Someone accepted your request to connect on LinkedIn. Yay! Now what?

Now, you need to start a conversation.

Don’t just let that new connection sit dead in the water.

Here’s how to start a conversation with a new LinkedIn connection:

Start With The Subject Line

Struggling to write your initial message? Here are a few subject ideas to get you started (you would elaborate within your message).

For a basic subject line, you could start with something like:

Thanks for connecting!It’s great to meet you!

If you enjoyed an article they wrote/shared, you could start with something like:

Loved your article!Thanks for sharing your insight.

If you met your new LinkedIn connection in person, you could start with something like:

Great meeting you at yesterday’s event!Wanted to continue our conversation from yesterday.

Introduce Yourself

Shoot your new LinkedIn connection a brief message shortly after connecting. You can start by introducing yourself, then elaborate on why you wanted to connect in the first place.

Mention things you have in common. Feel free to ask them about their goals and interests. What do they want to accomplish? What do they love doing? Highlight commonalities. It will help build a stronger personal connection.

Offer Your Support

We can’t stress how important it is to offer value to your connections, especially in your first conversation. It shows that you’re a valuable contact who’s ready and willing to help your connections.

Offering your support can be as simple as saying something like, “If there’s anything I can do to offer support or anyone in my network that I can introduce you to, please let me know. Happy to help.” You don’t have to go overboard with this in your first message. A brief sentence like the one above is great. Just let them know you’re offering.

Don’t Ask For Any Favors Just Yet

Do not ask for anything from your new connection unless it benefits them in some way.

For example, if you need a quote from them for an upcoming blog post you’re writing, highlight the fact that you’ll be promoting the heck out of it and that it will give them some exposure. You can ask for a favor after you’ve built your professional relationship with this person and you have a history of offering value without asking for anything in return.

What To Do When Someone Connects With YOU…

When someone reaches out to you and asks to connect, make sure you message them immediately after accepting their request with a message that says something like, “Thanks for connecting. It’s great to meet you.” That way, if they forget to message you, you’ll be sitting in their inbox, happy and ready to chat.

Starting a conversation with a new LinkedIn connection is easy once you know how to do it properly. The next time you want to connect with someone new on LinkedIn, follow these four steps. You’ll grow your professional network in no time!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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