LinkedIn is a great platform for networking and making professional connections. With over 740 million members, it’s easy to connect with almost anyone in your industry or location. However, blindly sending connection requests can come across as spammy or salesy. It’s important to send requests thoughtfully and politely to start relationships off on the right foot. Here are some tips for politely connecting with new people on LinkedIn.
Research the Person First
Before reaching out to connect, learn a bit about the person by looking at their LinkedIn profile. Read through their work experience, education, skills, and recommendations. This will give you some background so you can personalize your request. It also shows you took the time to get to know them versus sending a generic invitation. Look for common ground like shared connections, companies, schools, or interests. Point out these similarities in your request to establish rapport.
Craft a Personalized Note
Generic connection requests are easy to ignore. Write a customized message explaining why you’d like to connect with this person. Share why you found their background interesting or how you could mutually benefit from the relationship. Give specific examples of how you can help them or how they can help you. This thoughtfulness makes it hard to turn down your request. Avoid copying and pasting the same note to multiple people – take the time to personalize each one.
Highlight Ways You Can Add Value
Rather than focusing on what you want from the connection, emphasize how you can be helpful to them. Offer to make introductions to mutual contacts, provide industry insights, or exchange best practices. Share resources and ideas freely without expecting anything immediate in return. This establishes you as a connector who wants to build relationships, not just grow your network. When they see you as a valuable contact, they’ll be more likely to accept your invitation.
Connect with Common Interests
If you and the person share groups, causes, hobbies, or alumni networks, mention those in your outreach. For example, if you both belong to an industry association, you could say “As fellow members of [Association], I’d love to connect.” This shared bond helps create a relationship based on mutual interests and experiences beyond just a career focus. It also gives you built-in talking points for future conversations.
Reference Any Prior Contact
If you’ve interacted with the person before – online or offline – politely mention that connection. For instance, “I enjoyed your presentation at last month’s conference. I’d be delighted to connect here on LinkedIn.” This reminds them of who you are and shows your interest is based on a real-life interaction, not just random invites. It can reignite the rapport you had from meeting previously.
Follow Up After Connecting
Don’t stop networking after they’ve accepted your invitation. Send them a message thanking them for connecting and offering your assistance. Share a relevant article, introduce them to another contact, or simply see how you can help. This keeps the conversation going and strengthens the new relationship. Set a calendar reminder to periodically follow up and provide value without constantly pestering them.
Avoid Being Too Pushy or Sales-Focused
While you may hope this new connection leads to business opportunities, avoid sounding pushy or salesy in your outreach. Keep the focus on building a relationship first rather than making an immediate ask. If all your messages talk about your products/services and asking for referrals, you’ll come across as spammy. Take time to establish trust and rapport. The sales conversations can come after you’ve developed a solid connection.
Personalize Your Request Template
To save time, you can create request templates with common language to customize for each person. But make sure to tailor each message with specific details about them versus copying and pasting generic text. Personalize every invite with their name, company, where you met them, shared connections, and interests you have in common. Taking the extra minute shows you care about them as more than just another network statistic.
Connect In Person First
Try to meet people offline at events, conferences, and industry gatherings before connecting online. Introduce yourself and get business cards for follow-up. This gives you a basis for the LinkedIn request where you can reference meeting them in person. If an in-person meeting isn’t possible, see if you have mutual connections who can make a virtual introduction. Having a shared connection helps build trust and validity.
Avoid Irrelevant Offers and Favors
Sometimes people try to incentivize others to connect by offering irrelevant freebies like their e-book, virtual coffee chat, contest entry etc. This comes across as quid pro quo instead of wanting to build a relationship. Avoid these unrelated favors, gifts, and offers when connecting. Keep the focus on your common backgrounds and interests, not random freebies.
Consider Timing
When you send your request can make a difference in whether it’s accepted. Avoid Monday mornings or late Friday afternoons when people are usually extra busy. Earlier in the week (Tuesday-Thursday) and during normal business hours (9 am – 6 pm) tend to be best for response rates. You can also re-send your request once a month or so if they haven’t responded yet. But don’t badger them with constant invites if they haven’t connected.
Proofread Carefully
Typos or grammar issues in your note can undermine your professionalism. Always proofread your messages before sending. Make sure you have the right name and contact info. Consider writing it in a Word doc first so you can check spelling and punctuation, then copy and paste it into LinkedIn. Sloppy messages full of mistakes can make you seem thoughtless.
Keep Your Profile Updated
Before reaching out to others, optimize your own LinkedIn profile. Add a professional headshot, beef up your summary, highlight key skills and experience, and get recommendations. This gives people more context on you and your background when they get your request. Make sure your profile paints you in the best possible light before asking others to connect.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
It’s tempting to send as many requests as possible to quickly grow your network. But prioritize quality connections versus spamming everyone you can. Thoughtfully pick targets based on shared interests and goals for the relationship. Ten solid, engaged connections are better than 500 random ones. Focus on cultivating beneficial, long-term relationships instead of just expanding your contact list.
Personalize InMail Requests
If you want to connect with someone you’re not directly connected to, LinkedIn has a premium feature called InMail that lets you send customized messages. If using InMail, avoid duplicated language and make sure each note is unique. Reference their work specifically and share why you’re interested in their insights. Personalized InMails are better than just sending generic requests through a shared connection.
Follow Up and Stay Engaged
Connecting is just the first step. Have periodic, valuable interactions with your new contacts. Like and comment on their posts, forward relevant articles, ask for advice, offer congratulations on work milestones, and introduce them to others who can help. Don’t let weeks or months go by without any engagement. Nurture relationships proactively if you want them to flourish.
Add Value Before Asking for Help
Avoid treating new connections as just potential sales prospects or sources of favors. Establish yourself as someone who provides value and insights, not just another networker. Share knowledge and resources without expecting anything in return right away. This builds goodwill and trust. Once you’ve demonstrated your worth, then you can reach out for advice or referrals.
Conclusion
Expanding your LinkedIn network can open up many opportunities. But avoid sending thoughtless requests just to accumulate contacts. Take the time to personalize your outreach, highlight commonalities, and focus on how you can add value. This establishes relationships based on rapport and trust versus transactional networking. Apply these tips to connect respectfully and strengthen your LinkedIn relationships.
