4 Best Practices for Handling Unsolicited LinkedIn Messages Or Connection Requests
In today's interconnected professional world, managing LinkedIn connections has become a crucial skill. This article delves into best practices for handling unsolicited messages and connection requests on the platform. Drawing from expert insights, it offers practical strategies to vet connections, assess relevance, and develop an efficient system for managing your professional network.
- Vet Connections Carefully to Avoid Fraud
- Assess Relevance Before Engaging
- Develop a System for Managing Requests
- Prioritize Personalized and Relevant Connections
Vet Connections Carefully to Avoid Fraud
My advice: Be extremely cautious. There are many bots and fraudsters out there, and I know too many stories of intelligent colleagues who took this ego bait and were defrauded for thousands of dollars.
Every week I receive dozens of these unsolicited messages. Not every offer is false, but the overwhelming majority of these come-ons don't add up. You will hear warning signals in your head if the approach doesn't feel right.
Always do your research. The following are some criteria in my thought process to accept the sender as a follower at first, not to just connect until after we have spoken via Zoom or phone for me to vet them:
* Does the sender make a compelling case causing me to be interested in them, or do they flatter me with false and baseless compliments?
* Is the sender connected to one of my colleagues, whom I can contact to see if they have any qualitative comments about the sender to add to my initial impression?
* Have they been verified by CLEAR in the US (or a similar national authority), which you can check by clicking the little shield icon next to their name?
* Has LinkedIn verified their work email address too, again visible from the shield icon?
* Does their profile look too good to be true (such as a headshot of a 20+ year old with improbable senior management experience, an inordinate number of years in a major corporation, plus a Harvard MBA)?
* Are they inquiring on behalf of their boss to get me to respond, with an offer that is not clearly meant for my expertise?
To protect myself, I have placed language in my About section:
"Note: Want to connect with me on LinkedIn? Only if we're doing business or are close to it, then you know my email address. Then ask me."
This serves as fair warning if they read that far. Yes, you need to know my email address to offer to connect with me, and I set that up because LinkedIn allows this in its Settings and Privacy, which reduced the frequency of abuse.
When I reject their approach:
* I do not reply back, ever
* I click the three horizontal dots at the top of their message:
1) to block them, and
2) to report them to LinkedIn as spam.
Unfortunately, we all have to police LinkedIn. To get the best from it as an optimal community, it's in your and my best interest to sort out the falsehoods, expose, and report one offender at a time.
Every LinkedIn connection you make is a mutual privilege, not to be handed out indiscriminately. Know and interact with your connections, grow the relationship, and refer them, so they refer you. That's how it should work.
Assess Relevance Before Engaging
When I receive unsolicited messages or connection requests on LinkedIn, I usually take a quick look at the person's profile before deciding how to respond. If their message is clearly a cold pitch with no context or connection, I typically ignore it. However, if they've taken the time to personalize the message or work in a related field, I'm more open to engaging.
One rule I go by is relevance; if their background, interests, or industry overlaps with mine in a meaningful way, I'm more likely to accept and maybe even start a conversation. LinkedIn is a great tool when used thoughtfully, so I try to stay open without letting my inbox get cluttered with spammy outreach.
Develop a System for Managing Requests
Dealing with unsolicited LinkedIn messages and connection requests can be a bit of a maze. Over time, I've developed a system to handle them without losing my composure.
First off, if someone sends a personalized message explaining why they want to connect, I'm fully on board. Genuine connections are the best part of LinkedIn.
Then, there are the sales or recruitment pitches. I understand; people need to make a living. However, if your message feels like a copy-paste job with no real relevance to me, it's a firm rejection. I might ignore or decline those.
Spammy or irrelevant requests are straightforward to handle. I report or block them immediately. I don't have time for that kind of distraction.
Lastly, if someone connects without saying anything, I reach out to ask why they want to connect. If they don't respond, I don't hesitate to remove them. My network is valuable, and I maintain it that way.
By adhering to these guidelines, I've managed to keep my LinkedIn experience positive and productive.
Prioritize Personalized and Relevant Connections
Although LinkedIn is a professional platform, you would hardly expect any spam or unsolicited messages. However, with time, it has also turned into a marketplace for companies, recruiters, job seekers, and self-employed individuals.
When it comes to unsolicited messages, I follow a simple rule: I quickly scan their profile, look for mutual connections, and check their industry. If I find something interesting there, the most important thing is to check whether the sender has personalized the message or not. If it feels like a cold sales call, I politely decline the conversation.
I think this is something everyone does, and it's best because LinkedIn is a place where you would like to meet like-minded people and those who belong to the same industry or community as you. Always keep relevance in mind and do not go for volume. Never feel guilty about not responding if you think the person has nothing to offer.
