![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/apps1.devmaverick.com\/prw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Why-I-Didnt-Accept-Your-LinkedIn-Connection-Request-Blog-Post-Header.jpg\" "\\"Linkedin")
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If you are on LinkedIn, I\u2019m certain you have experienced this. You log in and there is a handy notification on the top right corner letting you know someone has sent you an invitation to connect. You click on it anxious to know who is actively working to become part of your team only to find that there is no message, nothing in common, and you have zero idea who this person is! Do you accept the invitation? I don\u2019t and I\u2019m going to tell you why.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve explained before that I am not a LinkedIn connection collector. I am looking to build a network of quality rather than quantity. While you may have disagreed on that point, maybe this perspective will sway you.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want to accept a connection that couldn\u2019t bother to write a sentence or two (less than 300 characters in fact) about why they wanted to connect with me in their invitation. I get requests like this on a daily basis and almost always reject them. Being a business owner, I\u2019m sure some of you think it\u2019s foolish to not accept as many connections as possible. But, I\u2019m not in the business of gathering connections this way.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what a blank invitation to connect says to me: I don\u2019t care about this at all!<\/p>\n
Think about it: If you were trying to connect to someone who was meaningful to you in some way e.g. you thought they could help you land a job, help you with your business, connect you to someone in their network you are dying to speak with, or a myriad of other reasons, you would want your invitation to say something that made a standout first impression. When a stranger sends me a request with no context about why they want to connect, I know my decision whether to accept or decline makes no difference to them at all. I feel like a commodity you want to use to expand your connections number or someone you just haphazardly clicked on because LinkedIn said we should know each other. That shouldn\u2019t be how it\u2019s done so I don\u2019t encourage this.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m not interested in connecting with people I don\u2019t already know.<\/p>\n
Of course, I\u2019m interested in connecting with new people. Learning and interacting with others is how you become a better professional and expand your own knowledge and work. But, I want to connect with people who have a real interest in connecting with me. I\u2019m not just another notch on their LION belt. I want our interactions to be positive and to create value to both of us.<\/p>\n
It always goes back to what kind of network do you want to build? I think people are your most important asset. No matter what you do for work, the people in your network are your biggest advantage. Stop shooting off invitations like spam and show people who you actually care about what happens on the other end of that invite.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not hard to personalize an invitation and frankly, it\u2019s the best way to get noticed. It is a simple premise and not hard to integrate into your routine. It shows someone you took the time to actually think about this invitation and the relationship you are hoping to strike up. That can carry real weight. You don\u2019t need to write a book or your life story, just write a sentence or two saying how you found me and why you think we should connect. It doesn\u2019t have to be dynamic just let me know there is a genuine reason behind your request.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, your invitation will fall on deaf ears.<\/p>\n
Try this out for yourself and see if you don\u2019t get a better response from your network and potential connections. Personalization shouldn\u2019t be something that gets lost in our instant gratification society. Every move you make develops your personal brand, and connecting with your network on LinkedIn is no exception. Make sure your tribe feels valuable to you, especially as you are welcoming them in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you are on LinkedIn, I\u2019m certain you have experienced this. You log in and there is a handy notification on the top right corner letting you know someone has sent you an invitation to connect. You click on it anxious to know who is actively working to become part of your team only to<\/p>\n