Top 5 Super Annoying LinkedIn Approach Styles

Top 5 Super Annoying LinkedIn Approach Styles Prospecting on LinkedIn is a huge part of many peoples roles. Its kind of what LinkedIn is for, isnt it?  We  put our  profiles up there knowing full well that people will have the option of  messaging  us. We  can also decide who we  want to connect with and even  turn off the InMail messaging function if we want to, restricting it only to introductions that are being made by people in our approved and trusted network.  We cant really complain about people prospecting to us can we? No. However what we can complain about is  the style people choose to use. It doesnt matter whether its a recruiter sourcing candidates for a role or sales person trying to sell new software to online businesses. Most sales professionals would agree that tailoring and personalising prospective approaches  is the best way to  start a potentially fruitful relationship over LinkedIn. Theres no one-size-fits-all approach or the perfect method, but generally I prefer contact to be direct, honest and clear, with the person explaining who they  are, who they  work for and why theyre  reaching out.  Prospectors  have to dangle some kind of  bait to make their message stand out and capture attention  / spark some interest in the recipient but in my opinion, some people  make pretty bad blunders! Here are my top 5 annoying LinkedIn approach styles: 1. The overly-friendly  message When youre having a busy day and some random person emails you asking how youve been, what the weathers like and whether you have any exciting plans for the weekend, I just think, who is this and why are they asking me these questions? This uncertainty / confusion kind of undermines the good intention. InMails should be pleasant and contain some niceties, however when its from someone Ive never met, I  prefer them to be more direct and open about why theyre getting in contact, without the small talk. How can they possibly  care about my wellbeing  when they dont even know me?  To me that signals they  want something from me, but feel guilty asking for it outright. 2. The cocky message Have you ever opened up a message that  includes some kind of weird, cocky attitude about it? Sometimes sales people try to get the upper hand in their LinkedIn message, and attempt to make the recipient feel like they owe this random person something. Sometimes it can come in the form of highlighting the fact that yes, its a generic approach but Im just doing my job. I really dont have time for this. While mass-sending emails is a realistic approach many sales people need to opt for, highlighting your own apathy for the task or lack of tailoring is a massive turn-off. 3. The apologetic  message I cant count how many times I have received LinkedIn InMails from people apologising for taking my time or contacting me out of the blue, before I even have any idea why they are getting in touch. If someone can truly add value to my career or workplace, why would they need to apologise? To me, apologising signifies they have done something wrong or they are going to waste / misuse my time. Positivity and openness is key! 4. The  daily  message When it comes to prospecting, persistence is key not stalking! Sending the same message or a similar one day after day after day is the perfect recipe for getting annoyed. When someone sends you a text message, you kind of feel compelled to respond within a reasonable amount of time, probably on the same day. With LinkedIn, I believe you get a bit more time. A sales person shouldnt expect to hear back from their prospects immediately or on the same day. I totally respect persistence, but daily repetition is a different story. 5. The sloppy  message Put simply, bad grammar, misspelled names and dodgy auto-fill lines that get your name wrong or accidentally pull through your surname instead of first name are just massive red flags to me. So there you have it. The annoying LinkedIn messaging styles that  are fairly annoying to be on the receiving end of. Having said this, youll notice I havent screen-shotted images of real examples nor named and shamed anyone. Why? Because thats just so unprofessional and unnecessary after all, prospecting is part of many peoples jobs mine too! Unless the message is threatening, malicious or somehow dangerous or disturbing, ignoring it will probably do the trick. Or maybe tagging them in this article No need to drag someones career down in the public eye. Theyll do that themselves with their dodgy prospecting tactics ha!