I wanted to share my thoughts around inviting people to be LinkedIn connections, receiving requests, and the consequences of accepting them. LinkedIn requests and connections fall into the category of good, bad, and downright ugly.
First and foremost when I make a connection request I do so because I believe I can offer value. I have worked the last ten years to get organizations to offer professional development resources to those who work in the Office of the CFO (this includes AP, AR, Treasury, Accounting, and all who work in the Finance department) for free. I often reach out to people to inform them of free events that offer great content, and professional certification credits. This type of connection request is a "good" LinkedIn request, and when I accept a request and someone is not immediately trying to sell me something, that can be a good LinkedIn connection.
A bad LinkedIn request is made without thought, with no personal message, and with the sole intent of connecting with someone simply to close a sales transaction. A bad LinkedIn connection is a person who only wants to sell you something, not offer you value in even what they are selling, let alone being helpful in any way in connecting you with your peers.
The last category, the ugly. Here is an example, someone reached to ask me to join a networking group, once I accept, I then immediately get a sales pitch in private wealth management. This is quite simply the bait and switch at its worst. Note, I have removed my connection from this person. The bait and switch connection request or connection is "the ugly". LinkedIn can be a tremendous tool, but those who use bait and switch tactics make those of us who don't, suffer, and cause those who do not accept our requests to miss out because they have been burned from bad and/or ugly Linked connection requests and/or bad connections in the past.
Unfortunately, I need to add another "ugly" story that I have experienced since the time I originally posted this article. I make a LinkedIn connection with a fellow Finance Leader, very promising. He endorses me for several skills. I never asked him to endorse me for anything, and I find no value in that LinkedIn function by the way. He then asks me to endorse him. I tell that I do not know him and as such I can't endorse him. That is just against my professional integrity. He then proceeds to call me rude and lectures me in a message.
LinkedIn should be a relationship generation tool, not one for sales, marketing, and biz dev people looking to close a deal or provide a "lead" to a third party.
Think about it, let's make LinkedIn a better place!