how to use linkedin

Apr 07

Crafting the Invitation to Connect: Five Tips for Connecting Success

By Marijean Communications

A few years ago, I received the best invitation to connect on LinkedIn that I have ever received, before or since.

It was so good, in fact, that I kept it, generalized it down and have used it during speaking engagements and presentations as an example of how to invite someone to connect.

Now, in the case of a mass upload of contacts when you’re just getting started, or certain contacts with whom you’re connected a dozen different ways, sometimes the standard, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” is perfectly OK. But often, it’s not.

If you are connecting to someone new to your network:

Provide context; remind them how you know one another, who your mutual connections are and where you met.
Tell them why you’re interested in connecting.
Let them know what it is you offer, or how your network might be valuable to them.
If the connection has a new position or has a business recently featured in the news, make reference to that.
Familiarize yourself with the contact by looking for updates, common contacts, a blog, a Google profile, on Twitter or other content that will give you some context for the person you’re reaching out to; it may be helpful to know what’s happening with them on the day you conduct your outreach.

Here’s the “sample” invitation to connect that I’ve referred to so often. Take a look, then build your own.

As you may know, I resigned my position as [TITLE & COMPANY]. It was a rich experience and I value the privilege of access to a very high level of thought leadership during my years there.

Recently, I have begun to work with the [COMPANY] to [DETAILS OF JOB AND INDUSTRY] Using “best practice” as a baseline, we are [INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY’S GOALS AND PURSUITS].

As I value our relationship and appreciate the depth of experience you bring to your profession, please join my network so we can stay in touch on this and more.

Warm regards,

Isn’t that just lovely?

I often refer to this message when I want to set just the right tone when reaching out to a new connection. Feel free to adapt for your own needs, and of course, feel free to connect with me, as well.

Mar 16

Love0

Charlottesville Workshop: LinkedIn for the Job Seeker

By Marijean Communications

After being approached by no less than four disgruntled or about-to-be-laid off people in the last 48 hours, I’m launching a series of workshops to help. I think the biggest charge I get out of doing what I do is when it helps someone land a job or a new and better opportunity. I love connecting people to one another and to the next great moment in their lives. I’m going to start with a workshop at OpenSpace on Thursday, March 31 from 9-11am – LinkedIn for Job Seekers.

This workshop is designed for active job seekers and those interested in improving their professional online presence. This hands-on session will include:

Developing a searchable professional headline;
Optimizing your professional profile; and
Strategically increasing your social network.

Participants will be led through active job searches via social networks. Laptops are recommended but not required.

REGISTER HERE

OR . . . pass along to a job seeking friend.

Feb 28

Love0

LinkedIn: When to Ignore a Request to Connect

By Marijean Communications

My friend John posed this question via Twitter, “Say you don’t know someone and they send you a LinkedIn invite. I usually summarily reject. Are there cases where I shouldn’t?”

It’s a good question, and I know that people have differing opinions on this one. There are two schools of thought, as in most things, one is “white hat” the other a more “black hat” or not-so-ethical approach. I am steadfastly white hat; that’s what you get from someone with a background in professional communications, public relations and reputation management.

That being said, I believe in preserving the sanctity of what LinkedIn has set out to do; create business networks of people who actually know one another. I will extend this to fairly loose connections and relationships — I don’t have to know you in person or have worked directly with you to connect with you on LinkedIn. I do, however, need to have context that indicates our commonality — where we met, a common group or community to which we belong. I speak to large audiences frequently and sometimes am invited to connect to someone who I met during that speaking engagement. I often accept these, if I’m given that context and made a personal connection with that person at that event.

This leads to how we send those invitations to connect with others. Several years ago I received an invitation to connect that was so well-written, I have cleaned it up, generalized it, and used it as a best practice example ever since. A good invitation to connect looks something like this:

As you may know, I resigned my position as [TITLE & COMPANY]. It was a rich experience and I value the privilege of access to a very high level of thought leadership during my years there.

Recently, I have begun to work with the [COMPANY] to [DETAILS OF JOB AND INDUSTRY] We are [MORE DETAILS OF THE WORK BEING DONE, RELATIONSHIPS BEING BUILT].

As I value our relationship and appreciate the depth of experience you bring to your profession, please join my network so we can stay in touch on this and more.

Warm regards,

It’s helpful, when you reach out to someone to connect, to give them context — the when and where of your meeting or interaction. Some of us meet and work with many people and our memories are not as clear as we’d like. I may have simply forgotten your name, and if your note says only “I’d like to add you to my network on LinkedIn” that doesn’t do anything to differentiate you from the guy who is just trying to build his numbers.

That brings me back to the concept of the black hat social networker — occasionally you will get invitations from people who are so far outside your network you can’t even figure out why the invitation has arrived. There are people simply playing a numbers game; don’t be tempted to join this tribe or contribute to it by accepting. It devalues the network and the strength of the relationships in it.