We don’t believe in sending prospects generic copy-paste LinkedIn cold messages.
Why?
Because they simply don’t work.
And we want our readers to have successful lead gen campaigns, so there won’t be easy copy-paste templates in this article.
(But rather templates for inspiration.)
(Note: Prospects know when you have sent the same spammy message to hundreds of other people in your network.
In a way, most people have spam filters built into their minds, which makes them ignore anything that doesn’t look personal .)
What we have done for this specific article is compile some of our best message examples that have gotten results, which you can use and adapt in your cold outreach, and how to write these messages to boost replies.
(So there will be some ideas here to spark your creativity 🙂 )
(If 20+ leads a month sounds like a win for your business, please get in touch with us for a free 15-minute consultation call.
We offer LinkedIn lead generation and appointment services for less than the price of hiring a full-time sales rep, with no locked-in contracts. )
How to write a connection request for lead gen.
If you have read some of our articles in the past, you will know that personalization plays a huge role in the success of our lead generation campaigns.
( Note: Ultra-targeted and refined list building is also incredibly important for your company’s lead gen success.
Not sure how to build the perfect list of your ideal target audience? Read this: The “1-Lead-Per-Day” LinkedIn Lead Generation Agency )
And if there is no personalization in your direct messages, prospects are going to just ignore you on LinkedIn.
Here is what to do if you would like to write a personalized connection request message.
Let’s say, for example, that you would like to reach out to all companies that provide mental wellness coaching for employees.
You will then build a list of businesses that you would like to reach out to, and then plug that list into LinkedIn.
Once the prospect’s profile comes up, look through it and see what you could use for writing a personalized message.
At SalesBread, we use the CCQ method.
Which stands for:
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Compliment
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Commonalities
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Questions
As you read the LinkedIn profile above, think of either a compliment, a commonality (like a mutual connection ), or a question to ask the prospect.
Look through their recent activity and find something that you can use to engage with them.
For example, the above person (Nicholas Jemetta) posted this on LinkedIn:
You could then use a connection request message that goes along these lines:
“Nicholas, I loved your post on the “best client feedback you ever received”; It just shows how mental wellness coaching is so important even to little ones. Would love to connect with you. Michaela”
Be sincere in your messages and find something that’s meaningful to compliment the prospect on.
Or if you can’t find a compliment, mention a shared commonality or ask them a question about how their business is dealing with a specific pain point…
Connection request templates for inspiration and adaptation
Hi {{!First Name}},
I’m looking to expand my network with fellow business owners and professionals. I would love to learn about what you do and see if there’s any way we can support each other.
Cheers!
Hi {{!First Name}},
I’m looking to connect with like-minded professionals specifically who are on the revenue-generating side of things.
Let’s connect!
Hey {{!First Name}},
Came across your profile and saw you work in real estate. I’m reaching out to connect with other like-minded people.
Would be happy to make your acquaintance. Have a good day!
{{!First Name}},
LinkedIn showed me your profile multiple times now, so I checked what you do. I really like your work and as we are both in the creative industry – I thought I’ll reach out.
It’s always great to be connected with like-minded individuals, isn’t it?
{{Your Name}}
Hey {{!First Name}},
I hope your week is off to a great start. I noticed we both work in the HR/Employee Experience field together.
I would love to connect with you.
Listening to you now & subscribed! Just stumbled upon your podcast and wanted to say thank you for sharing your insights. Using them to help land a lead gen job. Thank you!
Hi {{!First Name}},
I hope you’re doing great! I’m on a personal mission to grow my connections on LinkedIn, especially in the field of B2B lead & demand gen.
So even though we’re practically strangers, I’d love to connect with you.
Have a great day!
Great to meet a fellow podcast host.
I am the host of {{podcast name}} and looking forward to having you as a guest on the show.
Hi {{!First Name}},
I wanted to reach out, as it seems like you would be the right person to discuss travel management given your role.
Although you may not be currently traveling, would you be interested in exploring how {{company name}} can help you prepare for the future of business travel?
