I have a very deliberate policy for accepting LinkedIn Connection Requests.
My policy is based on one word, Relevance.
For me, relevance refers to much more than people who can buy my products/services. Relevance includes the people in my Life, Career, Business and Community.
The benefits of accepting LinkedIn connection requests from people who are broadly relevant to me includes learning new ideas, philosophies and perspectives. Connecting wide and far is also how I meet people who can introduce me to different businesses, industries and people I would never have discovered otherwise.
However, this policy requires that I have to be able to discover the relevance quickly. Unfortunately, most LinkedIn members don’t tell me their relevance or understand the benefits of doing so.
I get a large number of LinkedIn Connection Requests each week. I have to respond to them quickly, which means I can’t waste time trying to determine the relevance. I really don’t want to click Ignore on a request, because I don’t want to miss out on a possible fantastic new connection. However, time is money and I won’t accept without knowing the relevance.
If you send me a LinkedIn Connection Request please use the Personal Note field and tell me why you want to connect and how we are relevant to each other in Life, Career, Business and Community. (Always send me an invite from my Profile Page so you can use the Personal Note field.)
Otherwise, I’m very likely to hit ignore.
Remember, “Relevance includes all areas of Life, Career, Business & Community.”
If you don’t know the importance of Presenting a great LinkedIn Profile, Connecting broad and wide and Engaging deliberately, we need to talk. Let me help you Create Value With LinkedIn with my LinkedIn Coaching Program
Teddy Burriss
Your LinkedIn Coach
* This post was written by Career Confidential LinkedIn Expert Teddy Burriss of Burriss Consulting, Inc. Follow Teddy Burriss on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook to learn more about his Social Media Coaching and Career Transition services.