Linkedin request makes me think of those aliens from V
28th January 2011 · 0 Comments
About three to four times a week, I get a request from people who ask to join my LinkedIn network. As part of my process, I do a quick review of their profile before agreeing to allow them to join my list of contacts.
Recently, I got a request from someone who I want to term “V.” (And no, the TV show didn’t inspire me for the nickname, but…please read on.)
As I was reading V’s profile, I couldn’t help but notice that there was some things about it that she could improve upon with it. So, I sent her a response to her through our just established personal LinkedIn channels telling her that I would be glad to share my observations. Her response was that she wouldn’t have time to talk to me until June.
That got me thinking. Why did she take the time to want to join my interactive network, but then didn’t want to hear my observation on her LinkedIn profile?
So, I emailed her back and questioned the delay. Her second response was even more amazing but pointed to the fact that it appeared that she was a self-centered persona.
She wrote: “While I appreciate your enthusiasm for social media marketing, our organization is TOO BUSY with the highly effective marketing that has brought us so much business that causes me to not have any time to visit with you..”
I was hoping we could be friendly connections on LinkedIn, I cannot afford to have marketers wasting my time on things that are not currently needed.
With my vast sales knowledge and degree in marketing, if I felt LinkedIn would increase my customer base, trust me, I would be utilizing it more than you….”
First, V, I was just offering an observation about some simple things to change the way you presented yourself. And, second, I use LinkedIn the way I also use networking events to meet people.
So, V, if you were at a chamber of commerce mixer or a professional trade meeting and traded business cards, this blog is my way of telling you on how you could improve your online banter with new connections. If we had traded business cards at a mixer, I would have taken a few extra seconds to take your card and slowly and carefully tear it up into small pieces.
Instead, I deleted your profile from my list of contacts. Doing this made me think of Arnold Schwarznegger’s famous line from the Terminator: “Hasta La Vista, Baby.”
So, V, if you are reading this, please take the time to read these two book. I would start first with David Meerman Scott’s “Real-Time Marketing & PR. That would show you that this LinkedIn thing is not some flash in the pad fad. Next, take the time to read Joe Sweeney’s “Networking Is A Contact Sport.” Reading both might teach you something about the art of building a network.
