How to Follow Up After Connecting on LinkedIn Without Sounding Pushy

Many professionals struggle with following up, fearing they'll come across as overly salesy or pushy. A poorly timed or generic follow-up can instantly undo the positive impression of your initial connection. The key is to nurture the new connection thoughtfully, providing value and building rapport rather than immediately pushing for a sale.

This blog post will guide you through the art of the subtle yet effective LinkedIn follow-up. We'll cover the importance of timing, provide actionable strategies for sending value-driven messages, and outline different approaches for various scenarios to ensure your follow-ups are always well-received.

Key Takeaways:

• Follow up promptly but thoughtfully, ideally within 1-2 days of connection acceptance.


• Focus your message on providing value and building rapport, not on making an immediate sale.


• Personalize every follow-up by referencing their profile, recent activity, or shared connections.


• Vary your follow-up approach, using different types of messages like sharing content, asking insightful questions, or offering relevant resources.


• Recognize when to stop following up, respecting boundaries if a prospect consistently shows no interest.

Why Is a Follow-Up Essential After Connecting on LinkedIn?

Connecting on LinkedIn opens a door, but a thoughtful follow-up walks through it. Without a strategic next step, a new connection request can quickly become dormant, losing any initial momentum. The goal of your first few follow-up messages isn't to sell, but to initiate a genuine conversation and provide value. This approach builds trust and establishes you as a helpful resource rather than just another salesperson.

Here's why a well-executed follow-up makes all the difference:

• Builds Rapport: It transforms a simple connection into the beginning of a professional relationship. Consistent, non-salesy interaction fosters trust over time.


• Demonstrates Value: By sharing relevant insights or resources, you establish your expertise and show that you understand their world. This positions you as a helpful authority.


• Keeps You Top-of-Mind: Regular, valuable touchpoints ensure prospects remember who you are and what you offer. This creates recognition for future opportunities.


• Initiates Conversation: A good follow-up encourages a reply, moving the interaction from a one-way message to a dialogue. This is crucial for uncovering needs.


• Qualifies Prospects Naturally: Through value-driven conversations, you can organically discover if a prospect is a good fit for your solution. This avoids aggressive sales pitches to uninterested parties.

Looking to increase your LinkedIn reply rate? Here's how to improve your LinkedIn reply rate.

When Should I Send My First LinkedIn Follow-Up? Set up

Timing your first follow-up message after a connection request is crucial for maintaining momentum without appearing overly eager. A prompt response demonstrates professionalism and ensures your message is seen while the initial connection is still fresh in their mind. Waiting too long risks your connection becoming cold or forgotten.

Here's a breakdown of optimal timing:

• Within 1-2 Business Days: Send your initial follow-up within 24-48 hours of your connection being accepted. This ensures you're still top-of-mind and capitalizes on their recent activity on the platform. For example, if someone accepts your request on Tuesday, send your first follow-up by Wednesday or Thursday.


• Consider Peak Engagement Times: Align your follow-up with LinkedIn's peak activity hours, typically mid-morning (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM) or lunchtime (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. This increases the likelihood of your message being seen promptly.


• Avoid Immediate Pitches: Do not send a sales pitch as your very first message after they accept your connection. This is generally perceived as pushy and often leads to an immediate disconnect. Your initial follow-up should be about building rapport, not selling.

Just like follow-up messages, your LinkedIn post should be timed to the highest points of engagement. Learn how to schedule LinkedIn posts here.

How Can You Write Value-Driven Follow-Up Messages?

The cornerstone of non-pushy follow-up is providing genuine value. This means focusing on the prospect's interests, challenges, or professional development, rather than immediately discussing your product or service. Your messages should aim to start a conversation, offer a helpful insight, or share a relevant resource.

Here are strategies for crafting value-driven messages:

• Reference Their Profile or Activity: Show you've done your homework. Mention something specific from their profile, a recent post, or a shared connection. For example, "I noticed your recent post about AI in marketing, which really resonated with me."


• Share Relevant Content: If you've recently written an article, discovered an interesting industry report, or found a useful tool, share it if it directly relates to their interests. Present it as a helpful resource, not a sales brochure.


• Offer a Relevant Insight: Based on your expertise and their background, share a quick, actionable tip or observation. For example, "Given your role in supply chain, I thought you might find this article on optimizing logistics costs insightful."


