When a LinkedIn connection request email lands in your mailbox, the worst thing you can do is to click Accept. That is, if you just click Accept button and do nothing else! Why is that?
In social media you actually have to behave quite social
By just accepting a connection request and not really doing anything else you are missing a chance to engage with the person connecting with you. It is like someone is saying “Hi!” and you just wink and do not even reply back. It might be a recruiter with the job of your life waiting for you. It could be your best future employee. It could… The fact is – that the person who wants to connect with you thinks you two have something in common. Not checking what it is and how you can both benefit from it is a missed chance. It might never present itself in your life again.
Engage with the people who come to you and say “Hi!” as you would do on the networking event. Check who is sending you a connection request and do ask them something to start the conversation. Ask how can you help. Offer your service, advice or whatever you can to help them. Clicking just Accept might put them off in talking to you. Jet you might find in them just what you have been looking for.
Saw your post on LinkedIn, and came here to read “the rest of the story.” I appreciate the nudge (& the way you put it); you convinced me!
Anne, I agree with your comment. I am a “newbie” to LinkedIn and did not really have many connections. I started by just reading and learning about groups or people I may want to be connected with. I am a new grad student in Library Information Science so I started with the ALA. I have received invitations and I always respond with a thank you and try to make some comment. I find only a few reply which makes me wonder why I got the invitation in the first place! I am a busy student right now, trying to get into a routine to make grad school manageable, so I know that I have not spent as much time as I’d like in various conversation threads. Homework must come first, however, I don’t feel that I’ve connected in the initial contact phase, so I tend to stay silent at this point. I also feel so inexperienced in the field that I don’t have much to contribute yet. I know I’ll feel more comfortable after even just this first semester. I hope to engage more fully as I proceed in the program.
Like Bettina, I clicked on the link more out of curiosity and read the full contents. How true. Not that I’m guilty of doing so, but the variation of it (e.g. ignoring an invitation because the profile or region doesn’t fit) could be a viable connection lost.
I totally agree. I am actively looking for a job in Ireland and try to reach out to as many recruiting professionals possible, however, they even do not respond to my specific inquires. Very frustrating and unprofessional. This does not even help me understand the reason why am I not being successful in my search. I am not presently located in Ireland but I am a EU citizen with plenty of multinational experience and post graduate qualifications. They can at least send an email to let me know they are not interested to work with me.
This is a great article. The power of simply being social and staying connected with a stranger could change your life. I accept the challenge of being an open networker.
Ivan, a very valid post. I agree entirely that at the very least you should say something along the lines of “Thanks for the invitation to connect, please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can assist or advise in anyway.”
Similarly something many people overlook. If you check who has viewed your profile and see some interesting results, drop them a message or a connection invitation along the lines of “I noticed you recently viewed my profile. Were you just browsing or can I advise in some way? Would be great to connect as well for future reference.”
I do so agree with that, and in my world, every person that asks to connect is doing such a brave thing, reaching out, in the hopes of finding that perfect connection, the one that will take them to the best job for them.
The job that will keep them happy and satisfied, productive. Not to mention EARNING!!!!
So I connect, write back, say thank you for the invitation, ask if I can send my cv and offer any assistance.
Who knows when opportunity could come knocking – keep an ear open……
100% spot on. Lets talk people
Ivan,
I couldn’t disagree more. The burden of starting the communication is on the person doing the approaching. If somebody approaches me on the street and says “Hi”, I will stop and listen to them (accept an invitation), but if they just keep going on their way, I’m not going to run after them ask them why they said “Hi”. So I disagree, I think the worst thing you can do is request a connection, but never explain why you are contacting someone. If you do not care enough to talk to me after approaching me, than I will just assume that you added me because my name popped up somewhere. And after certain amount of time, I will remove the connection.
@Tomislav – I value your opinion! The thing is though, that even those people that just connect to you seemingly randomly, might be of some use to you at some stage in life. You never know when will you be looking for the next job, or perhaps hiring someone? Having a large reach in social media helps in both cases!