LinkedIn outreach works when it reads like a person, not a sequence. These templates cover each step, from the connection note to the follow up and the reply. Every example is invented; the fields in brackets are where your own facts go.
01
How LinkedIn outreach differs from cold email
On LinkedIn, the reader sees your face, your title and your history before they read a word. The note is short, the conversation is slower, and a pitch sent seconds after someone accepts is remembered for the wrong reasons.
That changes the order. Earn the connection first, then give one reason to talk. Finding the right people and researching them comes before any of this, and is covered in the guide to LinkedIn prospecting.
02
The shape of a LinkedIn outreach sequence
- Connection note. Short, specific, and asks for nothing.
- First message, after they accept. Wait a day or two. Then one reason and one easy question.
- Follow up. If there is no reply after about a week, one short nudge or a new reason.
- Close the loop. One last, polite message, then stop or switch to email or a call.
Keep the whole thing to three or four touches. Each one should stand on its own if it is the only one they read. To combine these steps with email and calls, see these sales cadence examples.
03
LinkedIn connection request message examples
LinkedIn limits how long a connection note can be, and a free account can only add a note to a few invitations each month, so one or two sentences is the most you have. Mention something true about them and do not sell. When you have run out of notes, a plain invitation with no note is fine.
1. A recent event at their company
Use when something dated has just happened, such as a trigger event.
Template 1 · invented example
Hi [First name], saw [Company] [the event, e.g. opened a second site in Leeds]. I work with [kind of team] going through the same change and would like to follow how it goes.
2. Something they posted
Use only if you read the post and have a real reaction to it.
Template 2 · invented example
Hi [First name], your post on [topic] made a point I do not see often: [the point, in a few words]. Would be good to connect.
3. Same role or market
Use when you have nothing dated, but you work with people in their exact role.
Template 3 · invented example
Hi [First name], I work with [role]s at [kind of company] on [problem area]. Would be glad to connect and follow your updates.
04
First message templates, after they accept
This is where the reason to talk goes. Thank them briefly, give one reason, and ask a question they can answer in a line.
4. The reason and a question
Template 4 · invented example
Thanks for connecting, [First name]. [The event] often brings [the problem it causes, e.g. stock split across two sites]. Is that on your list this quarter, or already handled?
5. A question about how they work
Template 5 · invented example
Thanks for connecting. A question I ask most [role]s: how do you handle [area] today? Teams like yours seem to split on it, and I am curious where you land.
6. Something useful, with no call attached
Template 6 · invented example
Thanks for connecting. I put together a short [checklist or note] on [topic tied to the event]. Want me to send it over? No call attached.
05
Follow up templates
A follow up should add something: a new fact, a simpler question, or a clear way to say no.
7. A short nudge
Template 7 · invented example
[First name], bringing this back up in case it got buried. Is [the problem] something you are looking at, or not a priority right now?
8. A new reason
Template 8 · invented example
Saw [a new fact, e.g. you are hiring a second operations lead]. That often comes with [the problem]. Worth a short chat, or is the timing off?
9. Closing the loop
Template 9 · invented example
I will leave it here, [First name]. If [the problem] moves up the list, I am happy to help. Either way, good luck with [the event].
06
An InMail template, for people you cannot connect with
InMail lets you message someone you are not connected to, on paid LinkedIn plans. It reads more like an email, so it can carry a subject and a little more context, but the same rules hold.
Template 10 · invented example
Subject: [the event, in a few words] Hi [First name], I could not find a way to connect, so a short note. [The event] usually brings [the problem]. I help [kind of team] with [the outcome]. Would a short call next week be useful, or is there someone better placed to talk to? [Your name]
07
Templates for when they reply
Many outreach guides stop at the first message. The reply is where the conversation can still be lost, so it is worth having words ready. For replies by email, see these sales email templates.
11. "Not right now"
Template 11 · invented example
Thanks for saying so, that helps. Mind if I check back in [month], when [the event or the season] is closer?
12. "What do you do?"
Template 12 · invented example
Short version: I help [kind of team] [get the outcome] when [the situation]. A [type of company] like yours would usually use it for [the use]. Happy to explain here, or set up a short call, whichever you prefer.
08
How to adapt these templates
A template is a shape, not a script. The brackets matter more than the words around them: if you cannot fill [the event] or [the problem] with something true about this person, the message is not ready to send. The guide on cold email personalization covers how to find that fact, and the same research works on LinkedIn.
Read each message out loud before sending. If it sounds like something you would not say to the person in a meeting, rewrite it. Keep the language of their market, and cut anything that sounds like a brochure.
09
Common LinkedIn outreach mistakes
Pitching in the connection note. It asks for a yes to a sale before a yes to a connection.
The pitch slap. A sales message seconds after they accept tells them the connection was a trick.
Long messages. On a phone, a long message is a wall. Most should fit on one screen.
Fake familiarity. "Hope you are doing well, [First name]!" from a stranger reads as automation.
Following up with nothing new. "Just checking in" gives no reason to answer.
Sending the same note to everyone. Identical notes are easy to spot, and if many people answer your invitations with 'I don't know this person', LinkedIn can stop you sending invitations.
10
The LinkedIn outreach checklist
Before you send
- Every bracket is filled with something true about this person.
- The connection note asks for nothing.
- The first message has one reason and one easy question.
- Each follow up adds something new.
- The message fits on one phone screen.
- You know when you will stop, or switch channel.
11
Where to go next
For the same steps by email, see these cold email templates, and for how many times to follow up, the guide to the cold email follow up.