By: Nancy Friedman, Founder, Chairman, Customer Service Speaker; Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training

In all transparency, I am not a LinkedIn expert. (Don’t even play one on TV; sorry had to say it.)

But I am a good user of it and would like to offer a few reminders.

FIRST: When you want to LINK IN with me – please DO NOT try and sell me within the first invite.

SECOND: Do give me a short reason why you would like to connect. And NOT because I have a nice profile! Not even because we are in the ‘same industry’ – or ‘know Joe Blow.’

THIRD: When using a ‘referral’ such as, “Oh, I see you’re connected with John Smith. So am I.  Please connect.” That is not a great idea. You know as well as I do, many of us accept connections without knowing who the heck the person is. Never met them, let alone spoken to them. It is a useless ‘referral’ and not very smart.

FOURTH: If you do want to talk with me about your product, at least wait until I accept. Even then, could be too soon. Give me time. Do you even know what the connection does?

FIFTH: So many people “ASSUME” so much. Be sure of your facts. Everything you read on a profile may not be 100% correct.

SIXTH: If I do not respond to your first message, try a softer, gentler, shorter one. There usually is a reason a person does not respond

SEVENTH: REVERT to FIRST.

Nancy Friedman

Nancy Friedman, customer service keynote speaker, is founder and chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training and a featured speaker at franchise, association, and corporate meetings around the world. A popular TV guest, she appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning, as well as hundreds of other radio, television and print outlets around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. The author of 9 books on her chosen topics, Nancy helps corporate America improve their communications with their customers & co-workers. www.nancyfriedman.com