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#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch – How to Use #LinkedIn to Add Cold Contacts…Your #Career is About Who you Know, Sure. But it’s Also about Who You can Get to Know. That’s where LinkedIn Comes In.

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With over 400 million users, there’s no question LinkedIn reigns supreme as the go-to professional network. From your former roommate to the stranger with your dream job, every savvy woman (and man) seems to have an active account where they regularly post references, professional recommendations, and recommended reads.

If you’re like most users, you’ve probably taken a laissez-faire approach to LinkedIn networking up until now, accepting connection requests from friends or former coworkers when they turn up in your inbox or maybe using LinkedIn’s recommendations to add some people yourself. But that means you’re missing a hugely underutilized opportunity: the network of professionals in your field who you just haven’t met yet.

Navigating that world of untapped connections with poise often brings uncertainty. After all, it’s arguably as hard to reach out to strangers online as it is in person. That’s exactly why we’re breaking down how to use LinkedIn to add cold contacts to three easy steps. Follow these and you’ll significantly up your LinkedIn game. Ready?

HOW TO USE LINKEDIN TO ADD COLD CONTACTS (3 STEPS)

1. FIND A SHARED LINKEDIN CONNECTION OR GROUP

One of the biggest benefits of using LinkedIn to make new contacts? You can visually see connections that you share with others. For example, if you come across a profile of someone you’d like to contact, LinkedIn offers a convenient chart of your mutual connections. Use this to your advantage by reaching out to one of these shared contacts to ask for a virtual introduction, either through LinkedIn or via email.

Obviously, you won’t always have a direct personal connection with someone you’d like to meet, but that’s not the only way forward. Next up, check to see if you’re part of any of the same LinkedIn groups as the person in question. Perhaps you’re members of a professional association, or maybe you both graduated from the same university.

Finding common ground can quickly evolve a cold contact into a warm one. In fact, if you and the person are both members of a group, you can send them a message directly through LinkedIn without having to connect first. Think of it as cutting out the social media middle man.

Charm cold contacts with a personalized connection request. LinkedIn limits you to 300 characters here, but that’s still plenty of space to impress.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. PERSONALIZE YOUR CONNECTION REQUEST

If you aren’t able to turn the cold contact into a warm one through a virtual introduction, your next step is to send a personalized connection request.

LinkedIn allows you to send a connection request when you’d like to add someone new to your network. These potential connections will then receive a notification asking them to accept or decline your invitation. Because the process counts on their approval, without any type of background or explanation, many people are likely to decline an invitation from a stranger.

For this reason, under no accounts send the default “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” message. Trust us on this.

Instead, charm them with a personalized one. LinkedIn limits you to 300 characters here, but that’s still plenty of space to impress them with a short and sweet intro.

The Classic Approach

Hi Jane,
Came across your profile and work at XYZ Company. I’m a fellow aspiring marketing professional and would love to connect.
Regards, 
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The Admirer Approach

If you’ve seen the person’s work elsewhere (i.e. a publication, conference, networking event, or even through social media), mention it. People love when someone appreciates their hard work. Try something like this:
Hi Jane,
Saw your recent presentation at XYZ conference. I got a lot out of it and would love to chat with you to discuss some questions I had about your work.
Regards,
[Your Name]
Once you’ve successfully connected to someone, you can now send the person a direct message—and you should take advantage of this opportunity every time.

3. SEND A FOLLOW-UP LINKEDIN MESSAGE OR EMAIL

Once you’ve successfully connected to someone, don’t call it a day. You can now send the person a direct message, and you should take advantage of this opportunity every time. Let her know you admire her work or would like to learn more about her career path.

Ask for either an in-person or phone meeting where you can gain more information. Here are some approaches:

The Classic Reach-Out

Hi Jane,
Thank you for connecting with me on LinkedIn. I see that you’ve had a lot of work experience in corporate marketing, a field that I’m hoping to break into. I’ve done a couple of internships in the field and would love your advice on this topic. Would you be willing to speak with me over the phone for 20-30 minutes in the next few weeks? Thanks for your consideration.
Regards,
[Your Name]

The Hybrid Reach-Out

In the case where you’re able to send a message directly without connecting first (i.e., you both share a group), your initial message will look a bit different. Think of it as a combination of Steps 2 and 3. Here’s a good example:
Hi Jane,
I’m a fellow Rice University alumnus who recently graduated with a degree in Marketing. I came across your LinkedIn profile through our alumni group and was intrigued by your work experience in marketing.
I’d love to learn more about your career path and get your perspective on how to best break into the field as a new grad. Would you be willing to speak with me over the phone for 20-30 minutes in the next few weeks? Thanks for your consideration.
Regards,
[Your Name]

BONUS: THE SINGLE BEST TIP WE’VE GOT

In no context should your end goal of adding cold contacts be asking for a job.

You read that right. That part comes later, long after a cold contact warms up. Treat this as your opportunity to ask instead for information and learn more about the person. Informational interviews are great relationship builders, which both expand your network and provide you with tons of helpful career advice and insight from others.

