Top 3 Reasons Why I Don't Respond to Contact Requests on LinkedIn
Posted on September 11th, 2014 | By Gerd Meissner
How to deal with non-specific "Connect" requests on LinkedIn? A lot more people I've never heard of have contacted me on the business networking platform recently. Out of the blue. No reasons given. Here's what I do with such requests:
As a general rule, with few exceptions, I simply delete them.
Three prime examples:
- Here's what I received: "Hi Gerd, I'd like to connect with you on LinkedIn."
Nothing else.
That's all? Come on, you can do better than that. Don't just click the "Connect" button. Be specific.
Think about it for a moment. Would you write me a business email that reads: "Hi Gerd, I'd like to connect with you by email?"
At least, you would tell me why.
- Faceless? Pointless.
If you don't have a professional photo of yourself, you may not be ready yet to join an online business network.
It's a privacy thing? Ditto.
Spammer? Oh, never mind. I understand. Yours must be a face that not even a mother could love.
Call me old-fashioned, but I have a thing for faces. For me, remembering faces makes business networking a richer, more productive, more fun experience.
- You didn't read my public profile on LinkedIn.
Hey, no problem at all. Totally get it. We all are time strapped and busy. I don't take it personally.
It's only business, right?
Yes, it is. So you missed the part with the details on how to get hold of me. Too bad.
Whatever business connection you intended to establish with me - if you do your homework and honor my time, we are off to a great start.
You can expect me to do the same. I, too, would like to "connect with you on LinkedIn."
So let's connect like we mean it.
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About me: How to build lasting relationships with employees, customers, clients and business partners? Useful and unique content that reflects the genuine interest your brand takes in their success goes a long way. It drives the conversation and gets more "shares" and "likes" on social media like LinkedIn. That's the kind of content I have specialized in as a freelance business and B2B cybersecurity writer, content strategist and book author. I travel a lot, work in the cloud, also blog here.
