??How to write an effective LinkedIn message where others accept & want to hear from you

How can you write an effective LinkedIn connection message that has people not only accept your connection, but give a friendly "hello" back and want to hear from you?

This is a question that I'm often asked. The first thing that I want you to do is write a message that is the equivalent of being on a line at a hotel conference where you're in a room full of strangers, and you're getting coffee or a bagel and your standing next to someone and introducing yourself.

That's the kind of energy that you want to bring when you're reaching out to someone. And of course, with LinkedIn you already know a little bit about the person that you're connecting with. So that's the first thing that I want you to consider. If it doesn't pass the coffee line test, then your connection message will not land effectively.

The next thing that I want you to do is share a little bit about what you noticed about their profile so it's not a generic message. You have some understanding of who they are. You've checked out their experience, the company they work for and their job history. Who knows? Maybe you both have worked at the same company in a past life!

I've actually received many connection invites from professionals who reach out and say: "Hey Marisa, I used to work with you at ITG." This was back when I was on Wall Street. Personally, I'm not very good with faces, but once I read the person's name, and they remind me of how we met, then I'm like: "Oh, right." and then there's that instant connection. So don't be shy about doing that.

The energy you're bringing here is: "Wow, long time. How have you been?"

Another scenario is possibly where you've worked at the same company but not together. So that's your IN.

The other thing I want you to do is to include an emoji. It can be a ??, a ?, a ??if it's Spring. Whatever resonates with you. Just so that it's something that's a little friendly and gets people's attention. I always like when I receive emojis and because we tend to scan our emails and messages these days, your message will definitely stand out. If someone's scrolling on their phone and seeing their LinkedIn connection messages, guess whose message will be the first one that they go to? Yours truly, that's right, so don't be shy with the emojis. They're not tacky. They give a little personal touch.

Okay, so now let's talk about your close. I want you to close your message with something about you. Say something such as: "I'm in Finance. I've been working in corporate equities for 15 years" or "I've been working in Financial Services, but just recently switched over to FinTech".

Take my story for example. I am now in Learning and Development. I'm a career coach, corporate leadership trainer and keynote speaker so when I introduce myself, I might say I'm a former IT Executive.

I might say that I transitioned from corporate and now I'm working in leadership development training. It really depends on the person. Give it a little bit of a personal touch about where you are right now and then insert a "Let's keep in touch." or "I look forward to following your updates." or whatever feels right for you.

You never know where your paths are going to cross. Later when you see something that they post or maybe even a job opportunity at their organization you can write them (given your previous message that they can clearly see right above the message box) and it won't be a cold call, awkward and icky. You know what I mean.

Important to note: people remember how they felt about you. If you reach out let's say up to six months later, they'll see that previous message in the history and you are perceived as friendly and personable. Your previous conversation is saved in the LinkedIn message box. Leverage that.

All right, I hope this was helpful. If you liked this video give it a LIKE or reach out to us at In Our Shoes where there is no shortage of positively motivating resources to share that will empower you "in your shoes" .