Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
I get a lot of colleague requests and sometimes, someone will not leave any message, just the request twelfth. When that happens, I click to see their profile from the request before I accept as I want to see who they are first. In doing so, I must go back to the dashboard from there, then back to the colleagues request and either accept or decline.
In LinkedIn, thy have a button on the colleague requesters profile to "respond to request" which makes it very easy and convenient to perform the task on one page.
Any chance such an upgrade could be added to BP Josh?
Lexington, KY · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
13y
On a related note, I would encourage everyone to leave at least a short message when sending a colleague request to others. You can let them know why you sent the colleague express, just send a quick hello, or give a short intro. I know when people send me a colleague request with a message there is almost zero chance I will deny it.
Lexington, KY · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
13y
On a related note, I would encourage everyone to leave at least a short message when sending a colleague request to others. You can let them know why you sent the colleague express, just send a quick hello, or give a short intro. I know when people send me a colleague request with a message there is almost zero chance I will deny it.
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
13y
Will - It is a great suggestion and we'll make it happen. Thanks!
James - If I get colleague requests on any social network from people I don't know and they don't have a introduction message, there is a ZERO percent chance I will accept.
If you're sending colleague requests be sure to leave a personalized message unique to that person. Not only will it improve the chances of connecting, but it is just good etiquette.
Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
13y
That is fantastic Josh, thank you.
Any news on my previous suggestion/request to organize our colleagues into named groups, etc. and perhaps send PM's to the group folder created?
Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
13y
Joshua Dorkin - you should steer your own moderators and Community Manager to this thread, as I have received CRs from them minus any introductory message. I've posted before that I consider those types of CR to be like the folks who visit the REIA meetings and hand a card to you and quickly move on without really making an effort to get acquainted.
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
13y
Steve Babiak - I believe that the mods probably assumed there was a relationship given that you're a power user and decided to forego a message. Then again, I don't know what other people are ever thinking, so I'm just postulating.
Will Barnard - There is no update on that, but it certainly continues to be something that we circulate and discuss. In fact, we did so just the other day, but shelved it. If you start a thread about it and we see enough interest, it may increase the willingness to devote resources to it.
Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
13y
Fair enough, I will do so. In fact, since the title of this thread IS Colleague Requests, I will do it here!
******************************
Attention BP Nation:
About a year or two ago, I mentioned to Joshua Dorkin about an idea of sorting and managing colleagues on the site. Currently, they are listed alphabetically according to the user names. For someone like myself who has close to 1000 colleagues, and even more so for someone like Josh who has 100k+, it would be a great benefit to have the ability to sort your colleagues in any fashion you desire. For example, the ability to create folders, name them, and drop your colleagues into them. You could sort by name, by location, by interests, etc.
Further, once you had a file folder of selected colleagues, having the ability to write a message and send to all in that folder would be fantastic.
With that said, I believe some of the options associated with this idea should go to Pro Members and perhaps just a few basic options to standard members. The goal of that obviously to provide more benefits to Pro users and as such, raise revenues so that we can have these great additions needed on the site.
Your thoughts, inputs, and ideas are needed. Without sufficient response, Josh will not see this as a desired item by the community, so please respond or vote and send your colleagues to this thread.
Investor · NW Indiana · Member since 2012 · 833 posts · 197 votes
13y
That actually sounds like a great idea. I may not be a pro member nor have many colleagues on my list yet, but since I am just starting out it would probably be easier to start sorting my list. It would most likely help someone like Will, who has so many colleagues, to communicate better amongst themselves.
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
13y
Hey Will Barnard - Your initial idea has been implemented. Now when you go to the profile of a user who has sent a request, you'll see it on their profile and will be able to respond there.
Investor · Yokosuka, Japan · Member since 2014 · 631 posts · 184 votes
11y
@Will Barnard and @Joshua D. I think the idea of being able to sort contacts is a great one!
I know I'm very late to the discussion but I was here looking for how others feel about requests without a message.
I personally don't go as far as to ignore or decline them. Like Will I look at their profile and usually accept but do feel it's a bit rude. Maybe it's sent in a rush, but was thinking perhaps it is normal since I've experienced it a bit and was wondering if I was the odd one that should stop including a message with the request.
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
11y
I don't know how you folks with a ton of colleagues do it! My dashboard gets (or did get?) full of every little activity from every colleague. Connect with a person who shotguns colleague requests and your dash if full of their new colleagues. I then disconnect with them. I'm just a nobody, but I am careful who I allow into my network for that reason.
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
11y
Good morning BP!
It's sunny and a balmy -17C (0F) here in the Maritimes this morning with 14" - 24" of fresh snow which just arrived Sunday evening. Another dump of that magnitude and we'll be shovelling roofs and paying a fortune to have it hauled away.
I am resuscitating Will's old thread in response to the recent onslaught of new colleague requests I have been receiving from folks I do not know and who have not taken the time to introduce themselves.
Call me old fashioned, or perhaps a bit of a curmudgeon (but nothing like Leybovich!), but I like to know why someone is in my colleague list - and having been designed half a century ago when memory was expensive, I have a limited capacity in which to store all these relationships.
I am at a loss how the popular kids manage what must be a deluge in their inboxes ... but that is likely why they are popular.
Before I disembark from my soapbox, I would encourage all of you out there who are about to send me - or more probably, someone else - a colleague request to take a moment to include a note of introduction so we know who you are and why you are calling.
Ok, I'll now return the staff of stirring to Mr. Leybovich and return to my life in snow removal.
I look forward to reading your contributions to BP.
Rental Property Investor · Phoenix/Lima, Arizona/OH · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
11y
I totally agree with @James Vermillion and @Roy N. . I receive colleague requests without a personal message all the time. Thus far I've tended to respond in the positive to those - it's a nice thing to do. However, I always feel a bit underwhelmed when doing so. I've never sent a colleague request without a note; to me that lacks respect...
Having been forced to think about this, I am now making a change in my perspective: no proper introduction - no colleague acceptance... Don't think of me as not being a nice guy, cause I am. But, there it is...
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
11y
I agree completely -- if someone isn't going to take the effort to add a message with a colleague request -- here, on LinkedIn or elsewhere, I ignore unless it is someone I know well. I just think overall it lacks a sense of courtesy....
Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
11y
@Joshua D. Has there been any progress in forming the ability to group or format our colleagues? It is becoming more and more difficult to reach who I need to reach with the quantity of colleagues I have. No idea how you do it!
The ability (at least for Pro accounts perhaps) to sort colleagues into different folders or groups would be an outstanding and much needed feature to BP Nation!
Flipper/Rehabber · Grosse Pointe, MI · Member since 2014 · 90 posts · 21 votes
11y
For what it's worth, I had worked for LinkedIn approximately 2 years, and our message to our client's is to ALWAYS personalize the invitations. Simple use the individuals name, as well as a quick "show me you know me" statement.
Basic Rules: - Personalize (use the persons name) - Keep it short, - But show me you've researched why you'd like to connect. - On LI DON'T just sit there clicking on the "Connect" button from the "people you may know" page. You WILL get put into "connection" jail if the system feels you're a 'robot' automating the connection request.