Best,
{{Your Name}}
{{!First Name}},
I was looking at your profile and noticed we had a few shared connections.
I thought it would be nice to reach out to connect with you and share our networks.
Thank you and hope all is well!
Hi {{!First Name}},
I hope you’re doing great! I’m on a personal mission to grow my connections on LinkedIn, especially in the field of B2B lead & demand gen.
Even though we’re practically strangers, I’d love to connect with you.
Have a great day!
A friend pointed me your way for B2B lead gen – would love to connect.
How to write a Linkedin follow-up message.
When it comes to follow-ups, you need to add even more personalization to your messages.
At this point, you want to engage with the prospect to just get your foot in the door for a booked sales meeting.
It’s also important to note that you need to be fully transparent. Let them know, for context, what your company does.
We normally do this with a “PS” at the end of our messages.
The reason for this is that they know what to expect. You’re giving the prospect a heads-up about where these messages might lead to.
BUT….
You also never want to use a sleazy sales pitch in your LinkedIn cold outreach.
The reason?
This will make potential customers run for the hills.
Remember, LinkedIn outreach is about getting your foot in the door to get on that sales call.
If you sell in your messages, you’re making it easy for the prospect to say no or to simply ignore you.
In saying this, think of the 90/10 rule. This means: Talk about the prospect 90% of the time and only 10% about yourself.
So once your prospect connects with you, you can send them your first follow-up message.
We suggest following up 3-5 times, depending on when the prospect gets back to you.
Follow-up templates for inspiration and adaptation
{{!First Name}},
Good to connect.
By the way, congrats on your new role at {{company name}}.
Good to connect {{!First Name}}.
By the way, what are your favorite hiking spots these days?
Saw you're in charge of account management — do you also handle clip reports to keep clients updated? Or am I way off?
{{!First Name}},
Good to connect.
Happy to give you an intro to anyone in my network now that we're connected.
I’ve been doing some research on {{pain point}}. We provide {{solution}}.
Since we’re newly connected, I’d like to share this post with you:
{{Share a link that's helpful from your website}}
P.S. It explains {{XYZ}}.
Hi {{First Name}},
If you could help {{company_name}} solve {{pain point}}, would that be worth a short conversation?
I’m asking because of {{XYZ}}.
Thanks for connecting {{!First Name}}.
I’d love to connect outside of LinkedIn too.
Very curious to hear about where you get most of your {{XYZ}}.
What does your calendar look like over the next week or two to connect?
P.S. For background, my company does {{XYZ}}.
Hi {{!First Name}},
Thanks for connecting.
We just opened our {{short description of what your company does}}.
I’d like to share some details about this opportunity with you.
What’s your best email?
{{Your Name}}
{{!First Name}},
{{Add a custom intro sentence}}
My company is looking to invest in {{XYZ}}.
P.S. For background, we have {{X}}+ years in the industry and have purchased from companies such as {{name companies}}.
{{first_name}},
There is an upcoming webinar next month on {{XYZ}}.
It’s invite-only and specifically for leaders in the {{XYZ space}}.
In fact, I'm sure you already know some executives in the group.
What’s the best way to arrange a short conversation over the next few days?
{{!First Name}},
Good to connect.
Now that we are connected, do you mind if I ask about your approach to {{XYZ}}?
I’m curious — how do you {{ask a question about their strategy}}?
Could we get on a quick call next week at {{time, date}}?
P.S. For background, after helping {{mention what you do and how you have helped other companies}}, I’ve been exploring new ways to forecast revenue and ROI.
Happy to share insights if this piques your interest.
Good to connect {{!First Name}}.
{{Add a custom intro sentence}}
To be transparent, I do {{XYZ}} and we help with {{pain point}}.
Does this resonate with you?
Or are you pretty happy with where you are right now?
How we write CTAs
When it comes to writing calls to action in your cold message templates, you need to remember to be really clear about what you want from the prospect.
In our case, we always ask for a booked sales meeting.
But your call to action could be different depending on what you would like the prospect to do.
