Hurting the Network: Part 1
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The document critiques the 'connect and pitch' tactic on LinkedIn, arguing it undermines genuine relationship-building and harms both personal and company brands. While LinkedIn can be a powerful platform for networking and sales when used properly, the prevalent misuse of it for immediate sales pitches creates a negative experience for users. It highlights the importance of authenticity and providing value in interactions to foster meaningful connections and prevent alienation.
Hurting the Network: Part 1
- 2. Hurting the Network: “Connect and Pitch” Tactic on LinkedIn LinkedIn is a platform for connecting with new people, building relationships, exchanging value, learning, and growing together. Sales and business can also be a byproduct of these relationships, but things get toxic when only pitching becomes the primary intent. Introduction inkedIn, when used professionally and appropriately is an outstanding medium to create, exchange and amplify value. The deeper your network, more the value potential but one must use the network effect and social capital effectively and judiciously. Given the advent of smart spam filters, AI based mail filtering etc., it has become harder for email driven sales reps and most people do not answer calls from numbers they do not recognize. This has created an aggressive new push towards pitching on LinkedIn. “Connect and Pitch” Drivers In recent times, we have an increase in the “connect and pitch” tactic (COVID-19 is one driver) – these pitches have disengaged many genuine and interesting people from connecting with new people. The “connect and pitch” artists are doing this in the name of social selling and many of these people would have had at least one interest through their outreach. The act itself conveys lack of understanding around social selling which really means connecting and building relationships rather than hard selling. People forget that the cost of that one success comes at a cost of alienating thousands of people, tarnishing their own and the company’s brand on social media. Now, do not get me wrong - I am one of the biggest fans on LinkedIn. Personally, I am someone who has embraced and harnessed the platform and have driven over $10m in sales over several years owing to strength, breadth and depth of relationships built on this platform and this is why I personally loath the connect and pitch style. Perception vs Reality Contrary to their own belief, here is how perception and reality works on people: ▪ It is the robocall equivalent on social media and most people get put off by spam ▪ An intent signaling a genuine interest but an action with a straight pitch is immediate breach of trust ▪ An unsolicited and untargeted pitch indicates lack of understanding around the evolution of sales as a discipline ▪ A “connect and pitch” approach makes the product or service look like a commodity otherwise lacking traction ▪ Without genuine intent to connect, know and understand the needs of an individual, the whole interaction is shallow and will not yield results ▪ LinkedIn has built a brand, reputation, scale and promise on being a stellar platform to connect professionals and exchange value. When people deviate from this intent with the “connect and pitch” act, it comes across as a violation ▪ If you cannot provide value, there is limited value in a shallow pitch It also puts people with genuine intent to connect and build a relationships at a disadvantage due to the behavior of certain groups of people. It might be tempting to use your access to a new connection immediately to start a sales pitch, it will ruin authenticity, credibility, and outcomes. Genuine people are on LinkedIn for its brand, unique ability to bring people together who could help us exchange value and those who we can help learn and grow. The messages in your inbox are also more intrusive (and time consuming) than banners, pop-ups, ads, bots and other distracting methods of online selling and attention seeking. There are other ways of engaging your network through thought leadership, content sharing, engagement in groups and virtual events – these methods are less intrusive, more engaging, provide value and demonstrate your expertise with a higher likelihood of converting sales. Analyzing Personalities Let us look at the seven distinct types of manipulative and dishonest approaches, analyze them and explore strategies for avoiding them and minimizing intrusion in our social media lives. L I am one of the biggest fans of LinkedIn having built many lifelong relationships and driven over $10m in revenue over several years without the “connect and pitch” act
- 3. Figure 1 is an attempt at plotting these personalities and their approaches. One can also extrapolate the likely effectiveness of these techniques based on your own experiences too. The lower end of the either axis is also very low on sales effectiveness as much as the upper end of each axis. Conning Connie Connie wants to con you with a message on genuine intent to connect i.e., help each other in true LinkedIn fashion, then get you on a call and unload the sales pitch. Offer Oscar Oscar’s bait is to show you something too good to be true, see if you bite and then switch to show their true colors when the time arrives. The typical scenario is for them to get to you a discussion and then unleash several people from their company on you. Luring Laila Laila uses the deceptive and stale technique using the question e.g., take a survey, wanting more customers, mode leads, solving challenges in a way that does not insult your intelligence or capability but ultimate goal is to first deceive you to a meeting and then pitch. Concerned Charles Charles reaches out without knowing you or your business with a messaging expressing concern on your pain, distractions, ability to manage, having access to resources or your lack of inability/intelligence to solve a problem that you may or may not have. There is no intent to build a relationship or provide value, the goal is to get you on a call and hard sell. Figure 1: Impact grid Desperate David David is so desperate and quick that the pitch is mentioned in the invite itself. They are trying to find people who are absolute suckers and people who will buy in the first five minutes of contact. At times, they even mention “don’t sweat the invite, if you don’t intend to buy”. Lame Louis Louis has no clue what you want, has no idea of what he is selling either. Connect with as many people and throw the same message. They do not even do the mass mailing with sincerity! Soldier Simon Simon represents those people who are just acting on boss’s orders from above. Mostly, they have no vision and are just public devotees of their bosses. They do handle themselves professionally and back off when they see a dead end. Conclusion ocial capital is new currency of business and one should not expend it without good reason, be honest, build genuine relationships, authentic connections and business will follow. There are no short cuts to sales without risking your personal brand. Here is something for LinkedIn to evaluate about their future strategy on where they want to be i.e., become a brand associated with spammers or a platform to build, nurture and promote genuine relationships. Perhaps time for a new social platform to emerge and become the glue of a truly value exchanging global network. The near future will tell! S It is not the primary intent of professionals to join LinkedIn to get pitched something, nor do they expect people to pitch something as soon as the connection is established
- 4. About the Author: Nitin Kumar is a two-decade veteran in the Hi-Tech industry. He is currently the CEO of Appnomic but played a variety of hands on executive roles ranging from CEO, Chief Growth Officer, Chief Transformation Officer, M&A Integration/Separation Leader, BU Head and Management Consulting Partner (corporate and PE portfolio companies). He is considered a business builder, thought leader and pioneer of many innovative approaches. During his operating and consulting roles, he has used social media in an extensive manner to drive more than $10m in sales revenue. He and was named as one of the “Movers and Shakers” in 2018/19. Nitin was also named in the “Silicon Valley’s Magnificent Four” for being one of the most connected executives in the TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecom) sector.