from AskMyDaddy

Second Level Routing

You asked

I sent an Introduction that didn't make it to a recipient. An unknown second level contact didn't respond. What do I do now?

MyLinkDaddy writes

One of the flaws of LinkedIn is the inability to determine routing for third degree contacts. The second degree contact is automatically selected by LinkedIn. The contact is unknown to the sender. It is known to the sender's connection who forwards it, but the connection cannot change the routing.

I don't know and nothing has been published about how LinkedIn selects the second contact.

There are many reasons why your request wasn't forwarded. The person may be away from LinkedIn temporarily due to travel or vacation. Or he may no longer be using LinkedIn at all.

Asking your direct connection to help typically is a dead-end, unless your connection knows the second-level contact well and has contact info outside of the email address used by LinkedIn.

Here are some ideas to help you still make contact with the recipient.

• Contact the recipient directly via email. Check web links on his LinkedIn profile like a blog or web site. Run a web search on Google. Contact or call the recipient's employer.

• Use or buy an InMail for direct contact

• Do you have a choice of direct connections through whom you can send an Introduction? If so, check the recipient's number of connections. If he just has one or two, then you likely have to go through the same second level contact, no matter which first level connection you use. If the recipient has 10 or more connections, try sending the Introduction through another connection.

• Time changes all. The second level contact may be active on LinkedIn again. The routing itself may change as people add (and drop) connections. Try sending the Introduction again in a week or two.