One of my favorite things to do on LinkedIn is crowd-source ideas. And I can’t think of a better platform to answer the following question: What do you say to someone after they’ve accepted your LinkedIn invitation?

This is a situation faced every day by sales and business development pros. You find a prospect on LinkedIn, and you know you can help them. You reach out to them, and they accept your invite.

Bravo! You’ve made that coveted digital connection. Now you want to keep the engagement going and determine if they’re a short- or long-term prospect — or even if they’re a prospect at all. So what’s your next step? Let’s find out, with the help of folks who do this every day on LinkedIn.

I asked Allison about what she does after making a connection with someone. Her answer (see below) inspired me to reach out to other LinkedIn users to learn how they’re engaging with prospects.

Here are some of the replies. Note that these may be contradictory to each other. Like any sales and marketing strategy, remember that what works for one person may not work for another. (You can view the original LinkedIn post here.)

Arthur Field, a Manufacturing Technology Specialist, is all about creating the “human to human connection” and building a connection off a post someone commented on (one of our favorite tactics).

Kat Frey, an Operations Coach and Trainer, used to follow a sales script when connecting. She doesn’t anymore, and has a word of advice to those who do.

Shalena Hardy, a “Costing Chaos Controller,” just follows a natural conversational flow.

Tim Keen keeps it simple:

Add Kate Cash, a Fractional Sales Leader in the retail space, to this list of those who don’t pitch. She relies on “attraction vs. promotion,” including celebrating wins (the connections) and supporting authentically. She recommends salespeople be transparent about who you are and what you do. And above all else, keep it short.

Along those lines, Dale Underwood (who has an amazing pricing solution for manufacturers), provides value for prospects while also sharing his own expertise — a win-win for both parties. 

I like the business-first approach, Dale. Those common interest comments sometimes seem a little forced, and can land you in a sticky situation like DFish mentioned earlier. 

Marketing Director Maeghan Nicholson notes that her sales team has been successful with a similar approach to Dale’s, offering value while sharing expertise at the same time. Her team will provide links to articles, upcoming webinars, or offer to send a packet of samples. 

Anna Juskow considers herself a newbie to the LinkedIn world, but she definitely is not new to sales. And that’s why I love her emphasis on thinking long-term and building a true relationship.

Finally, we go to keynote extraordinaire and social selling guru Ema Roloff (who has 14K LinkedIn followers and counting.) She had no icebreakers to share.

Those words stand on their own, but we just had to add the brilliant insight of James Roloff, Ema’s husband and complementary social selling guru:  

I think the most telling comment about what your LinkedIn next step should be came from Sales Guru John McLeod. He didn’t offer any gimmicky opening lines, but applauded all those that didn’t bother with one. 

That sentiment was echoed by the many of the commenters above. Beyond a few clever tactics to spark engagement, the majority emphasized the value of playing the long game. 

I’d have to agree because I personally have tried many of the quick-hit tactics championed by LinkedIn sales trainers, and have had limited success. What works best, as is the consensus from the LinkedIn smarties in this article, is playing the long game and being natural with how you engage.

If you approach the platform as a place to build your business network, generate referral sources, and simply connect like a human, you’ll be successful.