From Alex . Originally published March 16.

LinkedIn is a great tool to network with individuals from a diverse range of industries. It is the best platform for us to identify people who are professionally in that "sweet-spot" to not just advance our careers, but perhaps will share their industry insights as well.

Relevance is one of the most important questions we need to ask when adding a connection. To me, nothing is worse than those that treat LinkedIn like Facebook or want to connect just so they can pitch to you without paying for the InMail or any other way

One of my best suggestions is to provide a short description on why you wish to connect in the first place.  Let the person make the choice why they should or shouldn't connect with you.

"I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn," is simply insufficient for most serious professionals.  Especially those on the senior level.  Quite honestly, we don't have the time to just sit there and add people while our inboxes get spammed.  

I suggest showcasing your main goals in connecting with the individual.  If you can't think of any goals, chances are you shouldn't be connecting with them in the first place.  Be direct and to the point. Use bullets when appropriate.  "Say what you mean, mean what you say," as the adage goes.  I believe most professionals would be more than happy to share their insights if framed right.

It might seem like an easy decision to merely add people for the sake of adding, but, by adding such profiles you may be undermining your credibility as a professional amongst your peers.  An engineer may only need a few hundred but an account manager may have a few thousand.  It's all relative.

So the next time you want to send an invite or receive one, be clear that such a connection will be mutually beneficial, be upfront and honest, and don't do it just for the sake of numbers.  Always look at the profiles of those who send an invite and ask yourself if it is relevant to you AND them to make such a connection.

As Technology business person think about add a technology evangelist , future employee and Strategic Alliance