Find out how to Stand Out when connecting with LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is the de facto business networking tool. Twitter is emerging as a prominent business networking tool, but right now it doesn’t come close to LinkedIn’s content and context richness.
Do you LinkedIn? I suspect you probably do.
If you’ve been using it for a while and your profile is complete, then you have probably been invited by people to connect. At first, the novelty is exciting and (if you’re like me) you accept all offers to connect. Thing is, LinkedIn are clamping down on such frivolous behavior. We need to be more selective.
So if potential connections are becoming more choosy, how do you stand out to make sure your invitation is accepted? You have One Opportunity – that’s all.
If you get just one shot at attracting a hot connection, then you probably shouldn’t waste it.
You might never get another opportunity to connect with this person again. If your motivation to connect is to create a business opportunity, or if you’re job-seeking, or maybe you want to tempt them to join your organization then this could be a costly mistake.
Ask yourself this: Do you use the boiler-plate invitation to connect, or do you tailor it to your invited connection?
Dave Crain is asking this question, and he has the answer on how to stand out. He presents an opportunity that costs you nothing but a few moments to attract the attention of choosy connections.
You can read Dave’s article right here. Why not make Dave’s day and leave a comment?
Not the headshot again! I’m beginning to think you actually enjoy putting my picture up. Okay – time to re-visit the photographer.
😉
Thanks Simon!
@Dave – no thinking needed. It is true!
Simon,
That’s good advice from Dave about personalising the invite – and I left a comment on his blog to that effect.
I usually also put a link to my blog (not to a sales page haha!) when I send a connection request – just under my full name.
Hi Mark – thats a great idea. I must try that. (How I hadn’t thought of that is beyond me – tut tut)
[By the way Mark – your comment has only just been approved (May 20) because Akismet spam filter thought that your link, which includes the word ‘virgin’, suggested a spam comment, mate!
To All: when you leave comments on blogs, don’t use words that might raise digital, automated eye-brows!
So if your name is ‘Dick van Dyke’ – use the name ‘Jerk van Gay’ instead! 🙂 ]
@Mark – and I must confess that in trying to approve the comment you left for me, I deleted it instead. Feel free to stop back and leave it again, but do know that I obviously didn’t intend to delete and value your comments.