Why do Connection requests on LinkedIn not get you a response?

Several youngsters have complained to me about leaders being unresponsive to Connection requests on LinkedIn. While I have given the standard responses of trying to participate in Groups and engage with folks before you try and connect or for that matter write out a very personalized message requesting for a connect, the problem continues to bug most youngsters.

In a world where very few people attempt to network ahead of time or rather NETWORK WHEN YOU DO NOT WANT ANYTHING FROM SOMEONE, youngsters will likely face this problem a bit more than others.

My son writes very well and before he sends out a Connection request he researches the target and writes a personalized and compelling message and yet his record is 3/10. Meaning of 10 leaders to whom he will send a request, only 3 will either respond or accept. He mentioned this to me in dismay and I told him that many leaders are not likely checking their LinkedIn page itself. So its not like, his compelling message was read and dismissed.

And this interaction gave me the grist to provide an analogy. (I love analogies and am known for them). So I told my son - networking on LinkedIn is like going for a morning walk or jog to the compound downstairs in your society or gated community. You will likely network with many or all those that have come down like you have. Some will be merely walking, others jogging, a few doing yoga, many more working out with a trainer etc. But they are there and if you make some effort you can network with them and even become friends. Its relatively easier.

But a lot of folks don't see the need to come down and exercise in the morning at all. I am oversimplifying here and saying that those that stay at home, don't see the need for exercise. They feel fit and healthy and would rather use that time for work or maybe some more rest.

And then in their next medical check up, the parameters come out bad and the doctor advises 45 minutes of brisk walk every day and the very same folks then start to show up from that point on.

Networking is precisely like this. It needs to be done ahead of time and not when our hand is forced. I can fairly easily predict if someone is looking out or not happy in their job, when I suddenly start to see him / her updating their LinkedIn profile or ask for Recommendations. A dear colleague recently called me and told me that he was tired of his job and in a fit, had upgraded his LinkedIn account to Premium!!! I kept a deadpan face but mentally rolled my eyes - hey, so what? The world was not waiting for you to come on Premium so that they can come to you and offer you a job. :-)

When the going is good, no one thinks of or feels the need for networking. "Networking is something that the "salesy" and "schmoozing" folks do. We are the sincere, hardcore workers; we have neither the time nor the talent for networking!!!"

Now taking the same analogy & going back to my son's issue, when he goes downstairs on his morning walk and tries to network, he likely meets some of the junior folks of his age profile, mostly and some of the senior folks who have been bitten in life and are now on the daily exercise regimen. The really sharp and successful ones are all sitting at home and are not accessible to him. (because they are not active on Linkedin - coming for the walk as per this analogy) Even if he calls them (Connection Request), they wont hear him or will ignore him if they do hear him because they are too busy with their (corporate) lives.

So LinkedIn has some challenges from a networking point of view. I know the analogy is too simplistic and that senior management participation is indeed active at many times and that it is growing these days. But it did serve to get across the point to my son and make him realize that if someone is not responding to a connection request, its very likely that s/he is not active on LinkedIn. And therefore to get to such folks who are not active on LinkedIn takes a different approach to networking.

More about that in another post in future.

Do share your views and insights in the Comments below and contribute to a rich discussion.

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