I see a lot of people writing about why they don’t accept unknown connections on LinkedIn. This is about why you should connect on LinkedIn with everyone.
The only way these people claim they’ll connect with you is if you know them in real life, work with them, or talked with them on social media. Some limit themselves to the first two as criteria to connect.
Wow that’s strict!
There’s often a paranoia that the connection is only connecting to promote something to you. I suppose that could be valid if you were getting hundreds of requests per day, but that’s the minority. If it happens to us regular folks, we just delete the message and move on, no harm done.
How many people are getting hundreds of requests per day? I’d argue a very small percentage, I’d guess that elusive 1% that’s the big number these days.
Anti-Connectors, You Aren’t the Majority
For those that are paranoid about those connections and having steep criteria to connect, you probably are in the minority and most people shouldn’t listen to your advice in this matter.
The fact is that most of us small LinkedIn folk aren’t so popular that everybody’s trying to spam us and we’re getting hundreds of connections. We like to make new connections whether we know them personally or not! Who knows, we might just learn something great and awesome from that person that will change our future for the better.
Why Accept Everyone?
Let me start by saying I accept everyone. Yes, I’ve been honored as if they were royalty to connect with every single person who’s requested. Maybe I’m naïvely trusting, maybe I just like to have a diverse network.
I like it being made up of my regular circles AND those that are not, and I appreciate the different perspectives.
The number one reason to accept every connection, above all the rest, is that it opens you up to new connections. Your network diversity increases tremendously with every connection you make.
LinkedIn encourages accepting every connection possible. I’ve found 3rd tier connections on LinkedIn who I’ve worked with. Because they were a 3rd their connections, I couldn’t ask to connect!
If that’s not enough right there to make you want to grab as many connections as possible then I don’t know what will.
It’s not always possible to send that personalized note saying why you’re asking to connect either. LinkedIn doesn’t make that process consistent. From the website, you must select how you know the person, enter more information, then more, then see if it works. In the app, you tap a button and off goes a request with who knows what’s in it.
Connect On LinkedIn!
Of course, you’re allowed to live in a cave and believe everyone’s out to get you, but what fun is life then? Facebook’s not out to get me, Twitter isn’t either, and I don’t believe anyone else is either. Not to say I post everything and don’t care about security, I do! I won’t let it rule my life though.
LinkedIn is here to connect with professionals around the globe, and I will be doing just that.
Will you join me in the joys of connecting with new professionals with diverse backgrounds and thoughts?
Bring it!
Please like and share this post so we can spread the joy of making new connections, it’s a wonderful world full of wonderful people. Don’t let the bad ones bother you or change your ways.