How to personalize your LinkedIn invitation

Personalize your LinkedIn invitation? For years, people discussed the LinkedIn invite and some insist you must always personalize your invites and even get downright insulted when they don’t get a personalized invite.

The LinkedIn invitation often auto-sends

The problem is that LinkedIn has multiple locations where you send the automatic invite by hitting the connect button and it is gone. Even with years of experience using LinkedIn and as someone who coaches on how to better use LinkedIn daily, I still get caught by that “auto-sender” now and then.

Why personalize the LinkedIn invitation at all?

1. Personalizing the LinkedIn invitation gives you an opportunity to explain why you want to connect.
2. If the person has a strict LinkedIn policy, letting them know why you want to connect may earn you a new connection.
3. It opens the conversation. Just by creating a personalized LinkedIn invitation, you set the stage for a response.

How should I personalize the LinkedIn invitation?

1. “Hi Jim, it was so much fun meeting you at the Business Expo last week. I would like to continue to get to know you better, let’s connect on LinkedIn.”
2. “Hi Sally, your presentation last week at our company was excellent! Let’s connect on LinkedIn!”
3. “Hi Sam, I lost contact with you after college, let’s connect on LinkedIn so we stay in touch.”
4. “Hi Heather, I enjoyed working with you at XYZ company. Let’s connect on LinkedIn.”

Your LinkedIn invite doesn’t have to be difficult or lengthy. You only have 300 characters in the invitation. You can always follow-up with a message later.