Lot of professionals subscribe to premium service offered by LinkedIn, since it enables them to send Inmail to other contacts irrespective of level of connection. When used wisely & appropriately, it is a great way of initiating a conversation with a professional or interest be it for job hunting, networking or business association.
The following paragraphs will discuss how can you increase the odds of getting a response to your Inmail.
- Level of activity: Evaluating the level of activity is a great way to know if you would get response to your Inmail. The following are signs to know if the contacts are active:
- They have shared articles in the past 10 days.
- Their profile contains a headline, summary & job titles that are current.
- They have 500 plus connections.
If the answer to these questions is no, the person is most likely not active on LinkedIn & chances that you will get a response to your Inmail is very less.
2.Leave a mark: Before even sending an Inmail, make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date & looks good & credible enough for any one to get engaged. People are surely going to check your LinkedIn profile & are going to interact only when your profile appears impressive.
3. Structure the language of your Inmail-politely: When writing your email, think about how you would like to be approached by someone with whom you are not acquainted. How would you feel if someone has approached you for a job? How would you feel if you have to read at least 4 paragraphs before coming to the point? Although every professional is unique, most of them prefer seeking rather than asking a favor. Remember Inmail is a way to break the Ice. Rather asking for a favor, more polite & appropriate way would be request 5 minutes of their time for a quick conversation
4. Look for alternatives: LinkedIn is not the only platform where you can connect with someone who is not in your contact list. If a person is not active on LinkedIn, find out if he/she is active on other platforms such as facebook, Twitter, Tumbler etc. Consider reaching out to them via direct message(DM) to increase your chances to elicit a response. Just like with LinkedIn, make sure that before you engage your social media profiles reflect you in a professional light.
By doing your groundwork, carefully crafting your message, reaching out where one is most active and impressing them with your credentials– you are more likely to increase your odds of striking a conversation.
As the founder and executive resume coach at Sushant Kumar Ventures, I offer customized executive resume and LinkedIn profile writing services for modern day job seekers. Sign up here for our services/free consult.
