Why do people LinkIN to people who they really don't know? Doesn't this dilute the purpose of having a network?
The reason I ask this, is because on more than one occasion I reached out to people who were LinkedIN to key contacts. When I called them regarding the connection to the person, they were completely - I mean COMPLETELY clueless about who the person was and what they did. I actually spoke to someone who not only didn't know he was connected to a contact, but didn't understand a thing about LinkedIN and the fact I could read his profile!
Any thoughts on how to manage this? Having connections for the sake of being connected does not promote any kind of forward motion.
As a side note: I also notice many people not updating their profiles making connections worthless if they can't be tracked down or contacted!
Good Answers (10)
Jeffrey O.
Biotechnology Executive
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Rachel,
Below are my reasons why I have connections to people that I don't know. Unless you have a professional account, you can only contact people that are in your network (3 degrees of separation - actually at one time, LinkedIN supported 4 degrees of separation). Thus, if you use LI to research companies or individuals or to prospect potential business partners, it is important to have as wide of a network as possible. Now, with the use of groups it is now much easier to reach out to a much larger network.
Another point of my strategy is that I want to make it easy for other people to find me. This is important both for business purposes as well those times when you may be interested in considering new opportunities. From this strategy, my network has grown a great deal as I have been contacted by long lost friends and colleagues and have met new and interesting people.
Finally, I do not think that my list of connections represents a network in terms of people who I "know." Rather, it is a collection of people who have agreed (in principle) to help facilitate my business and professional objectives by helping me contact those individuals who can provide the information that I desire. My "real" network consists of individuals who I do know. Some of these people are connected to me on LI and some are not.
Dave M.
Professional trade show booth traffic builder and party entertainer. Corporate and private sector events.
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Disclaimer: I am NOT, I repeat, NOT promoting my business with the following. I'm using my situation on Linkedin to make a point, NOT to get business or more invites...
In my line of work, outside of Linkedin, everyone who hires me for a gig is a total stranger. So, it makes perfect sense that I have as many contacts as I do. By the way, I to very rarely invite someone into my network. Every day I get invites, making sure to check each profile out before accepting them.
The idea, as I see it, is that, by only connecting to those you already know, or have done business with limits your potential for new business.
I get calls and email from those in my network all the time, inquiring about what I do. Many times, I get hired for a live gig, or to send my wire names out via mail order.
As my product/service is appealing to every type of business and individual (creating my wire names at private or corporate parties, doing a trade show as a traffic builder or mailing out names to individuals looking to give them as a holiday or birthday gift, you get the idea) it makes sense for me to get my name out there, constantly developing new connections, leading to potential clients.
Again, I very rarely invite someone into my network. When I do, it is someone I've done business with, or, outside of business, a relative or friend.
For another corporate type who only deals with a certain business associate, limiting who they connect to makes sense. A total stranger in a field that's unrelated to theirs is a wasted connection.
In my case, I deal with everyone, hence, it works for me...
Cheers
Joe T.
Accomplished Senior Embedded Systems Engineer
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Hi Rachel,
I agree with you. In my opinion, it's quality connections that is the foundation of a useful network. In my network, each direct connection is a person who I know and have interacted with outside of LinkedIn.
However, LinkedIn does support open networking, and many users, such as Dave, find that feature to be beneficial.
In your question, you have touched upon several challenges to using LinkedIn, and I'd like to
- Some LinkedIn users do not know how to use LinkedIn.
- Some LinkedIn users allow their profile to become stale, even to the point of being unable to contact them, ie, messages to them bounce.
- In addition, some of my contacts outside of LinkedIn do not understand the benefits of a tool such as LinkedIn, and are uninclined to join.
Daniel J.
Division Leader with Primerica Financial Services
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I agree with you. BUT I should point out to you that it is not good form to be calling people directly and bypassing your contacts. You are supposed to use the Introductions feature to reach such contacts through your connections. That gives your connection an opportunity to decide whether or not your request is appropriate.
I don't even bother using this feature with someone who has more than 500 connections, unless I have some reason to believe that person actually knows the contact.
Good question Rachel, I've had a few people in my day say "hey, I see you know so and so from LinkedIn" and I say "probably, I'm connected to 100's of people"...that's what a well connected person should say rather than, "no, I don't know them". Yes, we don't "know them personally" but we have accepted each others invitations to connect for one reason or another.
As well, I am connected to people that rarely log in and use LI. Reason why is because someone invited them, or told them to do it and they did it and made a few connections and left LI. It takes someone to nudge them back in and then they usually get it better and like it as they find a good reason, networking!
I am a firm believer in using the formal introductions for LI and not skipping or bypassing the reason why we are all here. I'm also a believer in using your contacts as a first level search engine before you go to google or yellowbook. I have found many folks for services this way.
Greg P.
Audiovisual Services for Corporate and Special Events. Author.
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I notice many different reasons and styles of using LinkedIN.
for me, I connect only with folks who I know, either a prior connection or someone I have met through LinkedIN. Usually Q & A is where I meet folks. I start an email conversation and one or the other of us connects...
I try to keep it people who I do have some connection, through common business interests or through a common sense of purpose.
For me, I can't manage hundreds of connections. But that doesn't mean that large numbers don't work for someone else.
Nathaniel "Ned" D.
Investment Associate at UBS Financial Services
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Rachel,
Quality over quantity sez me... I agree with ya.
Ned
Josh C.
Director of Operations at Web Industries, and Decent Little League Coach
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Hi Rachel,
Golly, there seems to be a lot of discussion around this question recently.
As I have said in response to several similar questions, the point of a networking service is to network. By definition, that means meeting people that you didn't know previously. So I have a fairly liberal policy of both inviting and accepting invites. Usually I make a private note about how I "met" that contact...often on Q&A.
My company serves a wide variety of industries, so contacts are always useful. I hope to meet more of them when I travel, or at least gain some travel tips.
The exceptions I make are for blatant sales/advertising; students looking for help with their homework, and morons, although I admit the definition of the latter is certainly in the eye of the cyber-beholder...
Josh.
Nicolas L.
► Business Consultant ► Open to Learn ► Open to Discuss ► Open to Help ► Open to Connect ► Open to Happiness
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A connection is an opportunity to know the other party. Just like face to face networking, you need to be disciplined to follow up, usually more than one time to know interesting parties.
On the other hand, it makes no sense to connect for the sake of connection, when you make no further effort to learn other party, like so many who really do not understand the whole LinkedIn.
Rachel,
As a networker and someone currently searching for work, I want my contacts to work for me. Thus, I personally know all of my contacts. However, I have received invitations from people that I don't know as well. With each of these uninvited contacts, I offer to meet for coffee and talk about opportunities or other potential ways that we can benefit each other. I know that not everyone has the time or inclination to meet personally, but perhaps a "meeting of the minds" over the internet would suffice. If one cannot meet a connection due to geography or any other reason, I might suggest asking: why do you want to link with me, and any other questions that would enable this connection to work at its highest level for both parties.
I understand the quantity argument by those seeking to cast as wide a net as possible, but I am looking for each of my connections to personally have a stake in my professional success, as I am in theirs.