• Ask an Open-Ended Question: Prompt conversation by asking about their perspective on an industry trend or a challenge they might face. Ensure the question encourages more than a "yes" or "no" answer.


• Congratulate Them: A simple, sincere congratulatory message on a recent promotion, work anniversary, or company achievement can be a great, non-salesy touchpoint. Ensure your message is genuine.


• Keep it Concise: Busy professionals appreciate brevity. Get to your point quickly and clearly. Long, rambling messages are often overlooked or saved for "later," which rarely comes.


• No Immediate Call to Action (CTA) for a Sale: Your primary CTA in early follow-ups should be to encourage a reply or further engagement, not to book a meeting or make a purchase. Aim for a continued conversation.

Sending a generic follow-up message is one of the biggest mistakes salespeople make on LinkedIn. Check out the rest of the top seven LinkedIn lead generation mistakes.

What Are Different Follow-Up Approaches for Various Scenarios?

Not every follow-up is the same. Your approach should vary depending on how you connected, what you know about the prospect, and your ultimate goal. Having a few different strategies in your arsenal ensures you can adapt your follow-up to be most effective and least pushy.

Consider these different scenarios and approaches:

• The "Shared Connection" Follow-Up: If you connected through a mutual acquaintance, reference that person. Example: "Thanks for connecting! [Mutual Connection's Name] spoke highly of you, and I appreciate the opportunity to connect."


• The "Content Engagement" Follow-Up: If they liked or commented on your content, or you connected after seeing their content. Example: "Thanks for connecting! I really enjoyed your recent post on [Topic] and thought your point about [Specific Detail] was spot on."


• The "Event/Group" Follow-Up: If you met at an event, webinar, or are in the same LinkedIn group. Example: "Great to connect! I enjoyed our brief chat at [Event Name], especially our discussion on [Topic]." Or "Thanks for connecting! I saw your insightful comment in the [Group Name] group and wanted to reach out."


• The "Value-Add" Follow-Up (General): When you want to provide value without a specific prior interaction. Example: "Thanks for connecting, [Name]! I came across this article on [Relevant Industry Trend] and immediately thought of your work at [Company]. Thought you might find it useful."


• The "Soft Ask" Follow-Up (Later Stage): After several value-add messages and if they've engaged positively. This is where you might subtly suggest a brief chat. Example: "Enjoyed our brief exchange on [Topic]. I work with companies like yours on [Specific Problem they might have]. Would you be open to a quick 15-minute chat to share insights?"

If you're not getting replies on LinkedIn, it could be because of your targeting. Improve your targeting by using Boolean search on LinkedIn.

How Can You Know When to Stop Following Up?

Knowing when to stop following up is just as important as knowing when to start. Persistent, unreciprocated outreach quickly crosses the line from helpful to annoying. Respecting a prospect's boundaries is key to maintaining a professional image, even if a particular connection doesn't pan out.

Here's how to recognize when it's time to stop:

• No Response After 3-5 Attempts: If you've sent 3-5 value-driven messages over a few weeks and received no reply, it's generally a sign to pause. Your messages are likely not resonating or they are simply not interested.


• They Decline a Meeting: If they explicitly decline an invitation to connect further (e.g., "Not interested" or "No time"), respect that decision immediately. Do not push further after a clear refusal.


• They Disconnect: If a prospect disconnects from your network, this is a definitive sign to cease all outreach to them. This action indicates a clear lack of interest.


• Review Their Activity: If a prospect is active on LinkedIn but consistently ignores your messages, it's a silent signal of disinterest. Focus your efforts on more engaged connections.


• Shift to Long-Term Nurturing: Instead of persistent direct messages, you can shift to a less intrusive long-term nurturing strategy. Continue posting valuable content on your feed, which they might see, allowing them to re-engage on their terms. This keeps the door open without being pushy.

You can track your follow-ups on LinkedIn with your CRM. Learn how to integrate LinkedIn and Salesforce here.

Conclusion

Following up is about a strategic, value-first approach that prioritizes building rapport over making an immediate sale. By timing your messages thoughtfully, personalizing your content, and knowing when to gracefully step back, you'll build a reputation as a trusted salesperson, leading to more referrals.

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