LinkedIn can be a great platform for initiating sales conversations and connecting with potential customers. However, crafting an effective sales message on LinkedIn requires strategy and finesse. Here are some tips for writing compelling LinkedIn sales messages that get responses.
Understand your audience
The first step is to understand who you’re trying to reach with your sales message. Are you targeting decision makers like VPs or CEOs? Or are you looking to connect with managers and team leaders? Identify the roles and titles of your ideal customers. This will allow you to craft messages that resonate with their needs and priorities.
Also look at what groups your prospects are in on LinkedIn. Join those groups yourself to observe the types of discussions happening there. This can provide valuable insight into what matters to your audience.
Personalize your outreach
Personalized messages have much higher response rates than generic templates. Take the time to customize each note based on the recipient’s profile, shared connections, and activity on LinkedIn.
Reference their work history, education, skills, and interests. Ask about challenges they may be facing in their role or industry. This shows you took the time to understand who they are and what they care about.
Tools like Sales Navigator and Dux-Soup can help you quickly pull insights from prospect profiles to include in personalized messages.
Focus on value
Avoid pitches about how great your product is. Prospects care about what’s in it for them. Tailor your messages to communicate the specific value you provide to customers in their role or industry.
For example, you could say “As a VP of Sales, I know lead generation is crucial. We’ve helped companies like [name drop client] increase pipeline by 20%. Would you be open to a 15-minute call to discuss challenges your team has generating leads through social media?”
This demonstrates you understand their goals around lead gen and positions your solution as something that helps them achieve it.
Ask for the next step
End your note by clearly asking for what you want. Do you want to schedule a call? Grab coffee? Connect them with an existing mutual client for a referral? Be specific.
“I’d love to schedule a quick call to explore if our [product/service] is a good fit. Are you available Tuesday or Friday at 2pm EST?”
This gives the recipient a clear call-to-action. LinkedIn messages shouldn’t start an open-ended conversation – they should drive toward a next step.
Follow up politely
Expect that many of your messages will be ignored. Follow up once or twice more before moving on. Use language like:
“Hi [Name], just wanted to follow up on my earlier note in case it got lost in the shuffle. I think [product/service] could be a great solution for [problem prospect has], and I’d love to schedule a quick call to discuss further. Let me know if you have any availability next week!”
This shows persistence while also giving them an easy way to politely decline. Don’t harass prospects who never respond.
Connect around content
Sharing relevant content can provide a non-salesy reason to connect. If you see prospects commenting on or liking articles related to challenges you help solve, send them a message like:
“Hi [Name], noticed you engaged with [that content]. We actually just published a guide on [relevant topic] that I thought you’d find interesting. Check it out here [link] and let me know if you’d like to discuss more about how we’re helping companies with [problem].”
This can start an organic conversation centered around material they already expressed interest in.
Offer to help
Prospects are most responsive when you offer them something of value. Look for opportunities to provide help tailored to what they need.
For example, if they posted asking for recommendations on lead gen tools, you could reply with:
“Hey [Name], saw you’re looking for lead gen tools. We’ve had great success using [specific tools] to help maintain a strong inbound lead pipeline month-over-month. I wrote up some tips and use cases for them here [link to gated content]. Let me know if you want to talk more about setting up a robust lead gen process.”
This positions you as a helpful expert rather than a salesperson only looking to pitch.
Partner with connectors
Another warm way to reach prospects is by partnering with existing mutual connections. Ask around your network who may have relationships with target accounts and leverage intros and referrals.
An inMail from a shared connection can sound like “Hi [Prospect Name], I wanted to connect you with [Your Name] at [Company]. We’ve worked together, and I think you’d find a lot of synergies in discussing [problem prospect has].”
This social proof helps get your message opened and responded to.
Avoid linked selling
“LinkedIn selling” refers to immediately pitching your product without personalization, relevance, or value. This causes prospects to tune out.
Instead of leading with:
“Hi there! I’m [Your Name] with [Company]. We provide [service] to help businesses [do something]. Please take a look at our website here [link] and let me know if you have any questions!”
Take time to research the prospect and craft thoughtful, personalized messages that lead with value.
Be patient and persistent
Not every prospect will engage right away. Consistently nurture your outreach efforts over time. Set reminders to follow up with key targets who have not responded.
The average sales cycle takes 5-12 outreaches before a substantial conversation. Don’t get discouraged by an initial lack of responses. Consistent value-driven messages will gradually increase conversion rates.
LinkedIn sales messaging takes effort, but with a strategic approach it can become a significant driver of new business opportunities in your pipeline.
Focus on personalization, solving pain points, and leading with value to craft messages that cut through the noise. With consistency, you can build quality relationships that convert on LinkedIn.
To recap, here are the key tips covered in this guide:
- Understand your target audience roles and challenges
- Personalize each message with profile research
- Focus on the value you provide
- Ask for a clear next step
- Politely follow up
- Connect around content
- Offer to help
- Leverage partners for warm introductions
- Avoid generic “LinkedIn selling”
- Be patient and persistent
With the right strategy, LinkedIn can be a game changer for connecting with qualified prospects. Apply these tips to start driving more sales conversations.