The Ultimate Guide to Writing LinkedIn Prospecting Messages That Work

In the B2B space, sales prospecting is always more than just pitching to your prospects. A marketer needs to identify potential leads, reach out to them, start a conversation, and nurture them with valuable content to convert eventually. 

This entire process, when it takes place on LinkedIn, depends upon the prospecting messages you send, especially the connect request note. 

It must be casually conversational, like a text. Yet maintain professional decorum and act as an ice-breaker. 

But it's B2B; a joke won't work. How do you break the ice?

You can do it either by referring to their activity or by sending across value-adding resources. According to statistics, 74% of B2B buyers expect sales reps and professionals to offer new or different insights into their company/business. 

Sounds daunting?

Read ahead to learn how to craft the perfect LinkedIn prospecting messages. If content writing feels like too much work, pick any of the below cold message templates. 

What is LinkedIn Prospecting Message

The DMs you send to connect with your prospects on LinkedIn are LinkedIn prospecting messages.

LinkedIn prospecting is a social selling strategy that includes identifying prospects and nurturing them gradually with industry-relevant content. 

To learn more about LinkedIn prospecting, check out this link. 

How to Craft the Perfect Message for LinkedIn Prospecting 

Creating a prospecting message is a tricky art. Even a slight alteration in the tone of the message can change the fate of the sales deal.  

If you are too formal in tone, the future prospect might think that the message is AI-generated. In case of a too casual tone, your message might get ignored as an unprofessional text. 

From the greetings to the length of the message, everything should be very calculated so that your prospect doesn't get annoyed or repelled. 

Introduce yourself

Have you ever met a stranger on the street and began talking immediately?

Nope, nobody does that. We all start a conversation by introducing ourselves. The same goes for LinkedIn messages as well. 

First, obviously, you say:

Hey {First Name}

After that, you introduce yourself. There are three common ways of doing it:

1. Your name and company
2. Your name and designation
3. Your name and designation, and company

Let's take a look at how it's done. 

Hey Mark, 

I am Rajnish from Smartlead.

Or

Hey Mark, 

I am Rajnish, a content writer. 

Or 

Hey Mark, 

I am Rajnish, a content writer at Smartlead. 

Or

Hey Mark, 

How are you? It's Rajnish from Smartlead. 

The above are some of the most common ways of introducing yourself in LinkedIn messages. 

Never skip the introduction line while sending cold messages on this networking platform. Because your prospects, most probably, will never open your profile to check who you are.  

Mention why you are texting

After introducing yourself, the most crucial step in prospecting sales messages is revealing the reason why you are texting in the first place. 

Your prospects are busy professionals. They are obviously running on a packed schedule. Even if that's not the case, there are hundreds of marketers sliding into their DMs just like you. 

Therefore, never ask them to take action before making it clear why you are writing the message. This is how you can do it. 

I wanted to reach out as we are members of the same group.

Or 

I am relatively new to b2b marketing. I am reaching out for advice on how to get started. 

Or 

I am reaching out to see if you would be interested in a collaboration. 

The "reason revealing" sentence must come after the introduction line. 

Keep it within 5 to 6 sentences

When it comes to length, cold emails and LinkedIn messages are quite similar—the shorter, the better. 

It's super important to keep the prospecting messages very short. 

The ideal length of a prospecting DM on LinkedIn is 5 to 6 sentences. You can stretch it to 7 lines but no more than that. 

Personalize

Be it an email campaign or LinkedIn messages, personalization is the key. A generalized message is more likely to get ignored by the recipient than a personalized text. 

Confused about how to create personalized prospecting messages? 

With a little bit of research, here's how you can do it. 

Referring to their professional experience

Hey Dan, 

I am Pam, the sales manager at Dunder Mifflin. I can see that you've attended the Digital Marketing Trends in 2023 webinar. 

Clearly, we both are passionate about digital marketing. 

Awesome! Let's connect.

Pam

Referring LinkedIn Group

Hey Dan, 

I am Pam, the sales manager at Dunder Mifflin. I see you're a member of the "cold outreach" group, too. I have been an active member since 2021.

I assume you're interested in cold emails too. 

Let's connect to keep you updated.

Pam

Referring activity—LinkedIn posts, likes, comments

Hey Dan, 

I am Pam, the sales manager at Dunder Mifflin. I came across your post on "Cold emails marketing 101" on my feed. 

I must say I am impressed with your writing skills. 

I would love to connect with you, a fellow marketer so that we keep updating each other about the industry trends. 

Pam

Same geographical location

Hey Dan, 

It's Pam from Dunder Mifflin. I live in Tokyo, too.

