Connecting with new people on LinkedIn can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With over 850 million members on LinkedIn, there are many opportunities to expand your professional network and make valuable connections. The key is knowing how to initiate contact in a warm, genuine way that makes the other person want to engage with you. In this article, we’ll explore tips and strategies for starting a conversation with someone you don’t know on LinkedIn in an effective, relationship-building way.
Why Connecting with New People Matters
Expanding your LinkedIn network provides many potential benefits:
– Gain new perspectives and insights. Each connection represents a person with unique experiences, knowledge and ideas that can broaden your understanding.
– Receive support. People in your network may be able to provide advice, referrals, recommendations and other forms of assistance as you navigate your career.
– Increase visibility. A larger network makes you more visible in LinkedIn search results, which can lead to new opportunities.
– It’s fun! Most people enjoy meeting and interacting with new professionals who share their interests. Networking can be interesting and rewarding.
Don’t be intimidated about reaching out to people you don’t know. Focus on initiating contact in a warm, respectful manner and many will be open to connecting.
How to Start a LinkedIn Conversation
Here are some tips for effectively starting a conversation with a new LinkedIn connection:
1. Review Their Profile Thoroughly
Before reaching out, spend time reviewing their LinkedIn profile. Read their summary, experiences, accomplishments and recommendations. This will give you insights into their background, interests and goals. Look for commonalities that you share and topics about which they seem to be passionate. This information can help you craft an opening message that shows you took the time to get to know them a bit beforehand.
2. Send a Personalized Connection Request
When sending your initial connection invitation, customize the request message rather than just using LinkedIn’s default text. Personalizing it makes the invitation stand out and shows extra effort on your part. Reference specifics from their background that stood out to you or note shared connections, interests or experiences you have in common.
Here are some examples of personalized LinkedIn connection requests:
“Hi John, I see from your profile that you have extensive experience in digital marketing at tech companies. I also work in marketing for a SaaS startup and would love to connect to discuss lead generation tactics and trends.”
“Hi Michelle, Your background in social work and focus on helping at-risk youth really impressed me. I volunteer for a local non-profit with similar goals, so I think we could have some great conversations about making a difference. I’d be honored to connect with you on LinkedIn.”
A warm, personalized invitation demonstrates genuine interest in starting a relationship and can give your request an advantage over generic ones.
3. Be Clear on Your Motives
It’s important when connecting with new people to have clear, honest motives. Some examples of admirable reasons to connect include:
– To learn from their experiences and insights
– To offer mentoring or advice based on your background
– To explore potential mutual collaboration opportunities
– To expand your professional network in a meaningful way
Avoid connecting primarily because you want something, like a referral for a job opening or client lead. Focus first on building a relationship, not just advancing your own goals. Be ready to offer value to the other person, not just receive it.
Entering new connections with transparency, empathy and care leads to networking in an authentic, community-focused way.
4. Reference Any Common Ground
When reaching out to someone new, reference any shared connections, groups, education, interests or experiences you may have in common. Highlighting common ground helps establish an initial rapport. For example:
“Hi Rachel, I see we both graduated from ABC University. I also spent time volunteering with their community outreach program while a student there. Looking forward to connecting!”
Pointing out things you have in common provides an easy conversational opening and a natural way to start creating connections. People tend to have a shared sense of belonging when mutual points of intersection are clear.
5. Start with a Question
Rather than just introducing yourself, start the conversation with an open-ended question. This provides an easy prompt for the other person to respond to if they choose and shows you are interested in their perspectives.
Some examples include:
– “In your current role at XYZ Company, what excites you most about the work you do there?”
– “I’d love your thoughts on the trends you see shaping the healthcare industry in the next 5 years. What opportunities and challenges do you anticipate?”
– “What inspired you to first get into the field of engineering? It seems we share a passion for innovation, and I’d be curious to hear what sparked your journey originally.”
Thoughtful, strategic questions demonstrate your desire to listen and learn about who they are. This builds rapport and encourages reciprocal interest in a two-way exchange.
How to Keep the Conversation Going
Once you’ve made an initial contact, here are some tips for continuing the LinkedIn conversation in an engaging, productive way:
1. Extend the Dialogue
Follow up on responses you receive to continue expanding the dialogue rather than letting it stall after one or two messages. Offer additional thoughts on a question they answered. Ask a new, related question to dig deeper. Share a story summarizing your own perspectives and experiences with the topic. Keeping the back-and-forth going leads to a richer, more meaningful exchange.
2. Be Friendly and Positive
Maintain a consistently warm, enthusiastic tone as you interact. This builds an affirming rapport that makes the person feel comfortable opening up and sharing ideas. Avoid using overly formal language and feel free to use friendly expressions, emojis and exclamation marks to convey positivity.
3. Make Timely Responses
Try to respond reasonably quickly to messages you receive to keep momentum going. But avoid seeming overeager or aggressive. Finding the right cadence for responding shows interest and attention without being pushy or impatient.
