5 Steps To Creating LinkedIn Invitations That Work
Mike McCready, MSc
![Mike McCready, MSc]()
Mike McCready, MSc
Associate Dean, School of Media and IT at NAIT | 25+ Years in Technology, including VR/AR | Innovator in Education, Industry Partnerships, and Collaborative Events
How many of you have received the generic LinkedIn request to connect? I mean who doesn't like receiving an invitation like this?
I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
In case you couldn't tell, I'm sarcastic.
Every time I receive an generic invitation, I die a little inside. Do the world a favor and please stop sending them.
How to create a successful invitation
Building your network on LinkedIn is where you will realize the full benefits of the network. LinkedIn makes it easy to invite others to connect, sometimes too easy. If you want to increase the success rate of your invitations and supercharge you network growth, follow the steps below:
- Don't use the canned invite. Have you ever received form letters that had not personal touch? How did it make you feel? People are always more likely to respond (whatever the case) when the communication is personal.
- State your intention. In your personal invite, indicate why you'd like to connect. By nature, people are suspicious. They may be thinking, "what do they want from me?"
- Indicate your relationship. Just like people are suspicious about the intentions of others, they are also hesitant to accept invitations from strangers. If you met them before, heard them speak, have a common colleague, or part of the same group, let them know.
- Be positive. In your invite, be upbeat and positive. It also doesn't hurt to compliment their profile or other aspect of their professional life, it's worked for me :)
- Be honest. In all that you say, be upfront and honest of your intentions, compliments, and how you know them. Failure to do so may come to haunt you and jeopardize your integrity.
Here's a simple but great example of a recent invitation I received:
Hi Mike I read your publisher post about LinkedIn today. I thought it was great. I reposted it to my network. I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. I do hope you will join me in the spirit of good networking.
If you only take one thing from this post, don't use the canned invitation.
In a world of empty suits, I’m leading a movement of authenticity, integrity, and trust inside the sales profession
9 年Nicely stated Mike McCready If I can add something to this is when the personalized invite is accepted quickly take the time to say thank you. This is the first step in building your relationship. A great personalized invite and a great thank you go a very long way. Cheers!
Supply Chain & Procurement Recruiter | Fierce. Tenacious. Bold. Innovative. A true talent connector. Awarded Top 100 Influential Women in Supply Chain. Reach me at [email protected]
9 年Thanks Mike good insights here