, investigate that.
I would say not to wait, until it happens. You gotta embrace technology while it's coming because it's always changing, and you'll find that if you use it the right way, they'll be most effective and it will help your business grow exponentially. Very good. Yes that's exactly right. Listen, I'm so glad that I had you on the podcast.
You opened my eyes at least up to ai, and I hope everybody listening would then also have their eyes opened up and buy your book. But how would somebody get hold of you if they wanted to ask you a question or have you coached them or anything else like that? How can they do it? You can go to my website, linked vantage.com.
You can also access a lot of resources. I have available. I have a free ebook for optimizing a profile. It's also available on the website as a download. You can connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm open to anyone who wants to connect with me, which is fine. Just remember when you reach out to me, don't pitch slap me because I will definitely block you.
Other than that, I'm happy to connect with anyone and looking forward to helping those out there who need this resource. I really appreciate you coming outta the podcast and I hope to speak with you soon. Thank you. Thanks for the opportunity, Michael. Have a good one.
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A huge thank you to our guests for sharing such incredible insights today, and of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in and spending your time with us. If you're interested in my digital courses being coached or having me come and talk to your company, just go to MichaelAForman.com and fill out the request form.
Remember, networking isn't about being perfect. It's about being present. So take what you've learned today. Get out there and make some meaningful connections. If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share it with someone who could use a little networking inspiration.
Let's keep the conversation going. You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or my website michaelaforman.com/podcasts.
Michael is a business networking expert specializing in enhancing professionals' networking and communication skills to drive profitability. As a leading authority in this field, he is highly sought after for his dynamic presentations and workshops. His extensive experience has consistently led to significant improvements in corporate profitability by empowering individuals and organizations to connect more effectively and efficiently.
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