4. Suggest Moving the Conversation Off LinkedIn
At some point after establishing initial rapport, it can be strategic to propose moving your connection off LinkedIn. For example, you might say:
“It’s been great learning more about your work at XYZ Company. If you’d ever like to continue the conversation off LinkedIn, feel free to reach me at [email] or [phone].”
This demonstrates your genuine interest in an ongoing relationship, separate from the LinkedIn platform. Just be sure not to push for contact details too quickly before establishing trust and common ground.
5. Propose Meeting in Person
Finally, when the dialogue has reached a point where you’re actively collaborating, mentoring each other or sharing substantial insights, suggest meeting in person if feasible. Whether it’s for coffee, lunch or just a walk and chat, face-to-face interaction can powerfully advance a connection with someone new.
Key Principles for Starting Strong LinkedIn Relationships
As you reach out to new LinkedIn connections, keep these core principles in mind:
Be Authentic
Focus on transparency and openness from your very first interaction. Be your real, sincere self rather than someone overly polished or professional. Being authentic builds trust and rapport.
Bring a Spirit of Generosity
Approach new connections in a spirit of giving, not just taking. Look to offer advice, ideas and support before expecting something in return. Generosity and goodwill lay the foundation for strong mutually beneficial relationships.
Assume Positive Intent
Enter new conversations assuming the best in people, not the worst. Avoid cynicism or suspicion. Give the benefit of the doubt and approach each new person with an open heart.
Start Small, Think Long-Term
Don’t try to force deep connections instantly. Be patient in gradually opening up and getting to know each other. If the fit feels right, the relationship will grow stronger over time.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Don’t spread yourself too thin connecting with every person possible in a superficial way. Invest in getting to know a smaller number of people at a deeper level. Quality relationships trump quantity.
Helpful Tools and Resources
In addition to the tips covered above, here are some useful tools and resources for mastering new connections on LinkedIn:
LinkedIn Articles and Courses
LinkedIn’s built-in library of articles and online courses offer great guidance for networking and relationship-building. Search for topics like “networking tips”, “connecting on LinkedIn” and “strengthening relationships.”
LinkedIn Groups
Joining Groups related to your industry or interests provides built-in communities to connect with. Participate regularly in Group discussions to establish your expertise and get noticed.
Third-Party Webinars/Podcasts
Platforms like Skillshare and Udemy offer webinars, online courses and podcasts focused on networking skills. These can provide valuable wisdom from experts.
Books
Old-school yet still highly effective. Read classic books about networking like “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi or “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Their principles still apply.
Online Communities
For ongoing advice and support from others focused on networking, join communities like Reddit’s /r/networking or Quora’s “networking” section. Learn from peer group wisdom.
Common LinkedIn Networking Mistakes to Avoid
As a new connection, you’ll want to sidestep certain behaviors that can damage budding relationships:
Being Pushy
Don’t pressure people to engage with aggressive outreach. Let relationships develop organically. Refrain from treating connections as transactions.
Talking Too Much
Avoid dominating the conversation by only talking about yourself. Make it a two-way exchange, focused more on listening than speaking.
Being Inconsistent
Don’t send an initial message with no follow up. Inconsistent contact makes you seem uninterested. Regularly nurture connections.
Getting Too Personal
Keep the focus on professional experiences and interests. Avoid oversharing personal details, negativity or gossip. Take cues from their level of openness.
Asking for Too Much
Build the relationship first before asking for favors or obligations. Don’t make the interaction solely about you and your needs.
Sample LinkedIn Conversation Flow
Review this example exchange to see effective LinkedIn messaging in action:
Connection Request:
Hi Ana, I noticed you completed Udemy’s social media marketing course. I’m aiming to optimize our startup’s Instagram and could benefit from your insights! Looking forward to connecting.
Response:
Thanks for reaching out! Happy to connect and discuss social media marketing anytime. I learned so much from that Udemy course and enjoy helping others with what I’ve picked up. What’s your startup’s Instagram handle? I’ll take a look at your posts and share feedback on how you can improve your strategy. So great connecting!
Follow Up:
Thanks Ana! Our Instagram is @our_startup. We’re proud of the content we’ve created so far but definitely want to scale up our growth and engagement. I’d love advice on hashtags, visual branding, partnerships – anything to make our posts shine and build a bigger audience. Beyond Instagram, it would be great to connect on coffee or a virtual chat to get your perspective on social media marketing overall. Let me know if you’d be open to that!
Moving Off LinkedIn:
I checked out your Instagram and left some thoughts on your recent posts! To continue the conversation, I’m happy to meet for a virtual coffee next Tuesday at 11am via Zoom. Just let me know if that works for you and I can send a meeting invite. My email is [email protected] – feel free to reach out directly there and we can exchange other contact info too. This has been such a valuable connection so far!
Conclusion
Starting conversations with new people on LinkedIn may feel daunting, but thoughtful relationship-building strategies can make it rewarding. Do your homework beforehand, personalize connection requests, establish common ground, ask good questions and focus on generous giving, not just getting. With authenticity and care, you can form mutually beneficial professional relationships that enrich your world. So be brave, reach out to new people and watch your network steadily expand with meaningful new connections.