Being declined on LinkedIn can be disappointing, but it’s important to understand what it means and how to move forward positively. This article will explain what a declined InMail signifies, reasons it may occur, how to politely follow up, and tips to improve your chances of making valuable connections on LinkedIn.
What Does It Mean When Someone Declines Your InMail?
On LinkedIn, users can send private messages called InMails to connect with other members, even if they’re not directly connected. When the recipient declines the InMail, it means they reviewed your message but chose not to accept or respond to your outreach attempt.
There are a few potential reasons someone may decline an InMail:
- They’re not interested in connecting with you or discussing the topic proposed
- They don’t recognize your name or company
- They feel the message is irrelevant to their interests or professional network
- They’re too busy to engage and connect with new people
- They want to limit unsolicited outreach attempts
A declined InMail doesn’t necessarily mean the person thinks negatively of you or your message. They simply opted not to accept it. However, a high number of declined messages could indicate your outreach strategy needs revising.
How to Follow Up Politely After a Declined InMail
If you receive a declined InMail from someone you genuinely wanted to connect with, you may want to make a second outreach attempt. Here are some tips for following up politely and effectively:
- Wait 1-2 weeks before reaching out again to avoid seeming overly aggressive.
- Acknowledge they previously declined connecting and apologize for any inconvenience.
- Explain briefly why you think it’s still worth connecting based on mutual interests, networks, etc.
- Suggest an alternative like connecting over email or set up an informational interview.
- Keep the message brief and casual – don’t make demands or apply pressure.
For example: “Hi [Name], I noticed you declined my earlier InMail invitation to connect. Apologies for reaching out cold – I know messages from strangers can be annoying. I still think there could be great synergy between [shared interest]. Would you be open to continuing the conversation over email? Either way, I understand if you’d rather not engage further. Thanks for considering, and I wish you the best.”
Tips to Improve LinkedIn Outreach and Minimize Declines
To maximize your chances of making meaningful connections on LinkedIn and avoid declines, keep these tips in mind:
- Research thoroughly. Reference shared connections, groups, interests, employers, etc. to establish relevance.
- Personalize each message. Generic outreach is easy to dismiss. Use their name, company, experience.
- Highlight mutual benefits. Don’t just state what you want – explain how connecting could help both parties.
- Suggest next steps. Propose meeting for coffee, sending articles, making an introduction, etc.
- Follow up once. One additional polite attempt is ok, but don’t harass if declined twice.
- Focus on quality. Build genuine relationships vs spamming as many people as possible.
Conclusion
Having an InMail declined is discouraging but not the end of the world. It simply indicates the recipient wasn’t interested in that particular outreach attempt. You can politely try to re-engage once if a connection seems valuable. Otherwise, learn from the experience and refine your approach to build an authentic professional network on LinkedIn over time.
The keys are taking a personalized approach, focusing on mutual benefits, and avoiding overly aggressive follow up. With strategic, thoughtful outreach and engaging content, you can connect with the right people and advance your career on LinkedIn.
Here is a summary of the key points:
What it means | The recipient reviewed your InMail but chose not to accept or respond to your outreach attempt |
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Potential reasons |
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Following up |
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Improving outreach |
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With a strategic, personalized approach you can connect with the right people and build an authentic professional network on LinkedIn over time. Don’t get discouraged by the occasional declined message – learn from the experience and refine your outreach strategy.