You ever been to LinkedIN?
If yes, do you accept connection requests from strangers?
Well, accepting and making connection requests to people you don't know is mandatory in LinkedIN.
See LinkedIn is like a networking event.
Think of it as party where you get to meet meet new professionals.
In this party you just can't stand there and WATCH, otherwise it defeats the purpose.
It would also be a waste of time to speak to people you only know.
In a party you have to connect and accept connections.
You have to strike up conversations.
You have to be able to have to INITIATE INTEREST in your conversations.
It can't be "Hi I'm Tom and I work for this or I do this......" because typically these conversations are self indulgent and will bore the hell out of your audience.
The WORST THING YOU CAN DO is to Sell—because really people will just move away.
Ever seen someone sell something at a Networking Event?
What you want to do is to gain people's interest first.
Get them hooked on conversation.
Build genuine trust and relationships.
This takes time but definitely worth it.
So the question is—When do you sell?"
The answer is pretty obvious. You DON'T SELL in Linkedin—you build interest, credibility and trust enough for people to ask what do you do.
Go ahead—go to LinkedIN and search for people doing direct sales pitches. Chances are you'll see 0 engagement..
As they say "Respect is for those who earned it, not those who demand or impose it".