Standing Out Can Be Easy

I recently updated my LinkedIn profile and was inundated with the “Congrats on the new role!” messages from all my contacts who were kind enough to click on my picture or whatever you have to do to send the note.

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s like when everyone sings
“Happy Birthday.” Are they doing it because they want to wish you a happy birthday or are they just there because everyone else is there? Or is it all about the cake?

I like that LinkedIn tells me about milestones and gives me a chance to acknowledge them. I just don’t see any reason not to personalize the message. How hard is it to take a moment and write a personal note? Even if you copy and paste it and make small adjustments, it’ll stand out. Of the dozens of messages I received, one stood out. It included my name and specifically referred to the event. I was very impressed. I’ll be contacting this individual soon.

I know it didn’t take a lot for this individual to send me this personalized note. In fact, I’d bet it didn’t take more than a minute or two. He wants my business. He stood out in the crowd and now his chances of getting it have greatly increased

To paraphrase NFL coach Bill Walsh: "Nothing is more than sincere, accurate praise (or well-wishes) and nothing is more lame than a cookie-cutter compliment."

Take a moment to personalize your notes. You don't want to be lame or cookie-cutter in anything you do, especially when it comes to connecting with people.