In this article, I'll provide a LinkedIn cold message template that's not only easy to use, but also generated 40+ responses from a qualified list of prospects.
My goal is to avoid any broad theories, motivational speeches, or things you already know about LinkedIn outreach. What I aim to show you here are the exact steps I took to achieve these results, and give straight-to-the-point advice on how you can adapt this template for your needs.
So, without further ado, let's get started.
LinkedIn cold message template that got 40+ replies
This template isn't about being overly formal or robotic. It's about being genuine, relevant, and keeping it simple. I used a combination of personalization, a clear value proposition, and a touch of personality to make my messages enjoyable (as much as a DM from a person you don't know possibly could be 😅).
My strategy revolved around targeting Waalaxy users, who are our competitors. I wanted to understand their challenges in scaling LinkedIn outreach efforts. Considering that scaling LinkedIn outreach is a unique differentiator of our tool, HeyReach, a potential transition from a casual chat to sales would be natural.
Here's the template:
Hey {FIRST_NAME}, I saw you're following Waalaxy, so I would love to connect and share experiences of the tool.
Best, {MY_FIRST_NAME}.
And here are some of the responses I got:
Results:
- 34.4% Connection Acceptance Rate
- 494 leads in total
- 8% Reply Rate
- 8 Demos Booked
But the best part was the fact that these were conversations with qualified prospects. Some led to new business opportunities, others to useful feedback for our future.
The question you might have now is… how did such an obvious campaign work? In general, I feel that people love to discuss their experiences, and asking for feedback is a great conversation starter.
But, let’s do a bit more tactical campaign analysis:
Step #1 Targeting Matters
If this message targeted non-Waalaxy users, it'd be irrelevant, like offering steak to a vegetarian. It works because it's aimed at people who get it – those already in the LinkedIn tools loop.
To do this, I used an ingenious LinkedIn trick my colleague Mrki suggested me.
Firstly, I put Waalaxy as the company I work for on LinkedIn. Then, I opened my Sales Navigator and toggled the “Following Your Company” filter.
Half of the job was in the bag, done. Thanks Mrki, you are a genius!
All that’s left for me to do was to copy/paste the LinkedIn URL into HeyReach and extract the audience for my campaign.
Step #2 - Playing on the shared interest
Dropping a mention of Waalaxy is like a secret handshake. It shows you’re in the same club and speaks directly to shared experiences. It also shows you've done your homework.
You already know how the template looks like, so let me show you the entire campaign now.
Designed to engage Waalaxy users at multiple touchpoints, ensuring no stone was left unturned. From the initial connection request to the last follow-up, every step was calculated to build rapport and encourage a response.
After sending a connection request, I’d wait five days before following up. If there was no acceptance, a prompt to 'Follow' was initiated. Upon acceptance, the next steps were scheduled: profile views, post likes, and strategic pauses to mimic natural engagement patterns.
It’s not just a sequence of actions; it's also about not appearing like an automated bot. The delay between steps, the viewing of profiles, the likes on posts – the little nuances that make a massive difference. On a more important note, I also avoided breaching any LinkedIn limits as everything was according to their rules.
What also made this LinkedIn outreach campaign easy to execute was having a unified inbox. What this meant was, once we started doing multiple campaigns for different competitors, we could see all the replies in one single view, within HeyReach.
No logging in and out of each other’s accounts separately, no missing out on leads, and no time waste. I could easily reply as my colleague if there was a need and they could do the same if I was on back-to-back demos at the moment.
In a typical campaign, you might send a connection request and then wait a few days to follow up. Without a unified system, keeping track of who had responded, who needed a nudge, and who had already moved further down the funnel would be a logistical nightmare.
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Step #3 - Make it sound like a friendly invitation
The template's invite is casual yet engaging, like saying, "Hey, let's chat about our shared tool use." It's not pushy, just two pros talking shop!
I’m not sending them any calendar links or giving them a more aggressive CTA.
