The Number of LinkedIn Contacts You Have Doesn’t Matter

Connections and relationships are what count.
Should I accept every LinkedIn invitation? I’m frequently asked that question. It’s a personal choice. Some people do. Some people only connect with people they know in real life. Others screen every invitation; they write to people first and ask why they want to connect. I’m in-between. I view every invitation. If people pitch in their invitations, I ignore them. Otherwise, if they’re in a sales-related field, I’ll often accept.
However, when I invite someone to connect, I always include a personal message. I never pitch. Instead, I explain why I think the connection would be valuable for us both.
Salespeople often forget that social media is the place to begin a conversation and begin a relationship. That starts with a personal invitation, which most people don’t even bother with. How many people in your network do you know really well? Well enough you’d feel confident referring