I would love to connect with another professional from Tokyo. It would be great to have a network of like-minded people from here. 

Would you like to connect? 

Pam

Referring Common Connection

Hey Dan, 

It's Pam from Dunder Mifflin. Mark is my connection; I think you are too. 

I assume you both work in the same company. 

I would love to connect with more people from the field.

Would you like to connect? 

Pam

Aim to start a conversation

The goal of prospecting is to identify potential customers and slowly convert them into buyers. And how to do that?

Of course, content. 

It can be articles, videos, podcasts, books, LinkedIn posts, etc. The bottom line is, as a marketer, you must keep providing resources that will empower your prospects and help them make the decision. 

And this "nurturing" can't happen in one or two texts. To achieve that, you must start a conversation and try to build a business relationship with the prospects. 

The best way to do this is to talk about their posts, business, achievements, etc. Also, try to ask their opinions on industry trends/news. 

For example:

Hi again, [First Name].

Thanks for accepting my connection request! It's great to have someone who's as passionate as me about B2B sales in my network.

It's always interesting to learn my fellow marketers' thoughts on sales.   

What do you think about using an AI-based outreach tool for sales? I think it can reduce the manual labor of the sales team and provide time to focus on strategies. 

Do you agree?

Offer something

Prospecting sales messages can't be anything like a sales pitch. It has to be a conversation starter and benefitting both sides. 

For instance, when you are asking the prospect to accept your request, you must offer something in return. It can vary from coffee to an article or a piece of advice, anything. 

But, you must offer something. And along the journey in the sequence, a marketer must convince the prospect that the product is going to make their lives better. That must be the ultimate offer. 

Things You Must Not Do in LinkedIn Prospecting Messages

‍

Linkedin prospecting is easy once you figure out the message. Take a look at the DM below and guess what went wrong. 

No Introduction

The connection message doesn't introduce the sender nor clarify their company name. They are texting a stranger on LinkedIn and asking them to buy their product without even introducing themselves. 

Never ever send outreach messages, on any platform, without writing a quick introduction about yourself. It's better to go with "I am Mark from XYZ." But, if you have a mutual connection, you can also introduce yourself by referring to them in the message.

Lengthy Text

Although the message contains only six lines, it still is very long. The sentences have too many commas and fragments, which is guaranteed to lose the interest of the recipient. 

Not Focusing on Prospect's Pain Points

The goal of every business out there is to solve their customer's pain points. It can be anything from clothes to cold emailing tools. 

Therefore, salespeople must focus on prospects' pain points while sending them messages on LinkedIn. 

The above screenshot doesn't have any direct or indirect references to the prospect's issues. This is another mistake that successful LinkedIn marketers don't make. 

Pitching in the First Message

The sender in the above message is trying to pitch in the first message. When it's LinkedIn prospecting, this is the biggest red flag, especially in B2B sales. 

Not Providing Any Social Proof

A seller can go on and on about the merits of a product. But why should the lead believe you?

This is why sales reps must provide social proof while prospecting, especially in LinkedIn messages. Attach a video testimonial of G2.com reviews so that the recipient can crosscheck your claims and come around.

Too Much Focus on "I" and "We"

The outreach messages should be about the prospect and their pain points. It shouldn't be about the marketer/seller. 

Therefore, while creating a LinkedIn message, you must refrain from using too many "I" s and "We" s. This mistake will annoy the recipient and shoo them away forever. 

Example of LinkedIn Prospecting Sequences

Undoubtedly, LinkedIn is Disneyland for prospecting. By using the basic search engine, you can find hundreds of potential customers on this networking platform. 

However, a LinkedIn search isn't the only way to find your prospects. You may find many potential customers on a Slack channel, YouTube channel, newsletter subscribers, etc. 

You need to segment your prospects based on how and where you found them. After segmentation, the next step is to create sequences—a series of messages and automate the entire process. 

Here's a list of sample sequences for you to understand how to create one.

#Sequence 1: For Mass Outreach

This sequence has been one of the most effective ones for us at Smartlead. Feel free to copy it for your outreach campaigns on LinkedIn. 

First DM

Hey {First Name},

Are you paying separately for warm-up & email accounts?

We have cold email software that provides unlimited email-sending accounts and free AI-enhanced warmups.

Mind if I share more info?

Follow-Up 1

Hey {First Name},

I went on a demo with a prospect who's spending $30 per email account, and he has 15 of them. Total amount spent- $450 per month.

But Smartlead provides unlimited email-sending accounts & AI warmups at just $39 pm.