This campaign wasn't merely about sending out messages. It was a strategic orchestration of targeting the right people with the right message and leveraging a tool to maximize impact. That's the essence of what makes this approach so effective.
How to Cold Message on LinkedIn: The Essentials
A LinkedIn cold message template will only get you so far. I've been burned too many times, sending really bad campaigns that generated no replies. Ultimately, I learned a few things that work better that I want to share with you.
1. Know your audience
Before you even begin to draft your message, you must know who's on the receiving end. What are their pain points? What challenges are they facing that your service or product can alleviate? This isn't just research; it's also empathy in action — and it works.Wrong Approach: "Hi, I noticed you're in marketing. We’ve built this tool that allows you to scale LinkedIn outreach like never before…"Why It's Bad: This message assumes the recipient's needs without any real understanding or personalization.
2. Maintain precision, stay relevant
Cut through the fluff and speak directly to how you can solve their specific issues. If your message isn't hitting the mark, it's just another notification to swipe away.
3. Follow-up is golden
Follow-up is where the gold is mined. If your initial message goes unanswered, a gentle nudge after a few days can show your genuine interest.
My follow-up:
Thanks for accepting my message, [NAME]. Would be interested to know how intuitive from a BDR perspective is Waalaxy, in case you're using it for [COMPANY]?
4. Treat InMail & connection messages differently
InMails and connection messages are different beasts. With InMails, you've got more space, so use it wisely. Lead with a subject line that piques interest. Your opening line should establish a connection, maybe comment on a recent achievement or a shared interest.
The body of your InMail should explain the 'why' succinctly: why you're reaching out, why they should care, and why now.
Wrap it up with a clear call to action, be it a call, a demo, or a simple reply. Remember, InMails are paid for, so every message should count.
Here’s an example of how we’d convert our template to an InMail message:
Subject Line: Quick Chat?
Hey {FIRST_NAME},
Just saw you're also using Waalaxy – small world! 😊 I’m curious: how’s it working for you? I'm always looking to chat about different tools and how they work for people in our line of work.
Definitely interested in hearing how you’re scaling up campaigns without losing that personal touch. I’d love to exchange ideas.
Cheers,{YOUR_FIRST_NAME}
5. Achieving LinkedIn outreach scale
The beauty of using an advanced LinkedIn automation tool is its simplicity and effectiveness in scaling campaigns like this. For instance, consider again the campaign that doesn't just focus on Waalaxy users but also targets users of other similar platforms.
We can integrate diverse user bases into our strategy and cast not just a wider net, but also a smarter one. By targeting Waalaxy users for their tool familiarity and another platform's users for their network size, you're creating a campaign that resonates with each segment.
This expanded, targeted approach amplifies your campaign's impact. Because we’re a small team that needs to be clever with costs, we can use HeyReach’s ability to have one LinkedIn Sales Navigator for our entire team.
Our growth team has 3 members, so instead of spending $300 for 3 Sales Nav accounts, we only spend a third of that. That’s $2,400 savings per year.
On the other hand, consider the challenge of LinkedIn's 20 connections per day limit per account. Trying to bypass the LinkedIn limits gets you banned. To scale outreach, you need multiple sending accounts, which often means a juggling act that risks non-compliance and inefficiency.
This is where we’re using HeyReach to synchronize multiple senders in one outreach sequence. Basically, we’re auto-rotating without breaching any LinkedIn limit whatsoever. Ultimately, it's not just about reaching more people; it's about doing it smartly and sustainably.
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Final thoughts
Wrapping up, I hope you've found this LinkedIn cold message template both practical and easy to replicate. Although this campaign (and any other) can be implemented without any fancy tools or crazy subscriptions — should you do it?
As simple and efficient as the template is, executing this campaign without extensive automation and powerful features would be a huge pain you know where.
I am running several campaigns as we speak and I can’t wait to show them how they performed when the time comes. But, in the meantime, if you want us to showcase some campaign in particular or do a teardown on any LinkedIn outreach challenge, feel free to drop your idea on LinkedIn.