We ask for sales meetings because this then helps our clients pitch their product/service to their potential leads.
The important thing to remember is to try to make it as easy as possible for the prospect to say yes.
This could be by asking them to send their Calendly link to you so that you could book the meeting, or by sending your Calendly link to them, so all they have to do is choose a time and date.
Call to action ideas for inspiration and adaptation.
Are you available for a chat?
How is your availability for a 10-minute call this week?
I’d love to share more on why you may need [PRODUCT] and how it can help [BENEFIT].
How’s {{=day}} next week look for a 15-minute call?
Are you free for a call this Friday to discuss [MAIN BENEFIT]?
Are you available for a quick call in the next few days to see if [MY PRODUCT] aligns with your goals?
When are you free to connect this week? You can use this link to book directly on my calendar.
Can we target {{=bday+2}} afternoon to discuss [BENEFIT/PROBLEM]?
What’s the best way to schedule 5 minutes to talk?
Would you have some time next {{=day}} to discuss?
If you find the spec interesting, should we set up a confidential chat?
Can we grab time Thursday afternoon to see if [MY COMPANY] aligns with your goals for this year?
Are you available for a quick meeting to discuss your use case and see if we can assist in any way?
Do you think it could help {{company name}}?
If so, happy to tell you how (here’s my calendar) or show you a demo.
Want me to coordinate with your assistant?
Do these kinds of messages work? Here are our stats:
We have used many of the above messages in our outreach strategy.
Last year alone, Salesbread managed to generate close to 5000 qualified leads for our clients.
Below shows our average connection request acceptance rate, our average reply rates, and our lead rate per day.
Most of our clients are seeing even more than 20 + qualified leads per month.
%
Connection Request Acceptance Rate
%
Positive Reply Rate
Lead Per Day
A quick recap for writing LinkedIn messages that get responses
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Always build ultra-targeted lists of prospects before you reach out. Read this article to see how we build lists
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Research each LinkedIn user on your list in order to write personalized messages.
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Add personalization to your connection requests and follow-ups. (Especially in your first message, as this creates a pattern interrupt.)
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Remember the 90/10 rule – Speak about the prospect 90% of the time and only 10% about yourself for context.
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Use the CCQ method. Remember, compliments, commonalities ( common ground ), and questions.
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Don’t be a sleazy salesperson by pitching in your outreach messages. Rather, share how your product or service can solve the prospects’ pain points.
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Have a strong call to action that asks for a booked meeting, and make it as easy as possible for the prospect to say yes, as this will lead to greater response rates.
LinkedIn cold messaging vs warm messaging
There’s a big difference between messaging someone who has never heard of you… and someone who already recognizes your name.
Cold messaging is when you reach out to someone with zero prior interaction. No engagement. No conversation. No relationship.
So if you want your cold message to work, you need to do 4 things…
Your template has to:
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Earn the reader’s attention
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Be highly relevant
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Be 90% about them and only 10% about your product/service for context
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Avoid sounding like a sales pitch
Your only goal is to start a conversation and get your foot in the door to further the conversation.
Now compare that to warm messaging.
Warm outreach happens after some kind of interaction with the prospect:
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They accepted your connection
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They commented on your post
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They downloaded something
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You’ve exchanged a message before
Here, your tone can shift. You can reference context. You can lean into familiarity.
The 3 Types of LinkedIn Cold Messages (And When to Use Each)
LinkedIn gives you a few ways to reach out to people.
1. Connection Request Messages
We always recommend sending connection requests. It’s free to use, and if your messaging is right, most people will accept.
Just remember, you only have a few characters, so you need to keep your connection requests short and relevant.
A good connection message:
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Mentions something specific about them
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Gives a clear reason for connecting
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Avoids pitching
Your goal isn’t to “sell” inside the connection request; it’s to get accepted.
2. Follow-Up Message After They Accept
Once someone accepts your connection request, you’ve earned attention, but not their trust.
This is where most people mess up.
They immediately pitch.
