10 seconds to stand out
Here’s a quick tip if you use LinkedIn. When you invite someone to join your network, personalize the invitation. How tired do you get of seeing:
David,
I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
– Some Contact
There’s nothing wrong with accepting the default message and it’s certainly a benefit of LinkedIn that they fill in a professional greeting on your behalf so you don’t have to worry about it. But think of the impact to the people you invite if you took 10 quick seconds to personalize that invite before you sent it:
Wendy,
It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday at That Event. It sounds like you are doing great things over at Your Company. I look forward to staying in touch.
- Dave Crain
As you see above, I employ three simple strategies when I send a LinkedIn invitation:
- I remind the person where we met. If it’s anyone worth connecting to, they probably attend plenty of meetings and are introduced to lots of new contacts. Help them remember the context of where you met.
- I Compliment them. Everyone likes to be complimented. Not only does it help combat the impersonal nature of an electronic invitation, it sets the relationship off on a positive note.
- I sign-off with my full name. LinkedIn defaults to your first name as the signature. I always change this to my full name. I think using only your first name is a bit informal. Also, since many of the people you are inviting you may have only met once, and then briefly, using your full name will help jog their memory as to who you are. Finally, for you thought leaders out there, your name is your personal brand so take the opportunity to reinforce it.
Three simple tips that should only take you a few seconds to use, but will definitely help you stand out from your peers. I currently have around 200 LinkedIn contacts and I can only remember a couple that personalized their invitation.
Anyone else have something unique or personal they do on LinkedIn to stand out from the crowd?
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Comments
Hey Dave this is great advice – such common sense! All the invites to connect I receive, with few exceptions, use the standard format. They don’t stand out. Some I ignore. Such a simple step like this can really change that.
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[...] taken many personality tests! ). In other words, help others and build your own personal brand 10 seconds to stand out – davecrainonline.com 04/29/2009 Here’s a quick tip if you use LinkedIn . When you invite [...]