No you can't have 15 minutes of my time

If you are sending sales messages asking for “just 15 minutes of my time” you can get stuffed,

My inbox is full of lazy b*stards who have the best thing ever if only I knew it. Get out and about and meet real people, form real relationships and do some business.

LinkedIn has emerged as a powerful platform for career growth, business development, and industry connections. However, as the platform continues to grow in popularity, so does the prevalence of cold sales messages—unsolicited pitches that inundate mine and your inboxes. While the intention behind these messages is often to generate leads and foster business relationships, the approach is a terrible idea for several reasons.

Personalisation

Cold sales messages on LinkedIn suffer from a lack of genuine personalisation. Generic messages that are part of a mass outreach campaign give me the impression that the sender has no clue about my profile, industry, or specific needs. Personalisation is key, ideally from real world experience, building meaningful connections, and a one-size-fits-all just annoys me.

Trust

LinkedIn is a platform built on trust and professionalism. Cold sales messages, especially those that come across as pushy, erode the trust that I place in the platform and as trust is the foundation of every successful professional relationshipthese crappy unsolicited sales messages can damage your reputation and hinder future opportunities, big time!

Negative

Receiving a barrage of cold sales messages just leaves me with a negative perception of the sender and their products or services they represent. Users like me are more likely to engage with professionals who approach them in a genuine and respectful manner rather than those who adopt a sales-first mentality. Building a positive reputation is crucial in the interconnected world and cold sales messages just don’t cut it.

Ineffectiveness of the Approach:

Studies have shown that the success rate of cold sales messages on LinkedIn is relatively low. Users are inundated with connection requests and messages from strangers promoting their products or services. In a sea of competition for attention, a thoughtful approach is more likely to stand out and elicit a positive response.

Summary

Get out, meet people, pick up the phone and do some real business. No, I don’t have 15 minutes for you.