LinkedIn Outreach Message Templates

These examples are organized by how you found the prospect. Choose one that fits the situation, replace every placeholder, and include only details you can verify.

These are fictional message examples, not customer stories or tested results. Use a claim about attendance, feedback, a placement, a case study or a business result only when it is true and you can substantiate it. Otherwise, leave that claim out. Registration does not prove attendance, and a profile visit does not establish buying intent.

A reference to a comment only belongs in a message to someone who made that comment. For a prospect found through a search, use a relevant detail about their role or company instead.

The examples below cover post commenters, event attendees, cold searches, profile visitors and recruiting, followed by two sample follow-up sequences.

How to write a LinkedIn connection request that gets accepted

Keep your connection note brief and check the character limit and personalized-invitation allowance shown in your LinkedIn account. Use these four checks when drafting a note:

1. One specific reference. Something you can only write about this person, not about anyone in their job title category.
2. One sentence of honest context. Why you are connecting. Not a pitch. Context.
3. No ask. Do not ask for a call, a meeting, or anything in the connection request itself. The connection is the ask.
4. Under 200 characters. Shorter notes read faster and feel less rehearsed.

A common mistake in LinkedIn connection requests is treating them as the first message of a sales sequence. They are not. They are a social handshake. Save the value proposition for message 1 after connection.

Templates: Post commenter outreach (5 templates)

These are for prospects you found by extracting commenters from a LinkedIn post relevant to your niche. The reference is their comment. Use the actual comment to decide whether you have a relevant reason to reach out.

Template PC-1: Connection request (post commenter)

Hi {{first_name}}, your comment on {{author_name}}'s post about {{post_topic}} stood out. Connecting to follow your thinking on this.

Template PC-2: Connection request (post commenter, shared pain)

Hi {{first_name}}, saw your comment on the {{topic}} post. Same challenge here. Connecting to exchange notes.

Template PC-3: Follow-up DM after connection (post commenter)

Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for connecting. Your comment on {{author_name}}'s post caught my attention because it is the exact problem we help {{persona}} solve at {{company}}.

Happy to share what's been working for teams like yours if useful. No pitch, just the playbook.

Worth a quick look?

Template PC-4: Follow-up DM 2 (post commenter, value-first)

{{first_name}}, I put together a short breakdown of how {{similar_company}} handled {{problem}} last quarter. Thought it might be relevant given what you mentioned in that thread.

Want me to send it over?

Template PC-5: Breakup message (post commenter)

{{first_name}}, last note from me. If {{pain_point}} is not a priority right now, totally fine. I will close out your file.

If timing changes, you know where to find me.

Templates: Event attendee outreach (5 templates)

These are for prospects extracted from a LinkedIn event. The reference is their registration. Pair these with the event attendee extraction tutorial.

Template EA-1: Connection request (event attendee)

Hi {{first_name}}, noticed we both registered for {{event_name}}. Connecting to swap notes on {{event_topic}}.

Template EA-2: Connection request (event attendee, mutual interest)

Hi {{first_name}}, saw you at {{event_name}}. The {{session_topic}} session was worth it alone. Connecting.

Template EA-3: Follow-up DM after connection (event attendee)

Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for connecting. Your registration for {{event_name}} caught my attention. Is {{topic}} relevant to your work at the moment?

We help {{persona}} at companies like {{example_company}} tackle exactly this. I can share the approach in 3 slides if you are curious.

Worth it?

Template EA-4: Follow-up DM 2 (event attendee)

{{first_name}}, quick follow-up. I have a breakdown of {{topic}} that may be relevant to your work.

If {{problem}} is on your radar this quarter, would you like me to send it over?

Template EA-5: Breakup message (event attendee)

{{first_name}}, I will leave it here. If {{topic}} becomes a focus later in the year, feel free to ping me. Happy to help.

Templates: Cold search / title filter (5 templates)

These are for prospects found through a LinkedIn title or keyword search with no prior interaction. Check their role and company context before deciding whether your message is relevant.

Template CS-1: Connection request (cold, role-specific)

Hi {{first_name}}, I work with {{persona_plural}} in {{industry}} on {{problem}}. Connecting with people doing interesting things in this space.

Template CS-2: Connection request (cold, company context)

Hi {{first_name}}, following {{company}}'s work in {{niche}}. Connecting to stay in the loop and share what we are seeing on the {{topic}} side.

Template CS-3: Follow-up DM after connection (cold)

Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for connecting. Short version: we help {{persona}} at {{company_type}} companies do {{outcome}} without {{pain}}.

If that is relevant to what you are working on right now, happy to share how. No pressure either way.

Template CS-4: Follow-up DM 2 (cold, stat hook)

{{first_name}}, quick one. {{similar_company}} went from {{before_metric}} to {{after_metric}} in {{timeframe}} using our approach. Worth 10 minutes to see if it maps to {{company}}?

Template CS-5: Breakup message (cold)

{{first_name}}, I will assume the timing is off. No hard feelings. If {{pain_point}} comes up later, I'm easy to find here.

Templates: Profile visitor reciprocation (3 templates)

Use these examples only when LinkedIn identifies the person as a visitor to your profile. A visit alone does not tell you why they looked or whether they want to buy.