Would you be interested in a quick demo as well?

Follow-Up 2

Hey {First Name},

Sharing a testimonial of a client we've recently helped:

{{testimonial}}

Let me know if you're up for a demo.

#Sequence 2: Targeting Audience from LinkedIn Groups

Connection request note

Hi [ First Name]!

I came across your profile on {group name}. I wanted to reach out as we are members of the same group. 

I guess we share a common interest in b2b sales. 

Awesome!

Let's connect.

{Your Name}

First DM

Hi again, [First Name].

Thanks for accepting my connection request! It's great to have someone in my network who's as passionate as I am about B2B sales.

It's always interesting to learn about the sales process from other fellow marketers. Do you have tricks under your sleeve that might help me?   

I have some tips to share in return as well. My secret tool is [your product]. It helps me in multichannel outreach by automating the entire process.

Thanks

Follow-Up 1

Hey, {First Name}, I understand the struggle in B2 B lead generation. It takes months to plan a campaign, create sequences, and manually send the messages to the prospects. 

On top of that, if one fails to follow up consistently, the entire campaign gets ruined. I believe your organization would benefit from using a LinkedIn prospecting tool like Smartlead. 

Check out what {their competitor} has to say about Smartlead. 

Interested to learn more about this tool? 

Follow-up 2

An automation tool that 

• Creates human-like personalized messages
• Follows up on scheduled time
• Records sales info in one place
• You can white label as well

Sounds interesting?

Let's talk more. Let me know when you are available. 

Follow-Up 3

I would love to show you how Smartlead works—it will skyrocket your ROI. I promise it won't take more than 15 mins.

Ping me when you are available.  

Check out what {their competitor} has to say about us. 

#Sequence 3: Content Discussion with Audience

Connection request message

Hi [ First Name]!

I liked your comment on {so-and-so post}. I especially liked the part where you listed down the problems faced by marketers while prospecting. 

I would love to discuss more on this topic. 

Let's connect.

{Your Name}

First DM

Hi again, [First Name].

Thanks for accepting my connection request! It's great to have someone who's as passionate as me about B2B sales in my network.

It's always interesting to learn my fellow marketers' thoughts on sales.   

What do you think about using AI-based automation tools for sales? I think it can reduce the manual labor of the sales team and provide time to focus on strategies. 

Do you agree? 

Follow-Up 1

Hey, {First Name}, I understand the struggle faced by B2B sales/marketing teams. It takes months to plan a campaign, create sequences, and manually send the messages to the prospects. 

On top of that, if one fails to follow up on the message consistently, the entire campaign gets ruined. I believe your organization would benefit from using an AI-based automation tool like Smartlead. 

Check out what {their competitor} has to say about Smartlead. 

Interested to learn more about this tool? 

Follow-up 2

An automation tool that 

• Creates human-like personalized messages
• Follows up on scheduled time
• Records sales info in one place
• You can white label as well

Sounds interesting?

Let's talk more. Let me know when you are available. 

Follow-Up 3

I would love to show you how Smartlead works—it will skyrocket your ROI. I promise it won't take more than 15 mins.

Ping me when you are available. 

Check out what {their competitor} has to say about us.

#Sequence 4: Providing Social Proof

Connection request note

Hi [ First Name]!

I see that your company deals with (mention what they do). Our client (their competitor) is in the same business.  

Last year, we helped them (mention the pain point you resolved). Check out what they have to say about us. (Attach a video testimonial.)

Interested? 

Let's connect.

{Your Name}

First DM

Hi again, {First Name}.

Thanks for accepting my connection request! 

We helped your competitor with (provide a list of pain points you solved). 

I've done some research on {their business name} too. As per the information I got on the internet, you are currently facing {an issue that your product solves}. 

Is that right?

Follow-Up 1

Hey {first name}, 

Here's a quick overview of what our tool, Smartlead, does.

• Solves pain point 1
• Solves pain point 2
• Solves pain point 2

Check out what {their competitor} has to say about Smartlead. 

Interested to learn more about this tool? 

Follow-up 2

An automation tool that 

• Creates human-like personalized messages
• Follows up on scheduled time
• Records sales info in one place
• You can white label as well

Sounds interesting?

Let's talk more. Let me know when you are available. 

Follow-Up 3

I would love to show you how Smartlead works—it will skyrocket your ROI. I promise it won't take more than 15 mins.

Ping me when you are available. 

Check out what {their competitor} has to say about us.

LinkedIn Prospecting Messaging Templates for Different Scenarios 

Example 1: Connecting with a Prospect

Hi [ First Name]!

