How to Write the Perfect LinkedIn Connection Request (with Examples)

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How to Write the Perfect LinkedIn Connection Request

What are the 11 most boring words in the English language?

“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

My father was an entrepreneur.

I remember as a child watching him on the phone, going to meetings all the time, flying around the world to visit clients.

I learned at a young age that business is all about building relationships.

Yet the LinkedIn connection request message is misused so frequently that it’s developed a negative connotation in the world of professional networking.

Your connection request sets the tone for your relationship with people on LinkedIn.

If you’re like most businesspeople, you’re looking for an opportunity. A chance to build profitable relationships. 

Just like with any relationship, first impressions are critical.

They say you have 7 seconds to make a first impression - good or bad.

You don't want to come across as salesy, unprofessional and annoy people before you've had a chance to connect or have a conversation.

Most people get this terribly wrong for a couple of reasons.

Most People Rush Their Invitations

As with most things these days, people are impatient.

They want results overnight.

They view LinkedIn as a necessity to stay relevant in the marketplace.

Still, they don’t invest a whole lot of time or effort into building relationships with other like-minded people.

Instead, they take a more passive approach to connections.

Most of the people who fit in this category aren’t all that interested in pursuing connections on LinkedIn.

They’re focused on bare minimums - accepting connection requests and blasting out generic invitations to try and build up their number of connections.

This is not the best way to try and start long standing business relationships. As with most worthwhile things in this world, social media marketing takes time.

The second reason - it's all about you.

It's All About You

What’s the first thing many people do when they connect with you on LinkedIn?

Straight for the sell.

If you've received these kind of messages, you'll know how uncomfortable this can be.

They’re not interested in a relationship with you, and they don’t pretend to be. Once you connect, they immediately make their pitch.

Most salespeople go for it all in their message. They write long messages that no one wants to read and think that's what is going to get them a client. If only it were that easy.

Effective Ways to Connect

Here are some examples of how you can use relavancy to send a connection request that is more likely to be accepted.

Previous Colleague

Your connection request is a great way to start a new relationship with a business associate off on the right foot.

Recognition, gratitude, praise, or admiration are excellent ways to build strong connections. Flattery or brown-nosing isn’t the focus here. It’s sincerity.

Customise your requests around your interactions. If you met at a conference or your colleague gave a fantastic keynote, let them know.

If you worked on a project together, share your appreciation and gratitude for their help. Be kind, be genuine, be specific.

Mutual Connections

A second-degree search for connections on LinkedIn is a great way to identify mutual connections. Use this search to identify new opportunities, partners, jobs, etc.

Potential Business Partners

Working with a strategic partner takes time. A strategic partner wants to see several things - you know their customers well, you’re trustworthy, and you can add value to their business.

All of this takes time to develop.

The connection template below helps you to establish the first criteria. You know their business or their customers well.

Most of these connection request templates require that you lay the groundwork needed to establish a relationship or you do the upfront work required to build trust.

Your connection request is an important first impression.

Potential Employer

Asking for a job or even an internship via your LinkedIn connection request is a big ask.

If you don’t already know the person you’re reaching out to, it’s inappropriate.

Instead, you’ll want to find a specific person who works at your target organization. You’ll want to reach out to them with a message that’s oriented around their strengths.

Recognise the value they provide, and you’re specifically describing the benefits you’ve received from their hard work. 

Thought Leaders

If you’d like to reach out to a celebrity or influencer, you’ll need to approach them in the right way. Here’s something many people don’t seem to understand about thought leaders and influencers.

They’re bombarded by requests.

People are constantly asking them for special favours, connections, pictures, assistance, or support. I’ve experienced this bombardment due to my line of work. Talk with any experienced thought leader or influencer, and you’ll hear the same things.

If you’re on the receiving end of a connection request, you have to be selective. You need to choose who you reply to judiciously and craft your responses carefully.  

Met at an Event

Specificity is the primary driver of this connection request. Sharing specific events, with dates, times, or details, makes this a slam dunk.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together; the good thing about this connection request is the fact that it automatically vet’s connection requests.

You can’t fake this request – highly recommend using this one!

LinkedIn Groups

Groups are a great thing to mention that you may have in common. Most people join groups that are related to the industry they are in - rather than groups that their prospects might be in.

The first things we do at Bibby Consulting Group when starting a lead generation campaign for a new client is join groups that their target audience is likely to be a member of.

Not sure what groups you prospects are members of?

Pick a couple of your clients or ideal prospects and visit their profile, scroll down to the bottom where you can see the groups they are members of.

It's likely that if they are a member of that group, people like them are also members - join it and use it in your outreach.

New Restrictions

Invitations are now limited to 100 per week on most accounts, regardless of whether you are premium or not.

You may have already had a notification saying that you've reached the limit and some members have even had their account restricted.

LinkedIn has set these weekly invitation limits to combat automation and limit the annoyance of spam messages on the platform.

There are a number of things you can do to manage this and a few hacks worth knowing about.

Recommended reading: LinkedIn’s New Weekly Invitation Limits & How to Avoid Being Restricted

In Summary

LinkedIn offers a huge opportunity to connect with a massive professional population. Don’t limit yourself by trying to find short-cuts and trying to chase high volumes without any clear strategy.

Be thoughtful, targeted and personalised and you'll slowly build up a network that will become your biggest asset.

Hope you found this article valuable - good luck.

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