Are we Un Connected?

Long Story, Short?  Quite the opposite.

Many years ago I started a small group on Linkedin to better help agents dealing with the struggles of Short Sales.  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=76810

This was back in the days when Linkedin required you to submit a group for approval.  Every group back then was closed.   Linkedin itself was a closed system.  Essentially, to connect to another individual they wanted you to actually know that individual.

There were some who disagreed with the “closed” concept and the L.I.O.N.(Linkedin Open Networkers) group was launched.  LION says, “Hey we might not know you but if you want to connect to us we’re open to that”.  It’s also important to note that their thought wasn’t to create a “Spam Factory” – they were about starting new real connections.  Yes, I am a member.

Linkedin Groups these days are OPEN by default.  My Short Sale group is not and won't be.  You have to request to join, and I have to manually let you in.  Why?  Because I believe there’s real value in a clear and focused discussion.  If I let everyone in the discussion stream would be heavily sprinkled with “Buy our Program” posts.  Although I don’t have much to say within the group, the least I can do is help keep it as spam free as possible.

I spent a few hours the other night vetting and accepting over 200 new requests to join.  99% of them made the cut.  It’s not a perfect system.  Once they are in, I rely on group members to flag the bad guys.  I have a zero tolerance policy within the group.  Each get’s a message from me explaining what the Group is about.  I also encourage the newbies to connect with me personally.  Some do, some don’t.  Either way that’s ok.

What’s NOT ok is to immediately start spamming me with your latest MLM/Get Rich Quick programs.  Here’s my email inbox the morning after.  That’s FOUR emails from the same guy over a period of a few hours, some multiple attachments, ALL asking me to check out his new “program”.

I think it was Chris Brogan who said, “I’m reaching out to shake your hand and you’re trying to put your tongue in my mouth.”  Is that visual enough for you or should I use a picture?

Yes, I could block him in email but that wasn’t enough.  I went back into Linkedin to Un Connect with this guy. Have you ever done that?  I couldn’t find the button, the link, the “whatever” I needed to do!  I ended up searching the help section for answers.  Here’s the answer.  It’s just a single link. http://www.linkedin.com/connections?displayBreakConnections

Go there and you’ll see a virtual rolodex of everyone you are connected to.  Find the dirtbag, check the box next to his or her name and remove them!

Oh, and before you start feeling guilty, guess what?  Linkedin got it right!  They are NOT going to notify the offending dirtbag.

Says Linkedin, “They will be added to your list of contacts in case you want to reinvite them later.”

Yeah right, like that’s really going to happen!

So there you go.  Now you know how to get Un Connected on Linkedin.  Go start unconnecting!