Congratulations on receiving {so-and-award}! It's really inspiring how you have established yourself as a thought leader in the industry. 

Huge fan! 

Can we connect?

{Your Name}

Example 2: Introducing Yourself to a Potential Client

Hi [ First Name],

This is [Your Name] from (name of the company). I help businesses to launch products successfully. 

I see you have started a new company. Congratulations on that! Let me know if you need any help. 

Can we connect?

Thanks

Example 3: Requesting a Meeting or Call 

Hi [ First Name]!

I see that your company deals with (mention what they do). Our client (their competitor) is in the same business.  

Last year, we helped them (mention the pain point you resolved). Check out what they have to say about us. (Attach a video testimonial.)

Interested? 

Let's schedule a meeting when you are available.

{Your Name}

Example 4: Sharing Relevant Content or Resources

Hi [ First Name]!

I liked your comment on {so-and-so post}. I especially liked the part where you listed down the problems faced by marketers while prospecting. 

I found a Smartlead article on the same topic. 

Let me know what you think about it. 

{Your Name}

Example 5: Offering a solution to a problem

Hi [ First Name]!

I came across your post on {so-and-so topic} where you mentioned facing {pain points}. 

Last year, we helped {their competitor company} resolve (pain point). Check out what they have to say about us. (Attach a video testimonial.)

Interested? 

Let's connect.

{Your Name}

Best Practices for Sending Prospecting Messages

Besides creating a killer message, there are a few more things that you must take care of before prospecting, such as timing, updating the profile, etc.  

Timing and Frequency of Messages 

It's very crucial to check the timing and frequency of your prospecting messages to convert them into loyal customers. You don't want to send too many messages within a short period and freak out the recipient. 

Not to forget, such behavior is seen as spammy and scares off potential leads. 

Instead, schedule your message with healthy breaks between one another and be careful about when you send them. 

For example, sending messages after office hours can be a risky practice. For successful conversions, try to stick to the prospect's office hours in their time zone.

Update Your Profile 

Before you start prospecting on LinkedIn, it's essential to update your LinkedIn profile. If you are texting from your company page, update it. 

Make sure your own LinkedIn profile looks professional and represents your brand like a legit one. This includes 

• Having a complete profile
• The profile picture should be a professional headshot
• A clear and concise summary that will describe your journey
• Relevant work experience and skills 
• Having a strong personal brand image

Many people don't talk about the importance of a good personal brand while marketing your product. FYI, it's unavoidable. 

A personal brand is more likely to attract relevant leads and make a positive impression when you prospect from your company page. 

Set KPIs

Tracking results is very important to measure the success of your cold prospecting messages. You must keep track of 

• how many messages you send
• How many meetings you book
• how many responses you get
• how many of those responses convert
• How many people are accepting connection requests

Use this data to adjust your approach over time, experiment with different messaging strategies, and test what works best for your audience.

To bring in more qualified leads, it's important to set KPIs.

KPI is short for Key Performance Indicators. Here's a list of KPIs you should set to measure the success of LinkedIn prospecting. 

1. Connection request acceptance rate
2. Response rate or reply rate
3. Interest rate
4. "Later" rates
5. "Not interested" rates
6. Conversion rate

Building and Maintaining Relationships with Prospects

Keep in mind that the goal isn't to sell them something right away. It is to build relationships with potential customers and convert them into loyal audiences. 

Always focus on finding common ground and starting a conversation based on it. Refrain from pitching your product or service before starting a conversation. 

Follow up diligently with your prospects over time, send them value-adding content, and nurture them through the B2 B sales cycle. 

Finals Thoughts

Hands down, LinkedIn is the best platform for B2B sales outreach. After all, 2.7 million companies out of 58 million businesses that are listed are active every day on this networking platform. 

If you are a B2B marketer, hop on this ROI-increasing train. Just keep in mind how to craft a good prospecting message. To summarize, it must be

• Within 5 to 6 lines
• Focus on the prospect's pain points
• Provide social proof
• Start a conversation, etc. 

For better results in cold messaging, use an automation tool to send messages. All you have to do is create a list of prospects, import the contact list in the automation tool, create a sequence, and launch the campaign. 

Don't forget to nurture warm leads with the LinkedIn sales navigator. Update your prospecting strategy accordingly. 

With this, I bid you farewell. 

Adios!

FAQs

Is auto-messaging illegal on LinkedIn?

No, using automation tools for messaging isn't illegal on LinkedIn, but one mustn't exceed the limit. You can send 200 connection requests, 150 messages and visit 150 profiles per day.