Craig -
Love your letter - might have to lift from it myself. I think it all comes down to the value proposition for most users. I think the person who replied before me put it very well, once they are unemployed they will see the value.
I have spent many hours on the phone with friends after they found out they were on the list for a "riff" going over how they can "work their network" and the importance of using linkedin to make things happen for themselves. Unfortunately, if they haven't been active with it until that point it is hard to get enough traction with the tool for it to be that useful in a pinch. Just my two cents.
Anea

posted June 5, 2007

You might organize a webimar with them to show them the possibilities.
It might be expensive so, in fact i do not have the littlest idea of the cost :-)

cheers

posted June 5, 2007

I'm in a similar situation .. and it's also true that those who likely need it don't work it until they REALLY need it .. and I too like your letter .. here's what I've suggested to some of mine:

Set up your minimal profile and link, then come over and I'll help you learn how to use it, at a basic level -- then, if you're going to get the most out of it, invest a little time playing! .. do the Q&A thing, look for somebody you haven't seen in a long time (you'd be surprised who pops up!) and once that happens, you're hooked!

Happy hunting .. let me know what you decide and if it works! Marietta

posted June 5, 2007

Craig --

Interesting question -- I dealt with that to some degree earlier. Along with your memo above (really good, by the way), I also asked for and described references / recommendations from many of those people; that level of investigation on their part frequently piqued an interest.

I might also add in your memo something about using the linkedin startup tools to scan your current contacts for possible linkedin connections; they may not realize that many of their "traditional" network are linkedin users...

Hope you're well.

KB

Kevin Berchelmann
www.triangleperformance.com

posted June 5, 2007

Craig, your advice that you provide is very good and should improve the quality of some of your connections. However to control your expections there is always likely to be less connected people in contrast to supernodes within a social network. Just as in the same way that some people are smarter, richer or more attractive than others, some will have better networks.

posted June 5, 2007

I found myself in a similar situation. Low response on Linkedin.com requests. They might join but don't seem to be active. Starting about October of last year I saw a big uptick in usuage. "Tipping point"? ( Or maybe it was the announcement that my division was for sale ?)

One of the problems is that most of of the people I deal with are in the chemical process industry and think of networking as only needed when you are looking for a job. I don't think that is the case. The most powerful and influential people in my organization are people that have solid networks of trusted contact and personal consultant.

I tried to explain the power of linkedin to my firends.
I put together this post on my blog and I send it with all new invites to Linkedin. It also links to the Guy Kawasaki post and also to some podcasts about linkedin. I find them pretty interesting and they really getting at the spirit of what LinkedIN was intended to be.

http://geekfish.motd.org/2007/03/04/linkedincom-a-collection-of-tips/

posted June 5, 2007

Hi Craig:

Your letter that you send is great. And you raise a good question. We all have those connections that don’t take advantage of the tools. Part of the trick is to get them when they just join. Many people don’t even know how to get started. And then, after a month or so, follow-up with email and phone. I send the newbies something like the following ... similar to yours in many respects.


Hi ... :

This is terrific. So glad you were able to join.

(Then if they’re nearby, I suggest we get together for coffee or lunch).

Re LinkedIn, as a new user, you have to figure out how to get started. To get the most benefit, the trick now is to build your network and to make use of other people’s networks—mine included. LinkedIn can be valuable resource, even if it’s just for picking people’s brains, or just for staying in touch.

You might want to check out the following links to get an additional feel for LinkedIn and some ideas to make better use of it. The first link is particularly helpful; it gives you a list of steps on how to get started.

- http://www.rickupton.com/linkedin-tips.htm

- http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html

- http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2119586,00.asp

- http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/12/01/8394967

- http://linkedinusermanual.blogspot.com

- http://linkedin-notes.blogspot.com

- http://www.livejournal.com/users/dyork/105050.html

- http://www.calacanis.com/2006/12/18/linked-hits-a-tipping-point-annoying-distraction-turns-essentia

Let me know if these links are of any use to you.

Your first step may be to upload your address book to quickly see how many of the people you know are already on LinkedIn, and then invite them to connect to you. A second step is to add as much detail as possible to your profile so that people can find you.

(If appropriate, I then follow-up with a selection of people that are first level connections to me and that they probably know ... particularly if they worked for the same companies I worked for).

