Picture this. Someone you don’t know, walks up to you, hands you a business card and walks away without introducing themselves or saying a word. What do you do? Immediately throw it in the garbage. That’s exactly what happens every time someone you don’t know, sends you a LinkedIn invitation to connect without including a note. There is a chance you’ll hit the IGNORE button, which is the same as throwing the card in the garbage.
There are lots of reasons why people don’t add notes to their invites. Some are lazy. Some don’t know how. But, more often than not, they don’t know what to say. I’m going to help you with that. When I use this process (or formula), I get a 90% acceptance rate. I know because I keep track of who I invite and whether they accept, don’t respond at all or ignore. I’ll write about how I do that later.
Before you start, take the time to actually look at their profile and learn a little bit about them before you send the invite. If you don’t, you’re missing a golden opportunity to look for common ground and/or clues on what you can include in your invites.
You have 300 characters to make an impression and get them to be interested enough to click ACCEPT. Better still, they accept and reply back to continue the conversation.
And, I’ll offer one more word of warning before we get started with the 5 things you should include in your invites. That is – do not try to sell them anything in your invite. You have to earn the right to be able to ask to sell. The first conversation cannot be your pitch. People do business with people they Know, Like and Trust. Your invite is the first part of that – where they get to know you.
Here’s what you should include in your LinkedIn invitations:
Personalized Greeting
You don’t have to be formal here. Start with a casual “Hi Kathleen”. Spell their name correctly and make sure to use the name listed on their profile unless you know for a fact they go by something else. In this case, I don’t know if Kathleen goes by Kathy or Kat.
Explain How You Know Them
This can be hard if you haven’t actually met. Here are some things you could say:
“Pat Johnson suggested I connect with you.”
“Having looked at your profile, I see we’re both UW-M Nursing School graduates.”
“I know we haven’t met in person, however, I’m researching (xyz) and your name came up.”
Tell Them Why You Want to Connect and/or Why They Would Want to Accept
Be truthful here. There is a good chance they are asking “What’s in it for me if I accept this invite?” or “Why should I accept this invite from this guy I don’t know, who lives across the country in California?”
It’s helpful to tell them why being connected would be mutually beneficial. Warning: This is not the place to start talking about your product or services. Do not try to sell them anything.
“I’m also an entrepreneur and would like to connect with others that face the same challenges.”
“I just moved to Nashville and I’m trying to meet people.”
“My company is looking for a new marketing firm and I’d like to schedule a conversation.”
“I’m in transition and see you post a lot of job tips. I’d like to share them with my network.”
Mention What You Do
There’s a good chance they are reading your message before looking at your profile. Including what you do, somewhere in your note answers that question and may even compel them to learn more about you. You can mention right it in your invitation or include it in your signature, or both.
Warm Parting Words
You want to leave a good impression as well as invite future conversations so a good ending is a must. Keep in mind, this may be first time you’ve “met”. You don’t know them and their style and they don’t know you. Be courteous, friendly and professional.
“Thank you for considering this invite.”
“I look forward to more conversations.”
“Have a good day.”
“Thank you.”
Here’s an example of an invite that has it all:
“Hi Kathleen, I enjoyed your talk at the NY Chamber event. I’d love to connect to follow the progress on the new rec center. When I’m not crunching numbers, I’m training for bike races. Can’t wait for it to open so I can join. Thank you in advance for connecting. Joyce Jones, CPA”
Here’s an example of one I received the other day. Would you accept it?
“Hey Sue, Looking to connect with awesome people like yourself on LinkedIn. Please add me as a connection as I’m sure I will be able to add value to your network.”
Please, spend the time before sending your invitations to evaluate and decide who you want to connect with and why. Then, tell them, so they know what you want and what to expect from you.
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