LinkedIn prospecting can be a game-changing component of your lead generation efforts, if done right. But, crafting the perfect LinkedIn prospecting message can be tricky. The challenge is—you don’t want to sound too salesy or too generic. You want to show you truly care, and yet not be intrusive. So, how do you strike the right balance?
Based on our experiences at Plena combined with the campaigns our customers have run on LinkedIn using Plena, we’ve put together our learnings and more importantly, examples of LinkedIn prospecting messages that convert.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Why LinkedIn prospecting is important
- How to craft personalized LinkedIn messages
- 15 examples of LinkedIn prospecting messages that convert
- Tools to enhance your LinkedIn prospecting efforts
We hope this post helps you find your recipe. Ready? Let’s dive in!
What is LinkedIn Prospecting?
LinkedIn prospecting refers to various techniques you can use to identify, connect, and build business relationships with your ideal customer profiles (ICP) on LinkedIn. It requires a set of different sales skills like list building, copywriting, and messaging automation.
First, should you prospect on LinkedIn?
But before diving into the nitty-gritty of LinkedIn prospecting messages, let’s take a step back and understand why LinkedIn is such a powerful tool for prospecting.
LinkedIn is a professional network with over 700 million users worldwide. That's a massive pool of potential clients, partners, or collaborators. But, reaching out to these prospects requires a strategic approach.
LinkedIn isn’t just another social media platform; it’s a hub for professionals looking to network, share knowledge, and grow their businesses. LinkedIn prospecting allows you to connect with high-quality leads who are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer. Unlike cold emails, LinkedIn messages reach people in a professional context, making them more likely to engage.
When done correctly, LinkedIn prospecting can lead to:
- Higher response rates
- Better quality leads
- More meaningful connections
- Increased brand awareness
However, it all starts with asking—are you reaching out to the right people? IS your offering relevant to them? If the answer is yes — can you do it at scale?
Automating the LinkedIn research process and building lists
Automating your linkedin research — that’s what Plena does for you. It doesn’t just build lead lists, but automates your lead research by reading and analyzing LinkedIn profiles across various parameters so that you can shortlist them based on the intent you’re looking for.
For example, if you’re using LinkedIn as a source to find and build your list — Plena’s lead research includes reading and analyzing factors such as:
- Job title
- Company
- Activities and conversations
- Contact information
- Work experiences and history
- Skills
- Topics of interest
As a result, Plena captures key prospect triggers such as:
- IPO / Mergers / Acquisition
- Leadership changes
- Funding/investment
- Using a complimentary service or product
- Viewed your profile
- Relocation / New Offices
- Rebrands / Website Updates
- Good press/awards
- Social content
- Product launches
- Geographic expansion
- Good product reviews
- Company performance
- Mention in an analyst reports, and more
The more such valuable information is researched and captured, the more precise, targeted and focused your lists are going to be.
Here’s how it works:
Let’s say, you start with “General Search” and you want to build a list of “sales managers” in the US working in the information technology domain.
You apply the search filters on LinkedIn, and hit next in Plena.
This is where Plena does its magic — it completely reads through every profile shortlisted (based on the search filters you defined) and extracts values that will be beneficial for strategically targeting when you run campaigns.The data that Plena reads and captures will also be used by AI to personalize each engagement.
Furthermore, the bot will capture over two dozen data points like industry, systems used, social media activity, headcount of company, open jobs etc. from different sites to determine the intent.
As your list starts building in Plena, you can further toggle a few options to sharpen your list.
If you want to dive into the various list building options on LinkedIn, we highly recommend you to check this article below 👇
Crafting personalized LinkedIn prospecting messages
Now that you have the high intent list, let’s go to utilizing the research information to create personalized and highly relevant messaging copies that elicit a response.
First things first, the goal of your prospecting message should be to connect, not to sell outright.
A generic salesy message is always ignored, so rather start with a personalized and relevant message to grab attention and elicit a response.
Here are a few things you can do to build relevance in your LinkedIn prospecting messages:
Research your prospect
Before you even think about sending a message, take some time to research your prospect. Look at their profile to understand their background, what they do, and what they might be interested in. This will help you tailor your message specifically to them.