(And then, to make them feel more comfortable ...) Before I forget, LinkedIn is spam proof. No one beyond your first level connections can see your e-mail address. Anyone outside your inner loop must ask for permission from your first level connections to get to you.

posted June 5, 2007

Craig,

You pose an interesting question we all face with our networks. I do like the letter you have put together as well the other examples suggested to date.

It is just like the old adage, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink." This means that people become open to pursuing LinkedIn when they get "thirsty." I am open to helping people learn and use it when they are seeking assistance. One thing I have found extremely helpful is a 26 page power point briefing on LinkedIn for people that are used to processing and gaining information from this format.

Good question and I have learned from others views on this subject.

Thank you and others for sharing some very helpful information....JF III

posted June 10, 2007

I was once one of those people. A colleague invited me to join his network and I did nothing with LinkedIn for a year (it may have been longer) because I had no time to learn how to use it. I agree with Catherine Soubeyrand suggestion to hold a webinar to teach them how to use it. Once they find a few friends and former colleagues they will become more active.

posted June 11, 2007

When inviting a person to LinkedIn in the first place, I take the time to send them a personalized invitation mentioning colleagues or friends that we know in common that have already joined. From the beginning, the new user's experience with LinkedIn is about more than just their connection to me... they're part of a network. If the person accepts my invitation and joins, I then turn around and send an e-mail to those mutual friends already on LinkedIn, letting them know that a new colleague or friend has joined. If a new LinkedIn user is someone whom I can honestly recommend, I send them a recommendation to help enhance their profile. Though some people will naturally be more inclined to use LinkedIn than others, I've found this approach to be fairly effective.

posted June 11, 2007

Craig, I've had the same challenges. Some people will never use Linkedin. For those who are atleast open to the idea? Two recommendations.

1. Ask them this question...If they had to go somewhere..."anywhere" and had the choice of walking 1 mile or 10 which would they prefer?

2. Suggest they read "The Tipping Point" by MalcolmGladwell, specifically the chapter on "connectors."

Explain to them that it can be as private as they need it to be.

Good luck!

posted June 11, 2007

Hi Craig,
I have done something similar to what you have done with this letter. I also have picked up the phone in some cases to explain why this is a "no brainer" in signing up (no big hoops to jump through when setting up a profile) and what the value is in doing so.
I sent out over 100 invites to people I personally know, many who did not sign up...fall into both categories. A couple felt they would receive "spam" or unwarranted advances from people wanting something from them and therefore did not want to open themselves up to the possibility.

I think your letter can go a long way in helping someone make a more informed decision.

posted June 11, 2007

I get emails almost daily offering free trials for webinars, online meetings, etc. -- I can forward them to you if you wish.

My area of "expertise" is I'm very new to linkedin (just over a week) and still learning the ropes (and no doubt making rookie errors). Searching both my outlook and webmail addresses produced very few hits. I suspect that I have private or home email addresses and most people use more "public" addresses when signing up. I've had better luck searching by name, although it is time consuming -- too bad you can't seem to automatically search by name instead of email address from your contact list.

I did go out to the links in Barry's reply (thank you). As a new user, I'm already enthusiastic about linkedin, but I would really like feedback on nuts and bolts issues, like how I can improve my profile and establish contacts with other linkedin users that I haven't already met outside of linkedin.

posted June 11, 2007

Craig, I was one of those that you described. Then I was contacted by a previous colleague who offered me a job that was "hot off the press". She told me that she remembered my work, and thought I would be great for the position. She said that she wanted me to look at it, before she posted it for others. I didn't take the job, since I had a great job. However the conversation with her made me see how valuable LinkedIn could be. Had it not been for LinkedIn, she had no way of contacting me. She searched for my name, and I happened to be a member, though dormant. I change my thinking, and began populating LinkedIn with all my data.

Now, I am a "power user" of LinkedIn, and I counsel all my friends that I "recruit" to use this service, by following up with an email, and relating what I just wrote above.

I hope this helps...

posted June 11, 2007

You don't. You can email or call them and ask why, but ultimately it is their right to keep a small network or to be inactive if they choose to be.

Sheilah

posted June 11, 2007

I have referred my passive connections to an excellent blog by John. W. Parker on Keelhauling.

He describes a set of step-by-step instructions on how to improve the utility of LinkedIn, and he also describes why each step is useful.

Links:

• http://s92443876.onlinehome.us/MT/keelhauling/archives/001865.html

posted June 11, 2007