If you have sent an InMail message on LinkedIn and have not received a response, there could be several reasons for this. The recipient may not have seen the message yet, they may be too busy to respond right away, or they may have decided not to engage with you for various reasons. Be patient, follow up politely if needed, and don’t take a non-response personally.
Why you may not have received a response yet
Here are some common reasons why you may not have received a response to your LinkedIn InMail yet:
- The recipient hasn’t seen your message – They may simply not have noticed or opened your InMail yet. Give it some time.
- The recipient is too busy – They may have seen your message but are too caught up with other priorities to respond right away. Follow up in a few days.
- The recipient gets a lot of messages – Popular profiles can receive tons of messages so yours may have gotten buried. Try following up.
- Your message wasn’t compelling – Make sure your InMail has an attractive subject line and quickly conveys value to the recipient.
- The recipient isn’t interested – For whatever reason they have decided not to engage with you. Don’t take it personally.
- Your profile lacks credibility – Make sure your profile is complete and portrays you as someone worth responding to.
- You aren’t connected enough – Recipients are more likely to engage with 2nd and 3rd degree connections.
Tips for following up on an unanswered InMail
If it has been more than a week and you still haven’t received a response, here are some tips for following up politely:
- Wait at least 7 days before your first follow up attempt.
- Be gracious and acknowledge they may have simply missed your initial note.
- Offer value by pointing them to an article or resource that relates to their work.
- Suggest an alternative way to connect like a phone call or video chat.
- If no response after 2 follow ups, it’s best to move on.
- Avoid sounding desperate or aggressive in your follow up messages.
- Personalize each message rather than just copying your original note.
- Always maintain professionalism even if they never respond.
Things to avoid when following up
When following up on an unreturned LinkedIn InMail, be careful not to:
- Send too many follow up messages – 2 is usually sufficient.
- Get emotional or accusatory about the non-response.
- Make the follow up all about you and what you want.
- Use gimmicks like attention-grabbing subject lines.
- Threaten or pressure them to respond.
- Assume the worst like they are ignoring you.
- Take it as a personal rejection if they don’t respond.
- Burn bridges by lashing out at the recipient.
- Stalk them on other channels if they don’t respond.
What to do if your InMails are rarely returned
If you find that your InMail messages rarely get any response, here are some strategies to improve your response rate:
- Refine your recipient targeting – only message relevant prospects.
- Craft compelling subject lines – provide value or spark interest.
- Personalize your messages – include specific details about them.
- Make your profile stand out – showcase credibility and trustworthiness.
- Expand your network – grow your connections organically.
- Improve your messaging skills – be concise, warm and offer value.
- Follow up but don’t harass prospects.
- Review your InMail content objectively or get feedback.
- Be patient and persistent – results take time.
How to handle non-responses professionally
To handle non-responses to your InMails professionally:
- Never take it personally or make assumptions.
- Send follow up notes infrequently – no more than 2.
- Remain cordial and leave door open to connect in future.
- Avoid emotional responses or venting frustration.
- Focus efforts on prospects more likely to respond.
- Review your messaging approach objectively for improvement.
- Remember recipients owe you nothing so don’t get entitled.
- Learn from each non-response to improve your skills.
- Build resilience by not tying self-worth to others’ actions.
- Maintain composure and professionalism always.
When non-response needs escalation
In most cases, a non-response does not warrant escalation beyond a follow up or two. However, escalation may be appropriate if:
- You have an important existing business relationship being damaged.
- The person explicitly agreed to respond but has not.
- Your messages are being obviously ignored or brushed off.
- A timely response is essential for an urgent matter.
- Your professional reputation is on the line.
- The lack of response is causing significant loss of business.
In such cases, respectful escalation may include:
- Elevating issue internally to their team or management.
- Engaging common connections to contact them on your behalf.
- Switching contact channels, like phoning their office.
- Politely confronting them about the non-response.
- Formally following up in writing to document issue.
- Considering involving legal counsel for contractual violations.
- File official complaint if all else fails.
When to let go and move on
At a certain point, you need to recognize when you should stop pursuing a non-responsive prospect and redirect your energies elsewhere. It’s time to move on if:
- Multiple follow ups go unreturned over months.
- You receive signals they don’t want to connect.
- The effort spent exceeds the potential value of connecting.
- You have other warmer leads to focus on.
- Trying new methods still yields no response.
- They connect with others in your niche.
- Your outreach could be perceived as harassment.
- The relationship is permanently damaged.
Knowing when to walk away preserves your time and dignity. Refocus on more promising prospects and learn from the experience.
In summary…
Don’t get discouraged if a LinkedIn connection doesn’t respond to your InMail. Focus on crafting compelling messages, expanding your network, tactfully following up, and moving on when needed. With persistence and the right approach, your InMail response rates will improve over time.