Etiquette for LinkedIn InMail
You can use LinkedIn InMail to communicate with prospective new hires and clients, but if you use you use it in the wrong way, you'll likely be ignored and may earn yourself a bad reputation. By learning proper InMail etiquette, you'll enjoy more encouraging responses and maybe even new offers to network.
Other People Are Reading
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Be Succinct
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Start your InMail message by assuming that the person that you want to communicate with is as busy as you are. Keep your message focused, and don't stray into incidentals. Your recipient will appreciate this, and you'll stand a higher chance of having your entire message read. In fact, there's a simple rule that you can follow to ensure this. When you send InMail to a LinkedIn user, he receives an email from LinkeIn letting him know about it. This email will contain 255 characters of your message. Aim to make your message that long and you'll avoid adding any frivolous information.
Be Conversational
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It's very important that you get your point across in a natural, conversational tone. Some users send the same message to several people, only changing the name and salutation. These messages are often easy to spot, and in the LinkedIn environment, they're considered insulting. To demonstrate to your recipient that you're talking to her and her only, tell her what part of her profile piqued your interest somewhere in your message.
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Avoid Job Description Details
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Don't make the mistake of jumping right into the job description of the position that you're trying to fill, assuming all the while that the recipient of your message is interested. If you do so, you risk alienating yourself. Always strive to connect to a prospect on a human level. Leave the job description out of the initial message. However, it's considered OK to ask if the recipient would be interested in hearing about a job opportunity if it's related to information you found in his profile.
Put Others' Needs First
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The goal of your InMail message should be to let your recipient know what you can do for her, and it should leave her with a low-pressure reason to reply to you. This doesn't mean, however, that your message should sound like a sales pitch. You can give your recipient a reason to respond to you without sounding pushy by asking questions. Everyone enjoys being asked for advice or opinions. Keep the message focused on your recipient's goals, and make her aware of how you can help them by generally describing your business or job opportunity. Avoid making specific requests for a reply or asking her to make any kind of commitment.
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