What should I say in a LinkedIn connection request?

The connection request is your first impression, and most people get it wrong in the same way: a generic, templated line that reads like it went to a thousand others. That is the version that gets ignored.

Short, specific, and about them

If you add a note, make it about the other person, not you. A single line that shows you actually looked - a post they wrote, something you have in common, a reason this particular connection makes sense - beats a paragraph about yourself every time. Keep it to a sentence or two.

Or send no note at all

It surprises people, but a request with no note often gets accepted more than one with a generic note. A weak, obviously-templated message can actually cost you the connection. So the rule is simple: send a genuinely personal note, or send none - never a bland one.

Let Crispy draft it in your voice

Ask your assistant to write a note that references the person's recent post or role, and it drafts something personal in your style. You review and send. It is the personalization of a hand-written note without the blank-page effort.

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