How I manage LinkedIn connection requests
David Petherick
✅ LinkedIn Profile Doctor. I will tell your story better. ✅ Profile writer since 2006 to help you convince, collaborate and connect. I make you visible, legible & credible™. ✅ Schedule a discovery call today
❓How do you deal with receiving LinkedIn connection requests with no introductory note?
Here's my simple process, honed over 16 years of working on LinkedIn...
1. Use the browser version of LinkedIn to handle these requests. The mobile app doesn't cut it.
2. Visit their profile to see if it's an interesting person to you. You can ignore or connect directly from their profile page.
3. Where you are unsure, screen each request. Do this by clicking on 'See all X' where X is the number of connection requests you have outstanding. You'll find this link at top right of the page when you click on 'My Network'.
4. You can then message each person without using up inMail credits.
5. Ask them why they want to connect with you. Here's what I will write as a default:
+++++++++++++
"Hello NAME, thanks for your request to connect.
As a Doctor, I am just checking for a pulse, and am curious to know why you want to join my LinkedIn network?
Best regards from Edinburgh — David"
+++++++++++++
6. Allow time for a reply.
7. If they don't reply within about 5 days, I will click to ignore the connection request. I don't want to connect with people who ignore messages or who are not active here.
8. If they reply with a sales pitch, I will click to ignore the connection request. Sometimes I will tell them they are asshats, but life is too short to worry too much.
9. If they reply with a positive message and good reason for the connection request, I will accept their request.
10. I will then send a personalised follow up message to say hello. I will often give them a tip to improve their profile, or send them a link to one of my interactive LinkedIn guides.
Then the conversations can start...
What's your approach for handling connection requests?
______________________________
About David Petherick
David is a LinkedIn Profile Doctor and LinkedIn Keynote Speaker whose work it is to make you visible, legible and credible on LinkedIn. He works across the world from his base in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Learn more about his services at the doc.scot website.
For a limited period of time once a week, David offers free Profile Microsurgery sessions. You can book a ten-minute appointment to suit your diary today at mzs.es/free
I will 'Put It In Writing' for you and help you to access 'The Write Stuff' to give you a competitive edge to communicate your personal and professional brand.
1yThanks for the share David - you always provide insightful notes in an easy to understand format.
Architecture AI Designer | Founder of Inigo Media | WordPress dev manager | MA (Hons) Architectural History
1yThanks David - I’ll check that out. I get so many requests from what look to be agency leads in the US but I wonder if they’re actually legit. Too many look a bit picture perfect and they don’t seem to have a bio that makes sense. Having not been on LinkedIn properly for a while, I have a stack of 50 requests to work through!
Manager, Corporate Communications | Principal Technical Writer | Contributing Editor | Senior Technical Writer | LinkedIn Optimizer Writer | Author | Magazine Columnist
1yYes. This is perfect when receiving default/un-personalized connection requests, although this may become difficult as the numbers increase. This is a good way to create the network we deserve. By the same token, best practice on LinkedIn is to - personalize all requests to connect and say why you want a connection. #linkedintips #linkedinstrategies #personalbranding
Power your growth with marketing automation | Senior Partner Manager at ActiveCampaign | Partnership & Alliances Advisor | Head of Sales & Marketing at MyRisk | Board Director | Author of two Social Selling books
1yVery practical approach, David - agree that the mobile app doesn‘t allow the batch processing well.
TORI-Nominated Career Strategist 🎯I help you get interviews with your FIRST DRAFTS & land job offers at the salary you're worth! 📢 See my recommendations for proof. ➡️ Calendar link: bit.ly/KRconslt
1yI frequently ignore. I can usually tell when, should I connect, I'm going to be automatically hit with a sales pitch.