We need to chat about network invitation etiquette.
Imagine this scene at a crowded networking event. You go up to someone who looks interesting, and without saying a word, you give them your business card and walk away.
Are you likely to reciprocate? Are you likely to want to do business with this person? This is what is happening on LinkedIn all day, every day.
See the image below (I’ve edited it).
On the left are invitation requests sent to me. Only one has bothered to provide some context or any reason why we should connect.
On the right are invitations I have sent – each one with context and a reason to connect. When you click the connect button on mobile, PLEASE click the 3 dots at the top right of the profile section and select “Personalize Invite”.
On the desktop the option screams at you, and you need to click ”Add a note” – see what the options look like at the bottom right of the image below. Let’s stop blind invites – act here as you would in person.
