You will be able to tell when a person is open to a private conversation.
Wei Ling sells booking software to clinics. A practice manager at a clinic in Ang Mo Kio has reacted to two of Wei Ling's comments, replied to one, and viewed Wei Ling's profile. Wei Ling is tempted to message straight away with "Hi, I noticed you're interested in booking systems. Would you like a demo?" Wei Ling also worries that waiting will let the moment pass.
Both instincts carry risk. If you message too early, or send the wrong message, you destroy the goodwill the public exchange built. If you wait forever, nothing comes of it. To avoid both, you need to know which signals to read and what a safe first move looks like.
Not every interaction means the person wants to hear from you. A like (a reaction) on your comment is a weak signal. People like dozens of things a day without thinking about them. You are looking for signals that show real attention, and there are three good ones:
They replied to your comment, which means they read it and had something to say. They commented on one of your own posts. They viewed your profile after an exchange between you, which suggests your comment made them curious about who you are.
LinkedIn shows only some of the people who viewed your profile. What you see depends on your account type and the viewer's privacy settings, so you won't always see this signal. When you can see it, it counts.
A strong signal can be enough on its own. One example is a thoughtful reply that asks you a question. Weaker signals, such as a reaction or a profile view, need company: two or more of them together add up to the same thing. A reaction and a profile view in the same week is one example.
The practice manager has given Wei Ling three signals: reactions, a reply and a profile view. That is enough to act on, and the risk lies in the demo request Wei Ling wanted to send.
Arjun works with new parents on their finances. Arjun's rule of thumb is to act when someone has engaged twice in a short period, or once with a question. Arjun records these signals in the engagement log started in Lesson 3.3, "A 15-minute daily engagement routine", and checks the log every Friday. Reviewing your own log on a regular day each week means you notice who has shown interest while the exchange is still fresh.
When the signals are there and you aren't connected yet, the first move is usually a connection request. The note you attach matters more than most people think. A blank request, or one with the default text, gives the person no reason to remember you. A short note that mentions your shared conversation tells them who you are and why you are connecting. It also reminds them of an exchange they already enjoyed.
A good note names the conversation, is warm, and asks for nothing. The practice manager is Siew Mei, and Siew Mei and Wei Ling had their exchange in the comments under a post by Dr Tan. Wei Ling sends this note:
"Hi Siew Mei, I enjoyed our back-and-forth on Dr Tan's post about front desk staffing. I'd like to keep following what you're working on at the clinic."
Marcus is a new father who asked Arjun a question in the comments under a parenting group's post on new-parent budgets. Arjun's note to Marcus reads:
"Hi Marcus, thanks for the question about emergency funds under the post on new-parent budgets. Happy to stay connected."
Neither note mentions a product, a call or a meeting. LinkedIn limits how long a connection note can be. On some account types it also limits how many personalised notes you can send each month. Both limits have changed over time, so check the current rules in LinkedIn's help pages rather than trusting numbers you find elsewhere. A short note works better anyway, because the person can read it in one glance.
The key mistake is to pitch straight after the person accepts. Suppose that within minutes of Siew Mei accepting, Wei Ling sends: "Thanks for connecting. Our booking software helps clinics reduce no-shows. Do you have time for a 15-minute call this week?". The message shows that the friendly comments and the warm note were a setup for a pitch. Siew Mei would feel a little foolish for accepting, and goodwill built over several public exchanges would be gone after one message. Many people ignore a message like this, and some remove the connection.
So when someone accepts, send nothing right away. Keep engaging with their posts as you did before. When you do send a first message, it should carry on the conversation you were having and should not open a sale. Waiting a day or two costs you nothing. Lesson 4.2, "The first direct message is about them", shows you how to write that message.
All of this applies to warm signals only. A cold message goes to someone who has never heard of you, and it has to earn their attention from nothing. A message after a public exchange goes to someone who already knows your name and has seen how you think, so the public conversation has already done part of the work. This course deals only with warm signals. Cold prospecting methods, including connection requests to strangers, are covered in the course "Prospecting: build a pipeline that does not run dry".
Now go back to your log from module 3. Find the people who gave you a good signal this week: a reply, a comment on your post, or a profile view after an exchange. Choose three of them. For each one, write down in a few words what your shared conversation was about, so you can mention it accurately. In the activity below, you'll write a connection request note for each of those three people, and each note will mention the conversation you shared.
Pick three people who engaged with you this week and write each a connection request note that refers to your conversation.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).