I’m on LinkedIn practically every single day of the week. I keep up with the changes to the platform and help our clients learn to use it effectively for business.
I run into a plethora of mistakes that users (now over 820 million) make on a regular basis, day in and day out.
Here are the top three things you are doing wrong on LinkedIn (and how to correct them):
1. The Dreaded Generic Invitation
This to me is the number one issue on LinkedIn. Sending out a generic invitation is like walking into a room with a bag on your head, going over to someone, asking for their business card and saying: “Let’s do business together.”
Yes, LinkedIn is a business network, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be personal – or at least personable. Take the time to write a quick note to the person you want to connect with, mention something about them and/or what you have in common, and send the invitation.
Your chances of getting a favorable response will increase dramatically, plus you start the new relationship on a much better note. This is part of what Bob Burg calls “Know, Like, and Trust.”
Connecting on LinkedIn is not about racking up numbers, it’s about connecting with potential partners, colleagues, and customers.
2. Following Up a LinkedIn Connection Request with a Business Pitch
I have lost count of the number of times I’ve accepted a connection request and the first message I get back from that person is a pitch for their business services. Really? I don’t even know you well enough to tell others about your business. How am I going to hire you after just one interaction?
At the risk of sounding redundant, you need to build a relationship before you can do business with someone.
My signature message to someone I just connected with is simply, “Tell me about your business and please let me know how I can be of service to you.”
That is not a pitch, it’s a genuine request to help someone else – whether it’s connecting them to my network or offering free advice.
If you want to build solid relationships on LinkedIn, put the pitch script away for a while. Most of my connections have not done business with me directly, but often they refer me to business.
3. Connecting Then Disappearing
Time and time again, I accept an invitation to connect – which includes a note about how they want to know about me – and I respond that it would be great to get to know them and their business as well. Then…nothing!
I assumed the reason you wanted to connect was to develop a relationship and continue a dialogue, so take the time to follow through.
The best connections, now relationships, I have through LinkedIn are those that are based on a discovery process of getting to know the person, setting up a call (if it makes sense) then trusting them enough to do business with them.
The Takeaways
- LinkedIn is about relationships and being personable.
- Take the time to get to know a new connection and show real interest in them.
- Ask what you can do for your new connection and stop pitching!
- Bring value to your network by sharing ideas, and knowledge, and promoting their content (more often than you promote yourself).
Are you looking to improve your LinkedIn profile? Contact our team today!
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A Purpose Partnership Managing Partner Chuck Hester has an innate ability to communicate with his clients and audiences in a way that they can easily relate to, creating actionable steps to improve their businesses. You can learn more at (link to APP bio) or contact him directly at chuck@apurposepartnership.com.
