LinkedOut

Friends don't let friends....abuse an awesome professional platform like LinkedIn. So, I'm here to stop some bad behavior that's just grown out of control on LinkedIn of late. I'm sure if you're reading this, you're not in the guilty camp - but if you know someone who is, you might want to share this with them.

Let me begin by sharing that I generally and philosophically do try to connect with those who request to connect to me, even if I've never met them in the real world. (I know some of my friends are staunchly against this philosophy.) However, I have to say that of late, I'm re-thinking that philosophy, as so many people reach out to me with the following really bad, borderline egregious behavior immediately after connecting with them (98% of the time, at their request):

1. Immediately spamming with unsolicited sales pitches as soon as we connect. While I suppose I'm excited if you're excited about whatever you are pitching, if I didn't ask for it, I don't want it--thanks. I've noticed a lot of "business coaches" doing this of late. Thanks but no thanks. If I connect to you - have relevant posts and things to say to your network, and I'll contact you if something catches my eye later on...but spamming right out of the gate isn't going to work. If it continues, I just disconnect now.
2. Immediately asking for information...for free. I'm a professional. If I ask for specific comments, questions or feedback on a LinkedIn Live, for example, that's permissible and encouraged--for example, on others' methods of goal setting in my most recent LIL. However, unsolicited questions about how much I charge, bill for or bill per hour, and/or career development specific queries for free are not appropriate. I am a professional career coach within healthcare, among having other interests and areas of expertise. Would you ask your lawyer, your doctor, or your accountant for free advice about your specific case without expecting a bill? Maybe this is a pharmacy issue, because pharmacists love to under value their knowledge and services, but for the record, I do not. If you want to engage with me as a coach or for a project, ask whether or not I do the work you're thinking about, and then we can discuss rates and terms if I'm interested.
3. Immediately asking for a meeting or 15 minutes phone time. Time is the one thing we never get back. And, I personally dislike the phone - it's my least favorite method of communication. There are many reasons why--because it's interruptive--you never know how busy the person is on the other side when you call without an appointment for one. Second, I can't remember the last time I actually had any GOOD news over the phone. When people say, "Call me," that's generally not good news they're getting ready to deliver. So, nope. No talk time with me out of the gate, especially if I don't know you and especially if we just met.
4. Immediately going unprofessional. LinkedIn is not Tinder. Nor match.com. Nor any other dating or personal site. 1. This is a business and professional networking platform. 2. If I don't know you - why do you think hitting on me here would ever work as an actual method that produces any type of fruitful relationship? And 3. Ewh...creepy.
5. Immediately requesting to be connected to someone without a reason. Ninety-eight percent of my connection requests come to my inbox on LinkedIn now. The other 2% of my connections happened because I personally requested the connection. But in that 2%, 100% of people I request to connect to I have a specific reason for connecting to them. Recent example: I pondered whether or not to complete a certification this year, and so I reached out to a few people who actually already earned the certification to ask them about it. When I sent the connection request, I pointed out this specific reason for requesting to connect to them--they all at least got back to me about the certification (sealing the deal for me to complete it, BTW), and pretty much all of them connected to me as well. If you're just spammily connecting to people without any reason, you're doing it wrong. Have a specific reason; otherwise, you're just connecting to increase your numbers. Again, not a good way to build your network.

Please - if you know people using LinkedIn old school, please tell them to stop and share this post with them. The aforementioned LinkedIn hygiene is so...2010. Now, LinkedIn and connecting here is all about giving and adding value to your tribe long before asking for help back, maybe sparking a little controversy to stir the pot on controversial issues, and/or sharing cool stuff that matters to you broadly with your network; not taking free advice, selling stuff out of the gate, and spamming the universe. Let's stop the naughty behavior. After all - there's some upcoming naughty and nice lists that will be reviewed...and we all want to stay off the naughty list!

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Erin L. Albert is a connector on LinkedIn, without abusing its awesomeness. Opinions here are here own.