Adding cold contacts on LinkedIn takes more time and effort than simply hitting the “connect” button over and over, but you reap what you sow. Put the time into turning a cold contact into a strong connection that you can keep in touch with over time.

Still feeling shaky about how to master the art of LinkedIn? Enroll in our online course, The LinkedIn Lab, and become a LinkedIn master.
CareerContessa.com | August 29, 2016 | BY KATHERINE NOBLES 

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Your #Career : The Emotionally Intelligent Way To Cold-Email People (If You Must)…People Don’t Love being Contacted Out of the Blue. So you Need an Opening Line that Puts your Recipient Front and Center. Here are Five Ways to Craft One.

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I get about 10 cold emails a day. Most are from PR firms who know I’m a Fast Company contributor and want me to write about their clients. If the first line fails to draw me in, I hit delete; if I like the sound of it, I’ll read on. Same goes for cold phone calls from organizations pitching financial advice or seeking money for a charity: That opening statement is everything.

How do you create an opening–whether for an email or a phone call–that makes the person at the other end want to hear more? The answer is simple: flip your focus from yourself (or whatever it is you’re offering or asking for) to the person you’re reaching out to.

The fact is that nobody particularly likes to field cold emails or cold calls. But with a more emotionally intelligent opening, you can at least get them to listen. Here’s how.

Related: Do These 5 Emotionally Intelligent Things Within 5 Minutes Of Meeting Someone

NEVER DIVE RIGHT IN

It’s understandable that you want to get to the point–and explain why you’re writing or calling. But an opening line focused on your own agenda is likely a turnoff to the other person.

“The past six months has changed the way we talk about and understand gender equality in the workplace,” one recent PR pitch began. Okay, I thought, but why are you sharing this with me?Another publicity email opened with, “As we all know, millennials have grown up surrounded by technology, iPhones practically glued to their hands.” If “we all know” it already, what’s new here? Plus, I’m not a millennial, so why are you contacting me? (My editor, who is a millennial, isn’t too keenon millennial trend pieces, by the way.)

Some writers open with surprising facts about their subject, hoping the reader will care. One recent email began: “$46 billion a year is spent on leadership training, but a recent Gallup survey showed that 82% of employees find their leaders ‘uninspiring.’” Another began with a whopping 58-word sentence about the app the writer wanted me to profile (not something I do), but I’d had enough of that topic by the time I’d reached the end of the line.

The point here isn’t to complain about the bad practices of the PR industry. It’s that introductions to people you don’t know should never launch right into something abstract, newsy, or conceptual. Think about it: If you were at a networking event, would you begin a conversation with a content-rich disquisition on your area of expertise? Not if you wanted to engage your listener! The same wisdom applies to cold emails and phone calls.

Related: Mentorship And The Art Of The Cold Email

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FSC LinkedIn Network:   www.linkedin.com/in/fscnetwork

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & type(#career, #leadership, #life) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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BEGIN WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

Instead, open with a focus on your reader or listener. Make it personal, so they’ll feel you’re really are talking to them–rather than delivering a generic pitch. These are five emotionally intelligent ways to do that in your very first line:

1. Mention a mutual interest. You might begin your email, “Good morning, Frank. I’m writing to you because I know you’re interested in the way leaders communicate, and that’s a focus that my client’s company shares.”

2. Refer to a shared contact. Our working lives are built on relationships, so if there’s a network connection you share, point that out to the stranger you’re reaching out to–you’ll seem a little less unfamiliar. Suppose you’re the head of a consulting business, and you are calling a potential CEO client. You might begin: “Good morning, Barbara. I’m calling because Ashanti Masterton told me you have an ambitious speaking agenda, and she thought you’d be interested in how my firm might support you.” These mutual ties will often get your foot in the door.

Related: Six Ways To Write Emails That Don’t Make People Silently Resent You

3. Show you know something about them. My antennae would go up if I got a letter that began: “I know your work as a columnist for Fast Company, and I’m fascinated by your writing on emotional intelligence in the workplace.” Likewise, if you’re extending a speaking invitation, you might begin, “I heard your recent talk on team building, and I can’t think of a better message for my team. Would you join us for our annual retreat, and share that same message?”

4. Convey respect or appreciation for what they’ve accomplished. Suppose you’ve decided you want to be mentored by a senior coworker who doesn’t know you. Your first step might be to send an email that opens with, “I’ve admired you from a distance for your ability to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ in our industry, and I’d love to grab coffee to hear a little more about your career experiences.”

5. Say what’s in it for them. Maybe you’re job searching and want to talk with the head of HR about opportunities. Cold pitching about job opportunities is always a crapshoot (it may work better for informational interviews), but you stand the best chance with an opening like, “I know your firm hires some of the best talent around, and I wonder if you’d be interested in the strong communications experience I’d bring.” I tried this approach early in my career when I cold-called the HR chief for a large telecom company; it landed me a job.

The way you open will determine how things conclude. So always start by referring directly to your listener or reader–their needs, interests, and priorities. Yes, that may mean getting to your point a moment or two later, but it’s the only way you’ll be granted the opportunity to do so in the first place.

FastCompany.com | March 18, 2018 | BY JUDITH HUMPHREY 4 MINUTE READ