When you send an invitation to a new connection in LinkedIn, do you use the generic invitation?  Please don’t!

OK, raise your left hand and place your right hand on your heart.  Read the following out load:

I promise to never ever, ever, ever, use the generic invitation to connect from LinkedIn.

What I teach in my workshops is this:

When you invite someone to connect, you don’t know when the next time they will be on LinkedIn.  You don’t know who they interact with or how many people they meet in a given day or week.  Help the person out by reminding them of where and when you met, how you might be able to assist them and THEN ask them to connect with you.

If you don’t know the person but want to connect with them, tell them why so they don’t think you are stalking them.

By doing those two things, you cut down your chances of being reported as spam, thus keeping you out of LinkedIn jail.

So will you, or won’t you?