Steer clear of sending the standard invitation to connect on LinkedIn that says:
I’d like to add you to my professional network. Or, Anne Teak has indicated you are a fellow group member of LinkedMN.
First, it’s impersonal. Second, it could leave the recipient wondering: who are you and how do we know each other?
Not a good first impression, is it? Or a good start to building a potentially valuable connection.
A couple of things to keep in mind when writing your invitation:
Build rapport. Say where you met or reason for connecting, such as
- We have a mutual friend Jo King……..
- I’m a big fan of your newsletter and always get one valuable tip I can implement immediately. I was hoping we could connect on LinkedIn and learn even more.
- I’m an avid reader of your blogs and feel as if I know you. Enjoyed your latest post on networking and shared it with my LinkedIn groups. Would you mind connecting?
Last week I was a lucky recipient of a standard invitation, so for kicks, replied back with a kindly nudge asking if we’ve met before (doubtful since my memory’s pretty good) Still waiting for a reply.
Be social and social on!
Let’s Connect