LinkedIn Etiquette
I got an email from a friend who knows that I work with all the social media “stuff” asking for advice on a LinkedIn relationship. I have had similar conversations with several clients recently and thought that sharing our e-mail exchange might be helpful.
Here’s her question:
I have a contact through my alumni association….one of those young guys who amasses hundreds of contacts. I’m always getting updates about his status and contacts. Anyway, now there is another parent at school (another guy who is always getting new contacts and updating his status) who has asked me, if I’m comfortable, putting him in touch with my alumni contact…
Do I ask alumni guy if that’s ok before I forward the parent guy his contact info? Do I guard my contact’s privacy (what’s the point, isn’t that why they’re on LinkedIn in the first place?) or do I get over it, and share my contacts and know that sooner or later good karma will come back to me?
I think I answered my own question by describing the situation, but I would love to hear your comments on how this gets done! (God, I feel so old right now!)
Trish 
Here is my response:
Trish – If you were in a conversation with the parent you know, and he mentioned that he was targeting Company ABC, would you say “Hey, I might have a contact for you there, let me check.” If yes, then make the connection. If no… it’s complicated.
I would reply to the parent and be totally transparent. “Hey, Parent Dude, I would love to help, but Alumni Guy & I aren’t all that close. I would be happy to send him a message with your contact info if you like.” If he says, “Yes please” then I would send Alumni Guy this message through LinkedIn “Alumni Guy, someone I know through my son’s school, Parent Dude, is interested in your company. He asked me to make an introduction, so here is his contact info. He is interested primarily in 2 things, blah and blah blah. Hope this is a helpful connection to the both of you. Love, Trish.” The key there is all you are promising is to get Parent Dude’s contact info to Alumni Guy – then the ball is in Alumni Guy’s court and if he wants to pursue the connection, he can. If not, then you have done all you can and Parent Dude is going to just have to try another avenue.
The whole point in LinkedIn is these exact kind of connections. My guiding principle on these things is that if I am fairly confident that neither party is a kook or incompetent, then I connect. If either of the desired connections is even slightly freakish or I suspect they might totally suck at their job, then I say something like “This is one of my many layers removed contacts, so I am afraid an introduction from me would be meaningless. Sorry.”
Hope that helps,
Stacy 
What do you think? How do YOU handle requests for LinkedIn or other social media site introductions?