Template PV-1: Connection request (profile visitor)

Hi {{first_name}}, noticed you stopped by my profile. Happy to connect properly.

Template PV-2: Follow-up DM (profile visitor, curious approach)

Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for connecting. Curious what brought you to my profile. If it is related to {{topic_1}} or {{topic_2}}, I might be able to help or at least point you in the right direction.

Template PV-3: Follow-up DM (profile visitor, direct)

{{first_name}}, I help {{persona_plural}} with {{problem}}. If that is what you were looking at, happy to share how we approach it. If not, still glad to be connected.

Templates: Recruiter outreach (5 templates)

These templates are for recruiters reaching out to candidates on LinkedIn. The rules are the same: specificity wins. Reference something real. No wall of text.

Template REC-1: Connection request (recruiter, passive candidate)

Hi {{first_name}}, your background in {{skill_area}} at {{current_company}} is exactly the profile we are looking for. Connecting to share something that might interest you.

Template REC-2: Follow-up DM (recruiter, opportunity framing)

Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for connecting. I am working on a {{role_title}} search for {{company_or_type}}. The role is {{one_line_description}}.

Based on your experience at {{current_company}}, you could be a strong fit. Worth a 15-minute call to see if it is interesting to you?

Template REC-3: Follow-up DM (recruiter, social proof)

{{first_name}}, the last person we placed in this role came from a similar background to yours at {{comparable_company}}. They are now {{outcome}}.

Happy to share the full JD if you are even mildly curious.

Template REC-4: Connection request (recruiter, event attendee)

Hi {{first_name}}, saw you at {{event_name}}. I recruit for {{function}} roles in {{industry}}. Connecting in case something relevant comes up for you.

Template REC-5: Breakup message (recruiter)

{{first_name}}, I will leave it here. If you are ever open to exploring opportunities in {{area}}, reach back out. Happy to help.

Multi-step follow-up sequences (2 complete variants)

Below are two sample 3-message follow-up sequences for a SaaS sales role and an agency founder. They start after a connection is accepted; the invitation is not included.

Sequence A: B2B SaaS SDR selling to Sales Leaders

Message 1 (day 3, value delivery)

Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for connecting. Quick context on why I reached out: we help sales leaders at {{company_size}} SaaS companies cut their ramp time for new SDRs from {{industry_average}} to {{our_benchmark}}.

I put together a short breakdown of how {{similar_company}} did it. Want me to drop it here?

Message 2 (day 8, softer)

{{first_name}}, is SDR ramp a priority for your team this quarter? If it is, I can share the breakdown I mentioned.

If yes, I have 20 minutes on {{day}} if you want to compare notes.

Message 3 (day 15, breakup)

{{first_name}}, last message. If the timing is off, no worries at all. I'll close out the thread.

If SDR performance comes back on the agenda later in the year, feel free to ping me. I'm easy to find here.

Sequence B: Agency founder selling to Marketing Directors

Message 1 (day 2, curiosity hook)

Hi {{first_name}}, we run a {{niche}} agency and have been watching {{company}}'s content strategy. You are doing some interesting things in {{area}}.

I have an idea for {{specific_content_opportunity}}. Happy to share it if that is relevant to your plans.

Message 2 (day 9, case study)

{{first_name}}, quick follow-up. I just finished a case study on how we helped {{comparable_brand}} go from {{before}} to {{after}} in {{timeframe}} using this approach.

Would it be useful to send it over? No strings, just thought it might be relevant.

Message 3 (day 16, breakup)

{{first_name}}, last note from me. If {{problem}} is not a focus this quarter, I completely understand.

Whenever the time is right, I will be here. Good luck with {{company}}.

If a reply says you have the wrong person, stop the original pitch and use the wrong-person reply guide to distinguish a named colleague, a team pointer, an offer to forward and a refusal.

What NOT to do: 5 anti-patterns with examples

These examples show common problems to check for before sending a message.

Anti-pattern 1: The wall of text connection request

Hi {{first_name}}, I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out because I believe there is a tremendous synergy between what you are doing at {{company}} and what we offer at {{my_company}}. We are a leading provider of innovative solutions in the {{industry}} space and I would love to explore how we can add value to your team. Let us connect and schedule a call to discuss further.

Anti-pattern 2: Fake compliment opener

Hi {{first_name}}, I came across your profile and I am truly impressed by your incredible journey and the amazing work you are doing at {{company}}.

Anti-pattern 3: Asking for a call in message 1

Hi {{first_name}}, I would love to jump on a 30-minute discovery call to learn more about your goals and share how we help companies like {{company}} achieve {{outcome}}. Are you available next Tuesday at 2pm or Thursday at 4pm?

Anti-pattern 4: The bait-and-switch

Hi {{first_name}}, I'd love to connect with fellow {{industry}} professionals. [After connection] Hi {{first_name}}, now that we're connected, I wanted to share how {{my_company}} can help you with {{long_pitch}}...

Anti-pattern 5: Copy-pasting the same template to everyone

Hi [FIRST NAME], I noticed you are a [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY]. I work with [JOB TITLE PLURAL] to help them [OUTCOME]. Would love to connect.

Frequently asked questions