So there you are minding your own business and low and behold someone sends you a request to connect , be “friends” or for the Twitterati, you’ve been “followed”.
Do you accept, “friend” or go off the deep and “follow back”?
Before we continue, you need to know something about me and its not easy for me to say so here goes . . .
My name is Paul (Hi Paul) and I’m a recovering Social Networking Snob.
And like anyone else who kicked a bad habit, I’m back, complete with some annoying self righteousness to point out 3 big mistakes I see when it comes to the burning question . . .
To connect or not to connect?
Mistake #1: You are engaged in a line of worked that has nothing to do with my line of work, so . . . See Ya!
I think this is a huge mistake for many reasons:
– They might not be a part of my target audience, but they may know someone who is. They might also be able to get me in front of someone in their company who is my ideal prospect.
– They might be someone I can connect to someone else in my network to further enhance my virtual real estate.
– And what’s with the freakin selfish “What can you do for me” attitude? Would it bankrupt us to help someone unconditionally?
To All The Thought Leaders Out There (the rest of you earmuffs)
You’re screwing yourself!
Seriously . . . you’re screwing yourself. Think about it.
You want to be visible. You write articles, blogs, perhaps a book or two. Someone approaches you and then you give them a virtual middle finger all because . . .
They basically aren’t relevant to you or (everyone else take your earmuffs off) there is a judgment that the person is just haphazardly collecting connections.
For those of you who feel that accepting a “stranger” is a possible security risk, think privacy settings but with a caveat: This idea of selfishly guarding our network like the Holy Grail goes against the grain of Social Networking. Note: I have over 2100 Linkedin connections and I’ve never had one person write me and tell me that some rogue member of my network defiled the freakin sanctity of their network.
Mistake #2: You approached me the wrong way so I won’t connect. This one has “Uncle Paul” written all over it because I hate, and I mean really hate those Linkedin invite templates. You know . . .
Joe Numbnuts wants to connect with you or
Because you are a person I value I’d like to connect
Because I’m mindless I’m sending you this template to show I’m a tool
I thinks its lazy and will be the first to tell you that you are so much better than that. I mean the only way we could get lazier would be if Linkedin had a template for a sound like a grunt or a high pitched “over here”.
So then we get mad and decide to fix the glitch by ignoring them.
Suggestion: Instead of taking this as a deliberate insult to your virtual ego, I would suggest that you look at it this way.
They just don’t understand the nuances of social networking yet and to that end, perhaps you could accept the invite and show them how a true professional rolls. Here’s how . . .
“Hi Mr Numbnuts (Awesome name by the way, bet you grew up tough) Thank you so much for the invite. Wishing you an awesome Wednesday or Wishing you continued success or rock on my social networking brother from a virtual mother!
The point is to be sociable!
Oh, and congratulate yourself because hardly anyone does this!
Here’s what happens next about 80% of the time. They then write you back with a sort of thank you and a few kind words and viola, you are connected and communicating thanks to your awesome lead!
Mistake #3: “I don’t see this going anywhere so I shall ‘un-friend’ that MOFO” In other words “What have you done for me lately” Wrong attitude! In fact, I’m curious as to what they were supposed to do for you? How quickly were you expecting this and What have you done for them?
Short of getting complaint emails that one of my connections approached the rest of my network and gave them all wedgies, I don’t see the point in parting ways just because we haven’t gotten anywhere.
Methinks building an army of evangelists takes time!
Let’s concern ourselves with how we are going to provide value to them and stop being so selfish. And let’s lose that scorecard while we’re at!
Oh and let’s remember that the irony of this whole limited mindset is that we’re supposed to be engaging in
Social Networking
Today, you are cordially invited to learn from my mistakes and become more Social in your Social Networking!
FYI: I think there’s way too much emphasis on the tools and technology that compromises Social Networking . . . That’s why I created the webinar “Networking Socially Through Linkedin” It’s only 45 minutes and there will be a handy dandy recording of the event if the timing doesn’t work for you. Click here and let’s make you lethal at this stuff!
