Whether I am coaching someone in using Linkedin or just having a conversation generally this question always comes up. People tell me that they have lots of requests to connect lurking in their inbox and they are not sure what to do with them. Others say that they have accepted but don’t know why and […]
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Whether I am coaching someone in using Linkedin
or just having a conversation generally this question always comes up.
People tell me that they have lots of requests to connect lurking in
their inbox and they are not sure what to do with them. Others say that
they have accepted but don’t know why and what that commits them to.
So maybe this will help…
The first and most important thing to consider
is why you are using Linkedin at all. Is it to build up a simple,
accessible database of your contacts? Do you have specific target
sectors and/or companies in mind that you would like to work with? Would
you like to be part of a community of like minded people in your
sector? Whatever the reason my suggestion is that you decide on
your own criteria for accepting invitations – and when you are clear
it makes accepting and rejecting invitations easier.
To make it easier for you Linkedin sorts “how
you know..” someone into 6 headings
When you receive an invitation it should show
which of those categories the person is approaching you in – except for
“other” ( where like “friend” you need an e-mail address) and “I don’t
know…” for reasons that will become clear.
If connecting with people falling into the
first 4 categories works for you then the decision might be simple
(unless of course it is from someone you never got on with !)
The other categories cause most problems . Like many people I limit my connections to
people I know and have met ( including meeting online) but I will always
check out the profile of the person inviting me to join their contacts
just in case I have forgotten that I do actually know them ( that is why
having a professional picture and a good profile page is a must…). And
occasionally I will accept an invitation of someone with whom I have
common interests – or whose profile is intriguing!
So when all of those checks are done what do
you do if you don’t want to connect – especially if you really don’t
know the person issuing the invitation? This is Linkedin’s statement on
what happens if you click the button “I don’t know this user”
“When you click on the ‘I don’t know
this user’ button, you indicate to LinkedIn the sender may not be using
Invitations to connect with those they know and trust. This prevents them from being able
to re-invite you. If the
sender receives an excessive number of ‘I don’t know’ responses, they
could be restricted from sending Invitations to others.”
As many of us are still the early learning
stages of using social media effectively, I hold back from doing this as
the invitation could be a simple mistake. The alternative – which might
seem a bit rude but is quite acceptable – is to “Archive” the
invitation and if you do find at at a later date that you do want to
connect then you can do then.
So as you decide on your own criteria here are
some good practice tips you might use when you yourself are asking
people to connect that might finally help you make up your mind
Please share
how you decided on your own criteria – and how that works for you.
I offer
coaching on using Linkedin – including helping you work out why you would even want
to! A session – by phone or Skype – costs £65 and lasts about 90 mins
which is usually long enough to help you see how it can work for you. As
one client said “Jackie spent 18 months learning how to use Linkedin
so that I didn’t have to!” You can find more information here.
If
instead you would like to be included in regular e-mail updates on
using Linkedin and other social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and
blogs send me an e-mail [email protected].
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