08 Apr LinkingIn to Investors?
Investors always tell entrepreneurs that a warm introduction carries great weight, and that LinkedIn can be a great tool to get that introduction and to establish credibility. But somehow, that gets translated to people sending in LinkedIn requests with no reference point.
So here’s what happens… I go to a pitching event or meetup (which I really enjoy doing), and meet anywhere from 10-40 people. I love hearing the ideas, but I only get a snippet at these events, so its hard to remember who said what.
People hand me business cards, with the idea that I’ll contact them (but since there’s nothing on the card but their contact information, I don’t know what I’m connecting them for: is it an introduction to an attorney? To the CTO at a corporation? To a subject matter expert in my group?) I know the experts say to write down notes when you get the card, but there’s often not enough time at these events.
Then, during the week, I receive anywhere from 5 to 50 LinkedIn requests from people. No “Hi Ellen, I met you at SwitchPhilly and we talked about women in tech” or “Hi Ellen, enjoyed talking with you after the Meetup at Han Dynasty. Glad to hear that your group has Health Care IT expertise”. For what its worth, I may not even have met the person sending me the LinkedIn request.
So, here’s my request and recommendation… when you send a linkedin request, make a connection. How did we meet, what did we talk about? If we didn’t meet, what is the connection, and how can a connection help you? I promise you’ll get much better results.
See you at the next Meetup.