You will be able to spot the signals that a person is open to a private conversation.
The practice manager in Ang Mo Kio has now reacted to two of Wei Ling's comments and replied to one. She has also looked at Wei Ling's profile. Wei Ling is tempted to send her a message straight away: "Hi, I noticed you're interested in booking systems. Would you like a demo?" She's also worried that if she waits, the moment will pass.
Both instincts are understandable, and both can go wrong. Message too early, or with the wrong message, and the goodwill from the public exchange disappears. Wait forever and nothing comes of it. This lesson is about reading the signals that tell you a person is open to a private conversation, and making the first move in a way that keeps the goodwill intact.
Not every interaction means someone wants to hear from you. A like on your comment is pleasant, but people like dozens of things a day without thinking about them. You're looking for signals that show real attention.
The good signals are these. They replied to your comment, so they read it and had something to say. They commented on one of your own posts. Or they viewed your profile after an exchange between you, which means your comment made them curious enough to find out who you are. LinkedIn shows you some of who has viewed your profile, depending on your account type and their privacy settings, so you won't always see this signal, but when you do, it counts.
One signal alone can be enough if it's strong, such as a thoughtful reply that asks you a question. Two or more weaker ones together, such as a reaction and a profile view in the same week, add up to the same thing. Wei Ling's practice manager has given three.
Arjun's rule of thumb is to act when someone has engaged with him twice in a short period, or once with a question. He records these in the log he started in lesson 3.3, A 15-minute daily engagement routine, and checks it every Friday.
When the signals are there, the first move is usually a connection request, if you're not connected already. The note you attach to it matters more than most people think.
A blank request, or the default text, gives the other person no reason to remember you. A request with a short note that mentions your shared conversation tells them exactly who you are and why you're connecting. It reminds them of a moment they already enjoyed.
Wei Ling's note reads: "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." That's all. It names the conversation, it's warm, and it asks for nothing.
Arjun's version, to a new father who had asked him a question in a parenting group's comments: "Hi Marcus, thanks for the question about emergency funds under the post on new-parent budgets. Happy to stay connected." Again: the shared conversation, and no request.
LinkedIn limits the length of connection notes, and on some account types it limits how many personalised notes you can send in a month. Both limits have changed over time, so check the current rules in LinkedIn's help pages rather than relying on any number you read elsewhere. A short note works better in any case, because it reads in one glance.
Here's the mistake that undoes everything. The person accepts your request, and within minutes they receive: "Thanks for connecting. I help clinics reduce no-shows with our booking software. Would you be open to a 15-minute call this week?"
They now know the friendly comments and the warm note were a setup for a pitch, and they feel a little foolish for accepting. The goodwill you built over several public exchanges is gone in one message. Many people react to this by ignoring the message, and some remove the connection.
So when someone accepts, don't send anything immediately. Keep engaging with their posts as before. When you do send a first message, it should continue the conversation, not start a sale, and lesson 4.2, The first direct message is about them, shows you how to write it. A day or two of patience costs you nothing.
What you're doing here is different from cold prospecting. A cold message goes to someone who has never heard of you, so it has to earn attention from nothing. A message after a public exchange goes to someone who already knows your name and has seen how you think.
If you also prospect cold, the methods for that, including connection requests to strangers, are covered in Prospecting: build a pipeline that does not run dry. This course stays with warm signals, where the public conversation has already done part of the work.
Look back at your log from module 3 and 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, and choose three of them. For each, note what the shared conversation was about, in a few words, so you can mention it accurately.
In the activity below you'll write the connection request note for each of those three people, each one mentioning the conversation you shared.
Write connection request notes for three people who engaged with you this week, each mentioning the shared conversation.
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