Every LinkedIn user has felt it—that awkward hesitation before hitting “Connect” with someone you don’t know. You pause, wondering: Will they accept? Will they care? And even if they do, will it mean anything? Research says your instincts are right. Cold LinkedIn connection acceptance rates, no matter how polished your note, hover around a modest 30% acceptance rate. And even if accepted, these connections often remain superficial—names in a list, not genuine relationships. Why? Because humans don’t bond with strangers; we bond with the familiar. It’s science, backed by psychology’s mere-exposure effect, which explains why familiarity breeds preference. Whether it’s hearing a song on repeat or seeing a face regularly, repeated exposure builds comfort and trust.
Introducing FACE: A Smarter Way to Connect
That’s why you shouldn’t jump straight into connecting. Instead, consider a smarter approach: the FACE framework. FACE—Follow, Appear, Connect, Engage—is your new best friend for LinkedIn engagement. It transforms cold outreach into warm relationship-building by leveraging simple psychology and strategic interactions.
Step 1: Follow to Learn and Understand
Imagine your prospect’s LinkedIn feed as their neighborhood coffee shop. Your first step—Follow—is akin to regularly stopping by to see who else visits and what conversations bubble up. Following isn’t passive; it’s an active choice to pay attention, opening a window into what matters most to your prospect. You’ll quickly learn their interests, preferred topics, and conversation styles. It’s market research without the awkwardness.
BUT, LinkedIn makes it harder than it needs to be by letting the algorithm, not the user, determine what content hits your feed. Luckily for you, you’re reading this post because there is a hidden LinkedIn filter that fixes that. Go read this LinkedIn networking hack post we wrote that shows you how to get the filter and use it to only see content from people you follow.Â
Step 2: Appear Strategically to Build Familiarity
After you’re a familiar face, it’s time to Appear, becoming part of their daily routine. But just like in the coffee shop, you don’t chat with everyone all the time; you pick your moments. Thoughtful comments or insights during relevant conversations make your presence meaningful rather than intrusive. It’s not about frequency alone—it’s about timing and relevance. Science underscores this too: studies suggest it takes five to ten meaningful interactions before someone truly registers your presence positively.
Step 3: Connect When It Feels Natural
By now, you’re no longer a stranger—you’re the friendly regular they’ve grown accustomed to. Connecting now becomes natural, almost inevitable. Instead of coldly requesting to connect, you’re simply formalizing an existing relationship. A quick message referencing your recent interactions—”Enjoyed our discussions on [topic], let’s stay connected”—is both personal and genuine. Acceptance rates using this method climb significantly, often doubling or tripling that of a cold approach, with some LinkedIn campaigns reporting up to a 74% success rate.
Step 4: Engage to Cultivate Lasting Relationships
However, connection isn’t the end goal; it’s the beginning of genuine engagement. Too many LinkedIn connections fizzle immediately after the initial acceptance. The final step—Engage—is about nurturing the relationship you’ve just formalized. This is your chance to continue adding value, deepening trust, and positioning yourself as a reliable and insightful presence in their network. Not every engagement needs to be profound, but consistency in showing genuine interest and offering value creates authentic relationships, not just LinkedIn connections.
Why FACE Works: Harnessing Human Psychology
The brilliance of FACE is its simplicity wrapped around sophisticated psychology. It respects human nature, prioritizing relationship-building over transactional networking. By following this approach, you not only increase your connection acceptance rate, but more importantly, you build meaningful relationships. In a noisy digital world where everyone is clamoring for attention, thoughtful familiarity and genuine engagement stand out.
So before you click that next connect button, ask yourself: Have I put a FACE on this interaction yet? If not, perhaps it’s time to start.
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This post was originally published on Painless Prospecting, the weekly sales and marketing blog created by the fine folks at Converse Digital. If you want to learn how to create, engage in, and convert conversations into new clients and customers, give them a call.
