LinkedIn is a useful tool for building a professional network and achieving career success. One of the primary ways this is accomplished is through LinkedIn messaging. This tool provides LinkedIn users with an easy way to get, and stay, in touch with one another.
Reaching out to create a new connection or feed an established one is not always easy or straightforward. Whether you are looking for a new job, want to connect with a lead or have the desire to get closer with a promising contact, reaching out and starting the conversation may seem awkward at first.
To provide more authentic ways to connect, LinkedIn now offers personalized conversation starters for messages in its app. Simply select a user to message, and tap the lightbulb icon for unique blurbs tailored your recipient.
Starters may include:
Updates on Your Connection’s Professional Activity
You can reach out with congratulations for a connection who recently landed a promotion or won an award in his or her workplace.
You may also be directed to an article that this person posted on LinkedIn so that you can converse about it and offer your thoughts.
These provide great ways to reach out and also be a part of your connection’s recent business successes/activities.
Shared Experiences
Perhaps you and your connection are part of the same sorority or both worked for the same company.
This shared experience can give you common ground for striking up a meaningful conversation.
Bonding over common experiences can make a big impact and set you up for turning a connection into a promising professional contact.
Shared Connections
The old adage about who you know being more important than what you know may be true, after all.
Find contacts that you and your connections share in order to spark conversation and establish a level of familiarity with someone you may not know.
Using these conversation starters will make it a bit easier break the ice in your LinkedIn conversations. Take a look at this video for some more information on the feature.