No matter if you’re a senior-level AE or an early-stage founder bootstrapping your brand, mastering the art of sending LinkedIn connection messages is important. That’s because, in 2023, LinkedIn has become one of the best places to find quality leads. Compared to cold calling or email marketing, LinkedIn has a high reply rate, with 21% of leads being open to communicating with salespeople.
However, there’s an art to creating a LinkedIn connection message. You can’t just drop them a link to your Calendly and hope they schedule a demo (well, you can, but good luck getting a reply)! Instead, you need to tailor the message to your prospects, drawing them into having a conversation with you. Because that’s all sales really is, right? Conversations.
The Basics of LinkedIn Connection Messages
You’ve found the perfect prospect. But before you can talk about scheduling a demo or your pricing, you need to send an initial outreach message. On LinkedIn, these outreach messages are called connection messages.
How To Send a LinkedIn Connection Message
To send a connection message, head over to the profile of the lead of your choice. From there, hit the “connect” button. This will bring up two options, “Add a note” and “Send.” To customize your message, you’ll want to add a note (which is what we’re talking about today).
If you’re sending a connection request to, say, a close friend or colleague, you can just hit send. By doing so, LinkedIn will send this generic message: I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. While this message is good for people you talk to every day, its cookie-cutter format won’t win you any replies from recruiters or prospects.
How To Withdraw a Pending Connection Message
Sometimes, the person you tried to connect with is completely inactive. In these circumstances, it’s best to withdraw the invitation. Don’t worry, you can request to connect with the same person in three weeks.
To withdraw a pending connection, first navigate to the “My Network” tab. From there, click on the “Manage” button in the top right corner of the tab.
Now, you’ll find yourself on the manage connections page. You should see two options on the top: recieved and sent. Click sent to see the connection requests that are still pending. From there you can choose which invitations you’d like to withdraw by clicking the withdraw button on the right side of the page.
How to Write a LinkedIn Connection Request That Gets Accepted
We’ve got a step-by-step process to write a LinkedIn connection request that gets accepted (and maybe even furthers the conversation).
But, before you send the message, you need to know how to find qualified leads on LinkedIn. Good thing we’ve written a detailed guide on exactly that.
Step 1: The Introduction
Dale Carnegie, the author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” famously said that there’s no sweeter sound in any language than the sound of our own names. As human beings, we instinctively react positively when someone uses our name, which is why it’s a good idea to begin your message with your prospect’s name.
You can start with Dear [Name], Hi [Name], or even Hello [Name]. It doesn’t matter as long as you’re using their name and keeping it professional.
Step 2: Introduce the Connection
Next up, you’ll need to summarize how you know the person you’re reaching out to. If you met them at an event or were referred to them by a friend, this is where you should mention it. Don‘t worry if you found them through a search on LinkedIn, though. Just mention what you have in common (industry, location, job title, company, interests) and why it would be good to connect.
Don’t feel like this needs to be as professional as an email to your department head. While we don’t recommend dropping straight-up slang, it’s a good idea to keep your LinkedIn connection request casual and conversational. Additionally, if your end goal is to sell a product or book a demo, you might want to touch on your value proposition. Remember to keep it conversational and fun to read. Here’s an example:
I see that we’re both Marketing Managers in the Seattle area (uh oh, looks like I’ve got competition). Jokes aside, it would be great if we could connect to bounce some ideas off of each other in the future.
Step 4: End on a Call To Action:
More often than not, you should end your messages with a call to action. By just including a call to action, the chances of your message receiving a reply are higher. For example, you could ask a potential contact to book a call with you or schedule a demo. We’ve included a sample of a CTA below; however, if you want to learn more, this article is perfect for you:
I’d love to learn how you’re currently prospecting and how that’s working. I’m avalibale on [Day] at [Time] if you’re around to have a quick chat. You can call me at: [Contact details].
11 LinkedIn Connection Message Examples
Now that you understand the basics of how to send and withdraw a LinkedIn connection message, let’s share some of the best examples we have. And yes, you can totally use these as templates. Note: These LinkedIn connection messages are real prospecting messages that we’ve tested—and they receive replies!
