My LinkedIn Rule

I have a silly rule that I apply to my LinkedIn network: If I haven’t met you in person at least once, I will request to meet you in person at least once before adding you to my network.

To me, this makes the difference in using LinkedIn as a real connection tool, versus using it as a simple rolodex of people I may or may not know.

I find it somewhat disappointing that roughly half of these requests go completely dark when I request coffee or lunch. If you’ve received a link to this post after adding me on LinkedIn, I encourage you to take me up on my offer and schedule a time for us to grab coffee.