As LinkedIn continues to change the UX (user experience) there are some things that have a significant impact on workflow, and this is a good one.

Over the years I have had to put hacks in place to make sure I engage with every new connection, but no longer. With the new feature in place, when someone accepts your connection request, you are notified in your inbox. This makes it is simple to send a welcome message that starts the conversation. You will see “Name has accepted your invitation” and if you have included a custom invitation, your note will appear in the messaging thread.

This feature makes it simple to reply with a welcome message. Here are two examples:

Name, Thank you for connecting with me on LinkedIn. After visiting your profile I noticed (SAY SOMETHING RELEVANT) and thought it might make sense for us to connect. If you are open to an introductory phone call, we could explore ways we may be able to work together now or in the future.  To make scheduling easier, here is a link to my calendar http://ScheduleaCallwithBrynne.com – please pick a time that best works for you.

OR if you don’t want a call, but would like to add value:

Name, Thank you for connecting with me on LinkedIn. I am not sure if you are using LinkedIn for sales, but if you are I want to share with you some of our LinkedIn messaging templates that can have a big impact on your business development effortshttp://sslink.co/PeopleLinxLinkedInTemplates.

Good Networking,
Brynne

BONUS: The “Keep in Touch” opportunities show up here now too!