An article I came across yesterday, right from Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn’s mouth, hits one of the mistakes that prevents most people from never reaching their maximum potential on LinkedIn.
I’ve been saying this for years (his words but I agree):
“It’s up to you to vet each and every request so that if someone comes to you and says, ‘Would you introduce me?’ you’re in a position to evaluate whether the connection would be of mutual benefit.”
Do you want to be seen as their colleague, as a direct impression on you? And on them from you? Yep, it goes 2 ways.
Be deliberate in your connecting. Use LinkedIn smarter; stop connecting to people you do not know. Stop being a “promiscuous linker,” as I call it:
- Decline advances from people who seem too eager to connect; they just want to sell you something.
- Ignore requests from those sad lonely souls who use the default connection request.
- Cull through your connections and delete the duds or the ones you just cannot recall why you connected to them in the first place. They will not receive a notice from LinkedIn that you disconnected.
- For the ones you are on the fence over, decide if this is a good mutual opportunity and meet them, or talk to them, to vet them. Not every meeting is a success so don’t feel the pressure to connect to each them.
A LinkedIn connection is a privilege, as I have blogged before.
Remember that.
