LINKEDIN REQUESTS - FRIEND OR FOE?
Don’t you just hate getting all those LinkedIn requests from people you don’t know, don’t know their friends or their friends of friends? But this seems to be the way to connect these days.
FACT:
Try to search for a name in Google and those that have the Linkedin profile will come up to the front.
What does this mean? Nowadays that all the things we need to look for are one click away, it is important to establish and build our persona in the right place.
LinkedIn is a social networking site intended for the business community. Its goal is to allow users to establish networks and connection with people they know and trust professionally.
The quality and impact of your connections go a long way when referencing your character as a business person, as they say, “Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.”
From the term itself, “Social Media Networking”, connecting with people is significant and it is the essence of LinkedIn connections.
How do you make sure that the right people want to connect with you? Here’s a proven formula to get connected and accepted almost a hundred percent of the time:
1. Be Polite
To establish a first impression, make sure that you approach in a nice way. In the virtual world, words are the most powerful tool in speaking. Make use of kind regards and words that will show that you are cultured and refined.
2. Use Pertinent Remarks
When you add LinkedIn request, provide comments or a few lines to show relevance to what your contact’s business is.
3. Personalize
Remind them how you met, or if not, try to make rapport that will touch them personally– but don’t go overboard. Remember that the person you are trying to add is in the corporate world, make sure that what you say is still relevant.
4. Praise Professionally
Show your contact that you have made some background research by citing some of their recent achievements that you admire. Don’t sound too obsessed, though, just keep it at an impressive level.
SUMMARY:
Try the following formula to establish a connection and not miss that opportunity to link:
- Be Polite
- Use Pertinent Remarks
- Personalize
- Praise Professionally
HOW WILL THE FORMULA WORK?
Let’s put the situation in a real-world networking event. A person you have never met approaches you, introduces himself politely, knows who you are and mentions a few of your achievements, tells you how he admires your business (he knows about it) and only asks that you shake hands with him before he leaves. Would you shake hands with him? Definitely! And, I suggest you hand him your card if you have it handy. That is how your LinkedIn connection request becomes a way to get that virtual handshake. Even though there are some people who may not accept your request, this formula still works so you won’t get reported as a scam. So, try and be the one who wants to be friends with, not the one to avoid.
