I probably reject 80% of the invitations I receive on LinkedIn. The reason is simple — we’ve never had any interaction before.
Think of it like this, if a stranger walks up to you in a coffee shop and asks to put their phone number in your address book, would you say yes?
I’m not trying to be a big shot, but unlike my Facebook I try to keep my LinkedIn network tidy. I don’t want to see noise from people whom I’ve never exchanged a single word with, and I’m sure others would agree.
But Jason, we’ve never exchanged words before but I want to connect with you! What do I do?
(I’m just using myself as an example to feed my ego. This advice isn’t just for connecting with me of course.)
See that personal note section? It’s your best friend.
A simple note like “Hey Jason, I love your design work and I would really like to collaborate with you on a project sometime in the future.” or “Hey Jason, your designs suck and I want to teach you how to be better. Let’s connect.” is all it takes. Just don’t leave it as the default message. Let me know why I should add you into my network.
(On the other hand, if I see that you’re a recruiter or someone relatively well known, I won’t care for a personal message.)
So the next time you’re trying to cold connect with anyone on LinkedIn, take a few extra seconds to write a personalized message. It could mean the difference between making that life changing connection or getting ignored.
