Why professional networks have become hunting grounds and what we can do about it
The perfect hunting ground
LinkedIn was designed to be a professional networking platform: a digital equivalent of industry conferences and business card exchanges. Instead, it’s become something else entirely: the perfect hunting ground for sales predators.
Unlike traditional sales environments where predatory behaviour is constrained by social norms, time limits, and physical presence, social media has created an environment where predatory sales tactics can flourish unchecked. The result? A digital ecosystem where genuine professionals are increasingly avoiding the very platform designed to help them connect.
The anatomy of a LinkedIn predator
You’ve encountered them, we all have. Their profiles share common characteristics:
The fake personal touch
- “I noticed we both went to [university]” (they clearly didn’t notice)
- “I loved your recent post about [topic]” (no engagement on the actual post)
- “We have 47 mutual connections” (quantity over quality signalling)
The bait-and-switch bio
- Job titles that obscure what they actually sell
- Vague descriptions like “helping companies grow” or “solving business challenges”
- Success metrics that can’t be verified
The hunter’s persistence
- Immediate connection requests followed by immediate pitches
- Multiple follow-up messages escalating in urgency
- Cross-platform stalking (LinkedIn → email → phone → Twitter)
The predatory language
- “I’d love to pick your brain” (extract value without offering any)
- “Quick 15-minute call” (never actually 15 minutes)
- “No agenda, just want to connect” (always an agenda)
Why social media amplifies predatory behaviour
Scale without relationship: Traditional networking required physical presence and social accountability. LinkedIn allows someone to “connect” with hundreds of people daily without ever building a real relationship. The platform’s mechanics reward quantity over quality.
Anonymised aggression: Behind a screen, people behave differently than they would face-to-face. The same person who would never corner you at a conference networking event will send five follow-up messages in a week on LinkedIn.
Data asymmetry: LinkedIn provides predators with detailed information about their targets: job history, connections, recent activity, company size, all while allowing the hunter to remain relatively anonymous. This creates a perfect information asymmetry for exploitation.
Algorithm incentives: LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards engagement, not quality. This means predatory behaviour (aggressive outreach, controversial content, frequent posting) is often rewarded with greater visibility.
The ecosystem impact
Professional exodus: Many genuine professionals are reducing their LinkedIn activity or leaving entirely. The signal-to-noise ratio has become so poor that the platform is losing its most valuable users.
Trust erosion: Every predatory interaction makes prospects more defensive in all future sales interactions. The LinkedIn predator doesn’t just hurt their own reputation, they make it harder for every other salesperson.
Race to the bottom: As genuine professionals withdraw, the platform becomes increasingly dominated by predatory behaviour, creating a vicious cycle that degrades the entire ecosystem.
What professional sellers can do
Signal professional intent
- Clear, honest job titles and descriptions
- Transparent company information and contact details
- Professional headshots and company branding
- Genuine engagement with others’ content before pitching
Respect the platform norms
- Connect first, pitch later (much later)
- Offer value before asking for anything
- Personalise connection requests meaningfully
- Respect “no” as a complete sentence
Build genuine relationships
- Comment thoughtfully on prospects’ posts
- Share relevant industry insights
- Make introductions that benefit others
- Engage in conversations, not monologues
Professional standards
- Follow industry codes of conduct
- Participate in professional development
- Seek feedback from connections
- Hold peers accountable for predatory behaviour
What the industry can do
Platform accountability: LinkedIn could implement stronger filters for predatory behaviour, require verification for sales professionals, and create separate spaces for genuine networking versus sales outreach.
Professional certification: A professional body for sales could establish standards for social media behaviour, creating a way for ethical salespeople to distinguish themselves from predators.
Peer policing: The sales community could self-regulate by calling out predatory behaviour and supporting those who maintain professional standards.
Education and training: Sales organisations could invest in training their teams on professional social media engagement, treating it as a core competency rather than a free-for-all.
The path forward
The LinkedIn predator phenomenon is a symptom of a broader problem: the lack of professional standards in sales. When there are no consequences for predatory behaviour, it proliferates. When there are no rewards for professional behaviour, it becomes rare.
The solution isn’t to abandon social media, it’s to professionalise it. We need to create systems that reward genuine relationship-building over aggressive hunting, that protect prospects from predatory behaviour, and that give ethical salespeople ways to distinguish themselves from the digital predators.
The choice is ours
Every sales professional faces a choice on LinkedIn: contribute to the predatory ecosystem or help build something better. The choice you make doesn’t just affect your own results, it shapes the entire professional environment for everyone.
The question isn’t whether LinkedIn predators will continue to exist, because they will. The question is whether you’ll be mistaken for one, or whether you’ll help create the standards that could eliminate them.
Professional behaviour isn’t just about being ethical, it’s about being effective in an environment where trust has become the scarcest commodity.
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Written by Adam Gray
As co-founder of DLA Ignite, Adam Gray develops the core methodologies, intellectual property and strategic insights that underpin their success, creating a comprehensive framework that empowers individuals and teams to confidently navigate the complexities of the digital world, build connections that foster trust and spark meaningful conversations, and achieve their business objectives.