When approaching another member of the site to make an initial connection keep in mind several key points. First, you want to appear excited to meet this new person, but not desperate. Also, you want to leave the other member with the desire to respond to your post. Have him/her reaching for the reply button immediately to get in contact with you. And, of course, be genuine in your expression of interest. Fake or shallow interest will be obvious to the other member. Here are some specific techniques to get you started:

Break the ice…
Remember, this isn’t an in-person conversation where you can rely on visual cues to help you know what to say, but that’s exactly what you may want this to turn into, and wouldn’t it be nice to already have a conversation started if you should ever meet this person? So first approach the prospect with the intention to introduce yourself and make that other person laugh or smile. Tell him/her your name, especially your nickname if you have one, and mention something about yourself. This doesn’t have to be a novel, but you’ll want to mention things about yourself that make you stand out. For example, tell the other member a favorite memory that you have from one of your hobbies, not just a hobby that you like. This makes you instantly more personable than just listing off a bunch of things you like to do.

Try something like, “Hi! My name is Andy. I noticed on your profile that you like hiking. Have you ever done Mt. Quandry? Last time I hiked there we saw a herd of mountain goats. It was so amazing!….”

By approaching the member in this way you’ve done several things. First, you’ve given yourself a more personal greeting than your full name. You’ve established some small level of intimacy. Then, you’ve asked a question, which will make it much more likely for the member to respond. Lastly, you’ve told a story and instantly made yourself seem like a real person that has real memories and fun things to share. At the same time you’ve kept a very positive tone and discussed a hobby, something that you may have in common with this other person, and that maybe you could do together some day.

When approaching another member of the site to make an initial connection keep in mind several key points. First, you want to appear excited to meet this new person, but not desperate. Also, you want to leave the other member with the desire to respond to your post. Have him/her reaching for the reply button immediately to get in contact with you. And, of course, be genuine in your expression of interest. Fake or shallow interest will be obvious to the other member. Here are some specific techniques to get you started:

Break the ice…

Remember, this isn’t an in-person conversation where you can rely on visual cues to help you know what to say, but that’s exactly what you may want this to turn into, and wouldn’t it be nice to already have a conversation started if you should ever meet this person? So first approach the prospect with the intention to introduce yourself and make that other person laugh or smile. Tell him/her your name, especially your nickname if you have one, and mention something about yourself. This doesn’t have to be a novel, but you’ll want to mention things about yourself that make you stand out. For example, tell the other member a favorite memory that you have from one of your hobbies, not just a hobby that you like. This makes you instantly more personable than just listing off a bunch of things you like to do.

Try something like, “Hi! My name is Andy. I noticed on your profile that you like hiking. Have you ever done Mt. Quandry? Last time I hiked there we saw a herd of mountain goats. It was so amazing!….”

By approaching the member in this way you’ve done several things. First, you’ve given yourself a more personal greeting than your full name. You’ve established some small level of intimacy. Then, you’ve asked a question, which will make it much more likely for the member to respond. Lastly, you’ve told a story and instantly made yourself seem like a real person that has real memories and fun things to share. At the same time you’ve kept a very positive tone and discussed a hobby, something that you may have in common with this other person, and that maybe you could do together some day.