Making a great first impression with a cold connection request on LinkedIn is crucial for establishing new professional relationships. With over 800 million members on LinkedIn, sending connection requests to people you don’t know is common practice. However, it can be challenging to craft an effective cold outreach message.
The goal is to catch the recipient’s attention, provide value, and motivate them to accept your request. An ideal cold message clearly explains who you are, why you’d like to connect, and how you can potentially help them. It should be personalized, thoughtful, and succinct.
In this article, we’ll explore best practices for writing LinkedIn cold connection messages that get accepted. We’ll cover how to structure your request, tips for personalization, what information to include, common mistakes to avoid, and provide example templates you can adapt. Let’s dive in!
How to Structure Your Cold Connection Request
An effective cold outreach note on LinkedIn generally contains four key elements:
1. Personalized Introduction
Always start your message by addressing the recipient directly by name. This makes it immediately clear your request is tailored specifically to them, not a generic canned message sent en masse.
Briefly introduce yourself, your role, and company. Share just enough context so they understand who you are but keep it concise.
2. Explain Why You’d Like to Connect
Next, clearly state your reason for wanting to connect. Be upfront about why you are reaching out and how you found them. Don’t make them have to guess your motives.
Some examples include:
– You have similar interests, roles, experiences, connections, etc.
– You admire their work, expertise, or background
– You want to learn from them or get their advice on something specific
3. Note Shared Connections (If Relevant)
If you have any 1st degree connections in common, mention this. Shared connections can give your request added credibility and make the person more inclined to accept.
4. Include a Call to Action
Close your note with a specific call to action, such as requesting to connect on LinkedIn. You can also suggest meeting for a quick coffee or virtual chat. Give them a clear next step should they want to engage.
This forthright structure allows you to clearly state your purpose upfront. Now let’s look at tips for personalizing your request.
How to Personalize Your Message
While the framework should follow the steps above, it’s important to customize the specifics to the individual recipient. Here are some tips:
Research Their Profile
Spend time learning about the person’s background, interests, company, and role before reaching out. Reference details you find directly in your note to show you took the time.
Note Shared Interests or Experiences
If you went to the same school, have mutual connections, or are both members of the same organizations, mention it. Look for common ground you can bond over.
Compliment Their Work
If you admire their content, accomplishments, or thought leadership in your industry, say so. People like to know their work is appreciated.
Use a Warm, Conversational Tone
Write your message as you would speak to someone face-to-face. Be friendly, genuine, and avoid formal language. Add some personality.
Keep It Short
Get to the point quickly. Long messages can be overwhelming or intimidating. 2-4 sentences is plenty.
Making your request personal demonstrates extra effort on your part and makes acceptance more likely. Now let’s look at specific information to include.
What Information to Include
Beyond personalization, here are some key details to incorporate:
Your Full Name
Since your message is separate from your profile, always include your first and last name so they know specifically who you are.
Your Position & Company
Briefly mention your role and employer so they understand your background and why you want to connect.
How You Found Them
Explain where you came across their profile – Was it a Google search, referral from a mutual connection, their latest published article, etc?
Next Steps
If relevant, suggest meeting for coffee, hopping on a quick call, or keeping in touch down the road. Give them options to engage further.
Providing this context lays the groundwork for a productive relationship. Now let’s look at common mistakes to avoid.
Mistakes to Avoid
While a thoughtful, personalized request usually works best, there are some approaches that often backfire:
Using Generic Language
Copy-pasted, mass messages come across as spammy and insincere. Always write something unique.
Being Too Salesy or Promotional
Don’t make the focus purely about you or pitch your product/services right off the bat. Establish a relationship first.
Asking for Too Much Too Soon
Requesting something substantial immediately, like a referral, generally doesn’t land well. Build rapport over time instead.
Not Explaining Who You Are
If you don’t introduce yourself and your profession, lack of context may cause the person to ignore your note.
Forgetting a Call to Action
Always close with a specific request or next step, don’t just end abruptly. Tell them clearly what you’d like them to do.
Now that we’ve covered the dos and don’ts, let’s look at some template examples you can use for inspiration.
Cold Connection Request Template Examples
Below are a few sample LinkedIn cold connection messages you can model yours after:
Template #1: Common Interests
Hi [name],
My name is [your name] and I’m an [your position] at [company]. I noticed we’re both members of [group/industry/school etc] so I wanted to reach out and connect. I’m interested in learning more about your experience with [something specific they’re skilled at]. Perhaps we could [meet for coffee/have a quick call] sometime to discuss further? I’d be happy to share some of my own experiences as well. Looking forward to hopefully connecting!
Best,
[your name]
Template #2: Complimenting Their Work
Hi [name],
I recently came across [an article/post/content] that you [wrote/created] on [topic] and wanted to say how impressive it is! The way you [detail you appreciated] really stood out to me. I’m an [your position] at [company] focused on [your niche] and am extremely curious to learn how you [detail you’d like to learn]. Would you be open to connecting on LinkedIn? I’d love to [chat briefly/take you out for coffee] to introduce myself and pick your brain if you’re open to it. Looking forward to hopefully speaking soon!
Best,
[your name]
Template #3: Introduced Through Mutual Connections
Hi [name],
[Mutual connection] suggested I reach out and connect with you. I’m an [your position] at [company] and have been really interested in [detail of their work that interests you]. Having seen the work you’ve done around [topic area], I was hoping we could connect and that I might be able to learn more from you about [specific area of expertise]. If you’re open to it, perhaps we could grab coffee in the next few weeks? Looking forward to hopefully speaking!
Best,
[your name]
Template #4: Quick Value-Add
Hi [name],
I noticed you recently joined [company] as their [new role]. Having made a similar transition to [similar role] at [your company] just last year, I imagined you might appreciate some quick advice based on my own experience getting up to speed. Would you have 15 minutes in the next week to jump on a phone call? Happy to share what I wish I’d known starting out in [type of role]. Either way, congratulations on the new gig – I’m sure you’ll do fantastically.
Best,
[your name]
Conclusion
Crafting an effective cold outreach message on LinkedIn is an art that takes practice. The keys are keeping it concise and personalized while clearly explaining who you are, why you want to connect, and how you can help them. Do your research, look for commonalities, and speak to the individual.
Steer clear of copy-paste templates, asking for too much too fast, and sounding promotional. Structure your request around an introduction, shared context, value provided, and clear next steps. If done thoughtfully, you can convert cold outreach into meaningful professional relationships.
Have any other tips or go-to cold messaging strategies? Share your insights in the comments below!