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LinkedIn Stationery
Don't have the right words? Here's copy that you can use that is helpful, professional, and graceful! Contact us at the email address at the bottom to submit your own!
Decline to Forward a Request - Networking request too generic
Marc Freedman
You sent a generic Introduction request through me. I don't forward such requests.
If the recipient was open to such requests he would publish his email address in his profile or be an OpenMail member.
You have seen the recipient's profile. If you feel contact is worthwhile, please write a professional request indicating why. I have some suggestions in my Masterful Requests article. Establish a personal connection to your recipient. That makes it much more likely that he or she will accept the request and even a followup connection invitation.
Decline to Forward a Request - Category
Marc Freedman
It appears that you have used the wrong category for your Introduction.
The categories are not arbitrary. They have a special meaning as LinkedIn uses categories to allow people to select what requests they do and don't want.
For your convenience here are what a few of the categories mean:
- Career Opportunity. You have a potential job for the recipient or people that he may know.
- Job Inquiry. You are contacting the recipient about a potential job at his company.
- Reference Request. You are asking the recipient to provide a LinkedIn reference for you.
- Get Back in Touch. You are reconnecting with someone with whom you have a prior relationship. This should be clear in your message.
If the category you should use is not listed for the recipient, then he or she is not interested in such inquiries. Please respect that and don't contact him or her.
Decline to Forward a Request - Unprofessional
Marc Freedman
I appreciate your using LinkedIn. I am not approving this request.
Even though this is the Internet, which is typically informal, you are interacting with executives you do not personally know. I ask that you be professional. This is your first contact with someone who can either do business with you or point you to someone who does. DO NOT send a quick one liner or only list your product. DO write an appropriate introduction, just you like you would with a business letter.
My reputation is involved when I forward a request. I am sorry to decline the message. However I will forward the request if it's written appropriately and resubmitted.
Decline to Forward a Request - Selectivity
Gerry Crispin
... Tom, Paul gets unsolicited requests just like yours each day from 2000 people he doesn't know. The last thing he wants to see at the end of the day is one more person he doesn't know- and, while my sending it to him might have some value if I knew you, it would simply raise red flags in this case- because I don't. ... Read it all.
Andy Sernovitz
I get 10-15 requests a day, and there is no way I can forward them all.
I am very selective about which requests I forward. Here's how I choose:
1. I must know you and the recipient well, and I must feel there is a good match.
2. No 3rd or 4th degree referrals. I'll match friends, but I won't ask my friends to pass along notes.
3. The request has to be for something very specific that I can recommend. No generic "I want to meet you" networking requests.
Ziad Abdelnour
I am approachable to all, and I will try and answer you all, BUT when you will ask me to forward a request you will find me much more selective, for all the good reasons of not wanting to spam my friends.
Be sure to give me the information that lets me know why I should endorse this person, idea, introduction.
For example:
1) Do you know/work(ed) with/respect the person you are referring to/through me?
2) Is the idea/proposal/plan/information the person is seeking to send to/through me something you know about and can vouch for (the quality)?
3) "Other" reason you think it is worth your/my time and credibility to support this request.
Please DO NOT ask me to just blindly forward a request without some sort of information like the examples listed above... otherwise, you are just asking me to make your 'cold call' for you!
Des Walsh
I love connecting people and ideas and I'm keen to help everyone
in my network get great value out of their LinkedIn membership. At
the same time, I intend to respect the time and attention of everyone
in my network. So my intention is to only forward requests to others
when I have enough information to be personally confident that this
is a request I can support, and that the person asking for the
connection is either personally known to me or is vouched for by
someone I know and respect.
In other words, I want to ensure that neither you nor any of the
other people connected with me receive requests that are
uncomfortable to handle.
I'm sure you'll agree that – although it might be awkward
to decline a request – the value of the network for all of us can
only be safeguarded and enhanced for all of us by our observing some
basic protocols.
So when you ask me to forward a request you will know that I need
some basic information from you about the request. If I get a request
without what I consider to be adequate supporting information, I will
return it with a request for that information, before considering
passing it on.
That might mean that you will have to ask for such information from
the person whose request you are forwarding, before sending it on to
me. If you find that awkward, just tell them that the person who
will be forwarding the request (that's me) needs it or the
request can't proceed further. By all means just copy this
message to them, if that will help.