The Same Interests Message
Hi {first_name},
Saw you also followed NPR’s page on LinkedIn – looks like we have that in common.
If you’re ever looking to talk some radio (or want some show recomendations), you know where to find me.
Let’s connect,
{Your name}
The Value Proposition Message
Hey {first_name},
Are you interested in increasing your guaranteed income at retirement by 30-60%?
If so, I’ve got a free ebook attached to my profile that’s just for you.
Shoot me a message if you have any questions,
{Your name}
The Same Product Message
Hi {first_name},
I see we’re both using SEMrush. What an awesome tool!
I’ve got a few questions about how you’re using SEMrush to build your brand – are you avalibale for a short 10/min call to talk about it?
Let me know if you’re interested,
{Your name}
The Comment Message
Heyo {first_name},
I saw your comment on my post about the Best LinkedIn Prospecting Strategies.
Would love to connect so I can send you a PDF on the topic 🙂
{Your name}
The Company Pitch Message
Hi {first_name},
You popped up in my feed and I was really excited about what you’re working on.
Actually, what you’re working on at {Company name} reminds me of what I did for {client name}.
We specialize in {pitch your company}. If you ever want to learn more, or connect and bounce ideas off each other, then let’s connect.
{Your name}
Job Search Message To Recruiters
Hello {first name},
I see that you’re a recruiter with {company name}.
To get right to the point, I’ved specialized in {occupation} for {number} years. Right now, though, I’m looking for the next opportunity.
I was hoping you might have some job openings that fit with my skillset. If so, give me at call at {contact number}, or shoot me a message here.
Collaboration Request Template
Hi {first name},
Not to say I’m a fangirl, but I’ve been following you for awhile and love the insights you share!
Specifically I’ve started using {method they’ve shared}, and seen {note results}.
On my own journey to launching a business, I was wondering if you’d be avaliable to talk about a future collaboration. I’d be hapy to talk about how you’ve helped me grow my business.
Thanks again.
{Your name}
Event Attendee Follow-Up
Hey {First name},
It was great talking and getting to know you at {Event name}.
What you do at {Current company} really connected with me and I think there’s a great opportunity for us to work and learn from one another.
I’d love to stay in touch!
Past Collegue Connection Message
Hello {First name},
I hope you still remember you!
We worked together at {Company} back in {Year}.
I’d love to catch up over a coffee either on Zoom or in {location} if you’re still around!
Looking forward to speaking soon!
Someone in the Same LinkedIn Group
Dear {First name},
I saw that we’re both members of the {Group name} LinkedIn Group.
The blog post you shared a week or two ago about {topic of blog post} was a great read and full of a ton of insights. I’d love to connect and share another article that I’ve found helpful!
Best,
{Your name}
An Alumni From the Same School
Dear {First name},
I see that you graduated from my current university, {School name}—let’s go Vols!
I’m majoring in {Major} and I’d love to learn about your education stacks up in the real world. I’d love to hear about your role at {Company name}!
Thanks so much,
{Your name}
P.S. Did you ever take classes with {Professors Name}? He’s the best!
Frequently Asked Questions
To withdraw a LinkedIn connection request, navigate to the “my network” tab at the top of your screen. From there, hit the manage connections button to see all the connections you’ve made. You can sort these by “received” and “sent.” For our purposes, keep this on the “sent” tab. Now, you’ll be able to easily withdraw a LinkedIn connection request by hitting the “withdraw” button next to the user’s name.
Once you’re on the profile of a LinkedIn user, you will see a blue button titled “connect.” Click that to see two option: “send” and “add a note.” If you want to personalize your connection message, click add a note and type your message in the box. If you want to send LinkedIn’s generic connection message, just click send.
LinkedIn connection requests expire after 6 months. However, it’s smart to withdraw your connection request before that point.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make connections on LinkedIn, the next step is for you to go out there and get started. Keep an eye on what works and what doesn’t, and don’t be afraid to amend your approach if it doesn’t seem to be working. Just be respectful to others.
In case you are short on time and keep very busy, you can leverage automation software like We-Connect. It helps you automate your connections, followers, and messages on LinkedIn. Try our demo for 14 days risk-free.