Look for:
- Mutual connections
- Shared interests or groups
- Recent posts or activities
Use this information to show that you’ve done your homework and that you’re genuinely interested in connecting with them.
Keep it short and sweet People are busy, especially professionals on LinkedIn. Keep your messages concise and to the point. Aim for no more than 3-4 sentences in your initial message.
Remember the following:
- Don’t pitch in the first message
- Don’t add notes in your connection request (it’s counterproductive)
- Tell them why you’re reaching out clearly
- Share an insight/observation (provide value first)
- Ask a question based on your observation
- Make it worth responding to
For example, no need for a detailed introduction about your company. You can always follow up with more information if they respond positively.
The idea is to pique their interest enough so that they want to continue the conversation.
LinkedIn prospecting message templates
Now let's dive into some concrete examples of LinkedIn prospecting messages that convert. Below are 15 templates you can use and customize based on your unique needs and the research you've done on your prospects.
1. Template for reaching out to connections
For those whom you’re directly connected with, and have been engaging with on LinkedIn for a while—here’s an example of a prospecting message when they are starting a new role at your target organization.
"Hey [first_name], saw you've come into [role] at [SMB Company] after spending a decade with enterprise orgs like [comp_name].
Do you see a significant difference in the way they approach [topic]?
2. Value provider template for those in your LinkedIn Groups
Let’s say you’re at a SaaS company that has a product that helps HubSpot agency owners in their services. Use Plena to extract the list from the group based on the kind of roles you’re specifically targeting.
Then you can probably send out a message like this:
Hi [first_name],
Your recent post about [topic] really resonated with me. We went through that recently and have insights on [related topic] that you might find useful. Would you be open to a brief chat?
3. Content sharing template
This is helpful when you’re distributing content produced by your team, or when you want to follow up with someone and also offer value.
Hey [first_name],
Great post about (topic) the other day! I also discuss this topic frequently. You should read this blog article: (LINK) by (your company name). I would love to know what you think.”
Tools to Enhance Your LinkedIn Prospecting Efforts
LinkedIn prospecting doesn't have to be manual and labor-intensive. There are several tools available to help you automate and enhance your efforts. These tools can help you research prospects, track your outreach, and even personalize your messages.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Sales Navigator is a fantastic option if you are aiming for larger-scale results. Especially when you combine Sales Navigator with Plena lead finder you can significantly sharpen your list building and outreach efforts. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a game changer for sales prospecting, whereas Premium Business is more of a good-to-have. Sales Navigator offers you the tools to find qualified leads and reach out to them.
With even more advanced search capabilities (compared to LinkedIn Premium), lead recommendations, and the ability to save and track leads and accounts, Sales Navigator is designed to streamline your sales process.
While the LinkedIn Sales Navigator cost might seem significant, it's essential to consider the potential ROI it can bring to your sales efforts.
On that note, here’s a detailed article on how the various LinkedIn premium plans can help you in your prospecting efforts.
Plena
Multichannel outreach campaigns are at the heart of why most reps and marketers love Plena’s Sales Robot. It is where all the actionable steps, which are required to generate leads, are organized in a visual way.
Using simple clicks and drags even a first time user can craft an outreach campaign of their dreams. If you currently use a sales automation tool (like Outreach, Instantly, Salesloft, Marketo, etc.), you can now instruct the robot to perform all the same steps directly from your computer– instead of paying for a software tool.
Here’s a quick overview of the various engagement steps you can set up using Plena:
However, you don’t need to utilize every channel that Plena offers, just pick the ones where your potential customers are most likely to be active. As a general principle, having multi-channel campaigns, with multiple steps in each channel with the right messaging, is always better for generating leads.
Summing up…
LinkedIn prospecting is a powerful way to generate high-quality leads and build meaningful professional relationships. But to convert better, remember to keep your messages concise, do thorough research on your prospects, and always aim to provide value.
Use the templates provided as a starting point, but don't hesitate to tweak them based on your unique situation. With the right approach, LinkedIn prospecting can lead to higher response rates, better quality leads, and more meaningful connections.
So, start applying these strategies today and watch your LinkedIn prospecting efforts flourish!
