I am astonished of how people tend to get upset if I refuse a “contact” request, but yet again I cannot blame them for reading things mindlessly. we all do.. at some point!
A “contact” is a person you are in “contact” with, nothing more nor less, LinkedIn is not a place to make friends or be with your friends. This is pretty blunt and somewhat harsh but it is the truth. Like it or not there is another place you can be all hearty feely about similar things… It’s called FACEBOOK!
The Main three questions I ask myself when I receive or send a “contact” request are:
- What is the value of this “contact” to my circle ?(from a networking point of view)
- Will he/she be a contributor to my professional knowledge and advancement?
- What will I loose of I do not accept or add him/her?
So if you are not a public figure or fall in the Influencers circle of business Gurus, it is ridiculous that you would have 500+ “contacts“, because it just simply does not make sense that you are in contact with all of them!
Your current linkedIn contacts should represent your current circle of professionals and people who might be of use for your next business venture, Project or simply… Your Next Job.
Once you understand this; you will begin to utilize your contacts status and capabilities toward your career and business growth.