When it comes to connecting with prospects on LinkedIn, the opening message can make or break your chances of getting a response. With over 850 million members on the platform, standing out from the crowd is critical. But what exactly should you say in that initial outreach? What kind of messaging will pique interest and increase engagement?
In this article, we’ll explore the dos and don’ts of LinkedIn prospecting messages. We’ll look at how to craft a compelling opening that highlights value and establishes relevance. You’ll learn techniques for personalized messaging at scale, as well as tips for writing follow-ups. By the end, you’ll have a clear blueprint for creating effective prospect messages on LinkedIn.
Why the Opening Message Matters
Your opening message to a prospect on LinkedIn matters for several reasons:
– It’s your first impression – This message will shape how the prospect views you from the very start. A strong opening can pique interest and make a lasting impact.
– It needs to stand out – With an overload of messages on LinkedIn, your note needs to be remarkable enough to get noticed. Generic outreach often goes ignored.
– It sets the tone – The way you craft this initial message will steer the direction of the conversation. The right tone can turn a cold outreach into a warm connection.
– It reflects your brand – This message is a small sample of what working with you would be like. It needs to align with your brand personality and ideals.
– It needs a clear CTA – Include a specific call-to-action in your outreach so prospects know what you want them to do next. Don’t leave things open-ended.
In short, your opening message has a lot of weight on your shoulders. But with a strategic approach, you can create messages that convert.
How to Craft a Strong Opening Message
When writing an initial outreach message on LinkedIn, there are several strategies you can use to boost engagement:
Highlight Common Ground
Look for shared connections, groups, or experiences you have in common with the prospect. Pointing out this common ground early on helps establish relevance. For example:
“I see we’re both members of the Digital Marketing Association. I’ve gotten a lot of value from the events and training they offer.”
Comment on Their Content
If the prospect has shared content on LinkedIn, leave a thoughtful comment highlighting what you enjoyed or agreed with. This shows you took time to understand what they care about.
“I just watched your LinkedIn Live on leveraging influencer marketing. I couldn’t agree more with your tips on creating win-win partnerships.”
Lead With Value
Offer something of value to the prospect upfront, whether it’s useful information, an introduction, or an actionable strategy. This immediately shows you’re looking to help, not just sell.
“I noticed you’re expanding into the southeastern region. I have great contacts I could connect you with at 5 retail chains in Florida and Georgia.”
Ask a Thoughtful Question
Posing an intelligent question related to their work encourages a response by sparking their interest. Make sure it’s specific and shows you understand their needs.
“You mentioned in your last post that you’re trying to improve employee retention. I’m curious – what initiatives have you found most effective for motivation?”
Personalization at Scale
While personal messages work best, manually customizing each note isn’t always feasible. Here are tips for personalizing messages efficiently:
– Use merge fields to include their name, company, location, etc.
– Automate messages, but add a custom line or two for each prospect.
– Segment your outreach lists based on criteria like role, industry, interests. Tailor messages per segment.
– Build templates with interchangeable components you can mix and match.
– Use a spreadsheet to track prospects and make notes on them for reference.
– Research prospects through their profile and posts before reaching out.
– Follow up references to previous conversations or meetings.
With the right tools and some strategy, you can craft messages that feel personalized while still being efficient. The key is making the effort to customize and ensure relevancy.
Do’s and Don’ts
To sum up, here are some key do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:
Do:
– Keep messages concise at 1-2 paragraphs.
– Use a warm, natural tone versus overly formal language.
– Make the CTA clear and specific so they know how to respond.
– Follow up if you don’t receive a response within a week.
– Focus on offering value versus promoting yourself.
Don’t:
– Use canned templates that weren’t customized.
– Make it all about you and your company. Keep the focus on them.
– Use overly salesy or promotional language that feels spammy.
– Send overly long messages or overload them with info upfront.
– Be vague or forget a call to action.
Following Up
If a prospect doesn’t respond to your initial message, follow up instead of giving up. Here are tips for effective follow-up messages:
– Wait about a week before following up. Don’t be overly aggressive.
– Briefly restate who you are and why you reached out originally.
– Ask if they had a chance to read your previous note.
– Offer something fresh of value like useful content.
– If you get no response after a few follow-ups, move on for now.
