There’s a big difference between asking someone you don’t know if she’d be willing to spend 10 minutes on the phone with you talking about the interview process at her company and asking her to put in a good word for you with the CEO. I’m in the midst of _ and have some questions about _.”Īn important note, though: Make sure your ask is commensurate with your relationship. Let that topic sentence guide a paragraph (only one!) where you get into a few details: e.g., “I’m reaching out because I need advice. Why do you want to be connected? Do you love this person’s updates or products? Do you want to book him to speak at an event or invite her to guest post on your site? Do you want to ask this person questions about her company or background? Quickly dive in to why you’re writing-and “just to be connected” doesn’t count. Keep this in mind as you craft your second paragraph, the meat of your message. People are time-crunched, and you can lose their interest just as quickly as you got it if you segue from a pithy intro into a drawn-out monologue of why you should be connected or a lengthy recitation of your resume. When it comes to emails, the shorter the better. Step 3: Get to Why You’re Writing-and Fast Whether you use this sentence to include your mutual contact, where you’ve met, or your shared background, tailoring your intro for the specific contact shows that you’re serious about connecting with him or her.
The first paragraph of my InMail, for example, read, “My name is Sara McCord and I am a fellow contributing writer for The Daily Muse. When you see someone you don’t know well but are hoping to speak with, you usually give him or her a one sentence background: “I’m Sara-we met at the 10th anniversary event” or “I’m Sara, and I loved your latest blog on climate change.”ĭon’t skip this step on LinkedIn! You should never assume your contact will just click on over to your profile to learn about you or see how you’re connected-be proactive (and respectful of the other person’s time) and write a quick intro. I knew that titling my message “Hello” would be a waste of a first impression, so I went with “Fellow Daily Muse Contributor Seeking Advice.”
Use that information, then, to craft as specific a subject line as possible: “Following Up from Last Night’s Event” is more likely to be read than “Following Up.” “Fellow Teacher Interested in Urban Education Reform” is better than “Loved Your Speech.” “Mutual Contact?” Don’t even think about it.Įarlier this year, I used LinkedIn InMail to ask a total stranger for professional advice. Before you write the message, ask yourself: How do I know this person, and why am I reaching out to him or her? Is this someone you know and need advice from? Someone you share a contact with and want to know more about? A stranger with whom you’re hoping to connect for the first time?
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