Welcome to the LinkedIn Made Simple Newsletter, where we talk about LinkedIn best practices in an easy, yet actionable way. If you want even MORE tips and tricks be sure to check out our YouTube channel where our Co-Founder/CEO, Chris, puts out multiple videos a week.
Dirty Words & Phrases
These words and phrases may very well be the reason why you aren't seeing the results you want on LinkedIn. Or maybe you haven't even implemented a LinkedIn Strategy yet and just want to make sure you are on the right side of history when you do.
Regardless of your reason for being here, the reality remains the same. Avoid these 5 words/phrases at all costs on LinkedIn. It's much better to send a connection request with NO words, than using these dirty words. That way, your connection request acceptance will be predicated on your Profile Picture and Headline
1) I'd love to add you to my network...
This is a classic example of trying to "network" on LinkedIn. This is a phrase that has been around since LinkedIn's inception and for this reason has been picked up by every single "How to set up your bot" playbook on the planet.
A good rule of thumb is that if a LinkedIn tactic shows up on the first page of a Google search then you aren't the only one using it and therefore it is already a bad place to start
2) Thanks for connecting...
Thanking someone for connecting before they even accept a connection request is not only bad practice, but it's a really easy way to know that someone is unexperienced on LinkedIn and probably using a bot.
Chances are they messed up the ORDER of their message sequence in the bot and thought this message was being sent after someone accepts a connection request instead of IN the connection request itself. YIKES!
3) I saw we had some mutual connections
A classic example of trying to provide a statement that feels like it can be personalized and apply to any situation. In reality, all this does is alienate the person you are trying to connect with.
4) The word connect OR connections
A common "dirty word", as you may have noticed, is anything that has to do with connecting on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the only social platform that using "connection", so for a LONG time people have utilized this word when trying to build a network.
Avoid this word or anything like it at all costs.
5) Let's see what ways we can mutually support each other...
Another classic example of trying to lead with value and make the person on the other end feel like they are getting something out of this virtual relationship. Again, this is an overused phrase that adds nothing to the conversation and leaves a bad taste in someone's mouth before you even have a chance.
BONUS: Hi/Hey [Name],
You want to avoid this type of greeting because this is what every other message being sent on LinkedIn is using. At the end of the day, your biggest competition are the other messages in your prospect's inbox. How can you stand out from these bots? Start by differentiating the line that opens your message.
If you feel obliged to include a salutation, then do this at the END of the first line of your message instead of the start. For example, "I'm looking to speak with some CEO's that know they could be doing more on LinkedIn to generate new business Chris".
Takeaways:
- Avoid these dirty phrases & any other words/phrases you commonly see in your own inbox.
- Stop starting messages with Hi [Name],
- Stand out from the crowd by implementing tactics that make you sound like a human - read your messages out loud - if it sounds natural that is a GOOD sign.
- Come back for more newsletters, we’re just getting started here.
- Learn more from our CEO on our company YouTube Channel
- Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator for 30 days FREE
Pro Tip:
If you feel the need to add "personalization" then do this by using fields that are NOT utilized by bots/automation. It is very easy for bots to pull company names, person's first and last name, title at their company, etc.
If you want to truly personalize a message you should choose a source that is unique and can only be done by hand. For example, you can filter LinkedIn by people who have posted on LinkedIn in the last 30 days and then go to one of their most recent posts and comment on something about that specific post. This is NOT the best method though.
If you truly want to personalize I would recommend shooting for a source outside of LinkedIn.
From everything I've tested, personalization at this scale is NOT worth it. I would recommend using a template message that has the option to personalize and then YOU can make the judgement call of whether or not a lead is worth taking the extra time to hyper-personalize a message.
From my experience a great template accomplishes the same as a hyper-personalized message IF your targeting is really on point. This requires an excellent targeting strategy.