– Consider tweaking your messaging strategy if you consistently get no replies.
With persistence and continuously refined messaging, you can connect with even unresponsive prospects eventually. Monitor response rates to know if your messages need adjustment.
Examples of Strong Outreach
To make these tips more concrete, here are a few examples of effective opening messages to prospects:
Example 1
Subject: Enjoyed your segment on tech trends
Hi [Name],
My name is [Your Name] and I’m a marketing specialist at [Company]. I recently caught your LinkedIn Live on emerging technologies and how they’ll impact marketing. I couldn’t agree more on the potential of AI and VR.
At [Company], we’re also very interested in leveraging tech and are planning some pilots. Would you have 20 minutes for a quick call to share any advice? I’d be happy to share our plans in case they may benefit your research as well.
Let me know if that would work! I can schedule time on your calendar.
Best,
[Your Name]
Example 2
Subject: Idea for your employee retention initiative
Hi [Name],
I hope you’ve been having a great start to the year! I saw on LinkedIn that improving employee retention is one of [Company’s] major initiatives for this year. Retention is so critical, but also very challenging.
One idea that helped us at [Your Company] was to improve engagement through more frequent pulse surveys, anonymous feedback options, and open office hours with leadership. I’d be happy to share more about how it impacted our retention.
Would you have a few minutes to connect? I’d love to learn more about your plans and share any strategies that may help.
Looking forward to connecting!
[Your Name]
Using Data to Refine and Improve
To improve your prospect messaging strategy over time, leverage data tracking to identify what works and what doesn’t. Here are key metrics to track:
| Metric | How to Track | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Open Rates | LinkedIn tracking pixels | Test subject line effectiveness |
| Click Rates | UTM campaign tracking | Evaluate CTA wording |
| Response Rates | CRM tracking | Identify best outbound strategies |
| Meeting Bookings | Compare outreach data to bookings | Determine strongest messaging |
Review this data regularly and tweak low-performing elements of your outreach. For example, if your response rate to initial messages is low, try testing different personalized details, value propositions, or calls-to-action.
Ongoing optimization based on data can improve the effectiveness of your prospecting efforts on LinkedIn.
Tools to Enhance LinkedIn Messaging
There are also helpful tools you can use to enhance LinkedIn messaging and prospecting:
– Sales Navigator – Unlocks extra LinkedIn search filters and contact info for outreach.
– Outreach.io – Automates customized messages with tracking.
– Dux-Soup – Provides lead contact info right inside LinkedIn.
– MeetAlfred – Automatically schedules meetings from LinkedIn messages.
– Nimble – Builds a sales CRM automatically from LinkedIn network.
– Linkclump – Allows you to message multiple LinkedIn connections at once.
– Clearbit Connect – Identifies contact details for LinkedIn prospects.
The right tools can save time, scale your outreach, and increase effectiveness. Focus on value-driven messaging, with personalization layered on top.
Key Takeaways
Here are the key points to keep in mind for messaging LinkedIn prospects:
– Craft compelling openings that demonstrate value and relevance.
– Look for personalized details to incorporate at scale.
– Keep messages concise and natural, focused on their needs and goals.
– Tactfully follow up with unresponsive prospects.
– Leverage data tracking and optimization to refine messaging.
– Utilize tools to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
With strategic messaging and continual optimization, you can engage prospects on LinkedIn at a higher rate. Be helpful and persistent, not salesy or spammy. Outreach is about starting relationships, not just sending messages.
Conclusion
Your opening message to prospects on LinkedIn can make or break your chances of connecting. With an influx of outreach, your message needs to instantly establish relevance and value. The right balance of personalization and efficiency is key.
Keep messages concise, natural, and focused on the prospect’s needs. Surface common ground and offer something of value like insights or an introduction. Follow up politely with unresponsive prospects.
Analyze data on open, click, and response rates to refine your messaging. Test different subject lines, message formats, and calls to action. With a value-driven, optimized approach, you can increase engagement on your LinkedIn outreach.
The effort to craft thoughtful messaging will pay off with higher quality connections. LinkedIn is a long game, not a quick fix. Make lasting impressions with prospects by keeping the focus on them, not yourself. Relationships open opportunities. Messaging done right is the first step.