Instead, your follow-up should:
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Thank them for connecting
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Add value (insight, observation, question)
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Start a conversation naturally
This is where a good LinkedIn cold message template gets results. You’re transitioning from cold to early-stage warm.
3. InMail Messages
We like to use InMails to complement our initial outreach with connection requests. InMails let you message people you’re not connected to, but they’re paid and more direct.
Because of that, they need to:
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Get to the point quickly
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Clearly state relevance
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Avoid fluff
InMail templates should be a bit more direct and more outcome-driven than connection messages. You’re paying for access, so it’s important to respect the prospect’s time.
LinkedIn Cold Messaging Limits (And Why They Matter)
It’s important to stick to LinkedIn’s limits. If you don’t, you could get your account restricted.
For connection requests, most accounts can send roughly 100 per week, though LinkedIn adjusts this based on your acceptance rate and account behavior.
For InMails, it depends on your subscription:
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LinkedIn Premium Career – 5 InMails per month
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LinkedIn Premium Business – 15 InMails per month
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Sales Navigator Core – 50 InMails per month
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Recruiter Lite – 30 InMails per month
Why this matters:
If you only get 50 InMails per month, you can’t afford to send out templates and messages that won’t get replies.
Every message needs:
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Strong targeting
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Personalization that feels human
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A clear next step
FAQs About LinkedIn Cold Message Templates
What is a LinkedIn cold message?
A LinkedIn cold message is an outreach message sent to someone you haven’t interacted with before.
The goal isn’t to jump into an immediate sales pitch, but rather to start
Strong cold messages feel personalized and specific. Weak ones feel automated and salesy.
Do LinkedIn cold message templates actually work?
Yes, but remember to edit them so that they are relevant to your audience. A template is just a framework to follow. You shouldn’t send the exact same thing to every single person on your list.
A good template gives you structure:
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A strong opening
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A relevance hook
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A simple call to action
But it should always be customized to the recipient. If you copy and paste the exact same message to 100 people, it’s not going to work.
Templates scale thinking. Personalization drives replies.
How long should a LinkedIn cold message be?
Shorter than you think.
Most effective cold messages are between 2 and 3 sentences max. If someone has to scroll to read your message, it’s too long.
Should you pitch in your first LinkedIn message?
In most cases, no.
Your first message should open a conversation.
Instead of pitching, focus on:
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Relevance
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Curiosity
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A low-friction next step
When you try to close too early, it will put people off your messages, and they won’t reply.
What’s a good response rate for LinkedIn cold outreach?
It depends on targeting and personalization, but generally:
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15–25% reply rate = solid
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25–40% = strong
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40%+ = excellent targeting
If you’re under 10%, your messaging or ICP alignment likely needs some work.
How many LinkedIn cold messages can I send per week?
Most accounts can send around 100 connection requests per week, though limits can shift depending on account behavior.
If you’re using InMail, your limits depend on your plan, such as:
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LinkedIn Premium Business
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Sales Navigator Core
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Recruiter Lite
Remember, quality beats volume anyday.
Why do most LinkedIn cold messages fail?
Three reasons:
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They’re about the sender, not the recipient.
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They pitch too early.
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They sound automated and written by a robot.
The best LinkedIn cold message templates feel written for one person.
Final Thoughts
Most LinkedIn cold messages fail for one simple reason: They sound like cold messages.
The difference between getting ignored and getting replies isn’t clever phrasing; it’s relevance, clarity, and timing. The right LinkedIn cold message template doesn’t try to close a deal in message one. It starts a conversation your prospect actually wants to continue.
If your response rates are low, it’s rarely a volume problem. It’s usually targeting, positioning, or messaging.
And that’s exactly where most teams get stuck.
If you want a cold outreach system that consistently turns LinkedIn conversations into qualified pipeline, without burning your brand or sounding automated, we can help.
Book a free 15-minute strategy call with SalesBread, and we’ll walk you through what’s working right now in LinkedIn outbound, where your messaging may be leaking replies, and what to fix first.
