It’s amazing when someone joins LinkedIn and starts connecting. People can easily find others who might be in their local community, or share a common interest. Then it’s an easy enough and comfortable action to invite someone to connect to your network.
Yet I am quite surprised with some people who extend their hand when they are not quite ready.
Maybe they are new to networking let alone LinkedIn. Since LinkedIn has the reputation of being a most professional business online networking website, you would think people would from the get go act, well, professional.
It’s not always my experience.
If you are on LinkedIn and wonder why you aren’t attracting who you want to in your Connections or prospects or collaborators, consider how you can revitalize your presence there.
Your profile picture. For me, I want to see at least a semi-professional photo. That doesn’t mean a semi-photo of you where you have cropped yourself out of a family picture or one with your husband or wife. That doesn’t mean you in swim trunks or showing cleavage. That’s my take anyway. If I wanted to see this kind of side of you, I’d likely be connecting with you on Facebook. On LinkedIn, upload a professional or at a minimum a semi-professional photo of just you alone, one that gives you a more business image to onlookers.
Expect this possibility after sending an invitation to connect. In several LinkedIn discussion groups we’ve talked about using that fabulous LinkedIn feature to reply before connecting. I’m in lots of company and it was a relief to learn that so many people use this feature. But it seems many people do not understand how to handle getting a reply.
If you aren’t already connected, you are not magically connected from a reply before accepting your invitation, so make your next move with a reply count, if you want to build your network.
Not being able to state what you want. Since I always personalize an invitation to connect, on the rare times I do send one, people always know my intentions. My experience in using the reply before accept, tells me, either people don’t understand that networking is about marketing versus selling, or that they don’t understand LinkedIn.
Less than 20% of the people I email to tell them a bit about my connections, and ask how they see themselves fitting it, reply back.
This is a guess however, when 80% do not reply back to a query about what we are connecting for, either they do not have clear intentions, or they know they are there to jump into the selling process and can’t verbalize it, or they never get my reply question. That last option is highly unlikely but I do like giving people the benefit of doubt.
Know why you want to connect with someone and simply tell him or her. You’ll be delighted with growing your network this way.
What you do after a hiatus. Someone was noticeably quiet for a period of time, it could be for personal issues, getting into a new line of work, just wanting rest from networking, whatever, they’ve been on a vacation from LinkedIn.
A return from holiday usually comes with a direct email. What I’ve found from a few of my 1,200+ connections is that when people return, the first thing they say to me when they come back is, “Hello. I need your help.”
Really? How about “Hello, let me tell you what’s been happening.” Let’s start new again when you return instead of sliding down the selling trail from the get go.
With LinkedIn coming out with changes almost daily, or maybe weekly, it’s time to take advantage of things to revitalize how you connect with people.
Are we connected there yet?
As you know, I agree with what you say, Pat.
However Linkedin is tricky in the sense that if
3 people you send invitations to click ignore, Linkedin blocks you from sending more invitations.
So I think it’s a good idea to only send invites to people you know that are not likely to kick ignore.
Frequently get messages from Linkedin members saying they need my email address to send me an invite i.e. they have been blocked by Linkedin.
Catch is how do we know if they are blocked because 3 people clicked ignore or because they are spammers?
On all other social media networks you can send invitations to all and sundry. But the 3 ignores make Linkedin a bit tricky:-)
I am such a newbie with LinkedIn that I know I am only barely scratching the surface of what it can do. There are only so many hours in a day I am not sure if this is a network I should invest those hours in right now.
Catarina, that’s one reason why PERSONALIZING an invitation to someone is good practice. If you tell someone WHY you want to connect, then they have more information to make a decision.
Are you sure it’s 3 people? I thought you get blocked after 5 or 7.
Never the less, back to my point, if you send an invite to connect, show the person you are serious about the relationship and personalize your invitation.
As always, thanks!
Be where the people who you want to attract hangout, is my motto Cheryl. If they are on LinkedIn it’s worth the time. If they aren’t it isn’t.
Thanks!
Pat, as I said I agree with what you write including personalizing an invitation.
However, the person you send an invite to can still click ignore. Less likely, but still..
From what I know it’s 3. But it doesn’t make much difference it it’s 5 or 7. Point is they block you.
It’s much easier to do what you suggest, and I already do, in another network. It’s only Linkedn that blocks you:-)
I understand Catarina and thanks for repeating. The thing is, if LinkedIn controls it, the only thing you can do, is what you can do. Thanks.
Thanks Susan. I’ve found professional is lacking almost everywhere online. But a post for professionalism might be energy releasing. Thanks.
marquita those endorsements can be a double edge sword and when used the way you describe, it’s not the edge I want! Thanks.
For two years the most read post on my blog has been “How to Write a LinkedIn Invitation.” People just don’t know how to write one and — horrors — use the default invitation, giving no reason why you should connect with them. I do not hit the ignore button so I guess I’m doing them a favor. Another no-no is not having any image, must less one that you copied from your high school yearbook.
So there is credibility in Susan’s thought that a post on just what DOES professional mean might be in order. Then, maybe that’s different for those of us in different generations? Or maybe the online aspect poisons it?
Ahhh – the high school crop. Forgot that one Jeannette! Thanks.
I’ve been a LinkedIn member for a number of years. I do find it fascinating what people do and don’t do on this professional network. I guess they don’t understand what professional means… LOL. A post on that would a a great one as well. 🙂
Enjoyed your article, especially your point about how to connect with people. Without question, my hot button with LinkedIn is the Endorsement system. It’s turned into little more than “I’ll pat your back if you pat mine.” Every week I get new endorsements by someone I have never worked or collaborated with. I always send a “thank you” note, and ask them how they know me. I always try to be polite, but I will not endorse someone I don’t know.
I haven’t really looked into linked in that much. I am only recently learning that it is much larger than it at first appears.
Yes Jon; larger and depending on your market, more ROI. Thanks.
I get really irked by people who want to connect without knowing you at all. It’s not Twitter! I don’t even have 100 connections on LinkedIn yet, and that’s fine by me, since I feel like I’ve earned each one and that person could vouch for my writing, blogging, or teaching ability in some way.
Jeri, it certainly isn’t the number of connections. Thanks.
All excellent points, especially when ppl start off with “I need your help.” This is a really big turn off for me too. I have not been very active on LinkedIn, but I get a lot of requests to connect. After reading your post, I am inspired to be more involved and start accepting the invitations. Thank you, Patricia.
Jenny K. Campbell
Thought-provoking! I was going great guns on LinkedIn last year, but fell off the wagon when I began a full-time contract gig in February. If and when I get back into it, I’ll keep your advice in mind!