Basically, I need to have some good reasons to support this
person's request. So the information you supply would suitably
include the following:
1) Why the person you are referring wants to connect with me or
through me to someone else
2) How well you know or can otherwise vouch for this person
3) If they have a proposal, idea or information they want to present,
what you know about it and how strongly or otherwise you can support
their approach in this respect
4) Any other reason you see as showing that it is worth your and my
time and credibility to support this request.
One benefit of this procedure for you is that you'll know that,
if you have a request forwarded from me to you, it should have been
suitably vetted by the time it gets to you. You will still need to
assess whether you personally believe it's worth your while to
take the request aboard, but you should have some comfort in knowing
that it has not been lightly forwarded.
Decline to Forward a Request - Job Opening Referral
Marc Freedman
Regarding your referral request, I regret that I cannot provide a recommendation as we have not directly worked together in a significant capacity. I am happy to forward your professional requests and will do so if you would like to resubmit this as a regular introduction.
Decline to Forward a Request - Third Party Requests
Marc Freedman
I appreciate your using LinkedIn. I am not approving this request. My policy follows. You may have better luck with another connection or Googling the recipient for direct contact.
I do not forward third party requests. LinkedIn is based on trusted connections with everyone's profile on the network. You misuse LinkedIn when you send a request for someone else. Senders should have their own LinkedIn account and initiate the request themselves.
Withdraw a Request
Marc Freedman
You haven't responded to this request in over a week. I'm sure you've just been busy. The number of requests I can have out is limited and so I'm withdrawing the request.
I still am interested in making contact. [INSERT SUMMARY OF REQUEST].
[SIGNATURE WITH EMAIL]
Decline an Endorsement
Marc Freedman
Thank you for the endorsement invitation. I am happy to connect and approve contact requests. However I am very strict about endorsements and must decline. I only provide endorsements where I have a close business relationship.
LinkedIn Profile Update Notification Usage
Marc Freedman
I know this probably isn't an issue for many of your other contacts. But it is for me. I receive dozens of such updates from my contacts each week. Your email notice contains no information other than the fact that it is changed. You had a chance to tell me what is new in the email. Instead you said nothing.
I can only assume it's not important and will not check your profile. I also assume that is not your intent as you went to the trouble to notify me and your other contacts about the update.
Allow me to make a few suggestions so you can improve on this in the future. Here's a few ideas.
*** BASIC ***
> RESPECT YOUR NETWORK. Many of us are executives and professionals and receive hundreds of emails a day. Send LinkedIn notifications only when you have significant news and only when it is of interest to most of your contacts.
> CUSTOMIZE THE NOTIFICATION EMAIL. You can edit the email subject and body at LinkedIn before you send it. Please do so.
> THE EMAIL IS THE MESSAGE. LinkedIn would have you drive your contacts back to the web site. That's understandable as that's their business. But your contacts have already seen your profile. The only real reason to get them back to the profile again is if you completely rewrote it. 99.9% of update notifications can be handled much more directly. You have a new job, a new professional interest, you moved, you solved world hunger, whatever. Just cut and paste the new copy from your profile into your update email.
*** ADVANCED ***
> SELL: HAVE AN OBJECTIVE. LinkedIn is a business network. It aint Friendster, which is going down the tubes anyway. You don't use LinkedIn to say 'hey'. Be sure to have a Call to Action. Reading your updated profile does not count. Ask your contacts to call, write, or refer as appropriate.
> MARKET: DON'T WASTE THE OPPORTUNITY. Every contact, especially a broadcast like this that reaches millions, or at least dozens, is an opportunity to present yourself. Don't just tell us about the great news. Tell us why it's significant. Anchor it into your personal story. Build your brand.
> NETWORK: REMEMBER, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. While it's nice to share your good news, what your contacts want to know is what's in it for them.
EXAMPLE. You could say "I'm excited to announce I have a new job as Director of Business Development for RazorPop." ... But wouldn't it better to say "I'm excited to announce I have a new job as Director of Business Development for RazorPop. It's an ideal position. I can continue to make great music. And RazorPop will help me promote it! Plus I can leverage my tech contacts in the Bay Area. RazorPop is a fast-growing cutting-edge company at the convergence of consumer technology and entertainment. Our customers are consumer marketers, electronic and computer manufacturers, content producers and distributors, and artists. We build powerful consumer communities. Our unique software, networks, and marketing programs extend your brand, attract and retain customers, and save you money unlike anything else available today. Are you involved with digital media or consumer technology? Can I help you or your company? Please call or write me to learn more."
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