LinkedIn prospecting message: what gets replies (our numbers)
Contents
What reply rate can you expect on LinkedIn?What does a message that gets replies look like?What should you do and avoid in a LinkedIn message?Why does automated personalisation show?How do you find the fact that opens the message?What sequence after the first message?In short
- On our own LinkedIn campaigns, 199 people received a message: 22 replied (11%), and more than half of those replies were interested.
- The message that gets a reply fits in three sentences: what you saw, what it often implies, one question.
- In the first message: no link, no meeting request, no company introduction.
- Personalisation that sounds machine-made does more harm than no personalisation at all.
- The best starting point is a verified fact: a hire, a new role, a post.
A LinkedIn prospecting message is judged on one thing only: does anyone reply? We prospect for ourselves with Romeo, and every message leaves only after a person on the team has approved it. Here is what we have learnt, with our numbers, and the templates we use.
Every day Romeo spots the companies that need you and writes the first message. Nothing leaves without your approval.
Join the listWhat reply rate can you expect on LinkedIn?
These are the numbers from our own LinkedIn campaigns, counting only the people who actually received a message (an accepted connection request does not count as a message).
199 people received a message, 22 replied.
12 of the 22 replies were interested.
A campaign to a single profession: 40 people, 6 replies.
One case stands out: an invitation to a real networking evening, sent on LinkedIn. 44 people received it, 6 replied, and all 6 replies were positive. When the message brings something concrete (a place, a date, people to meet), it does not need to argue.
What does a message that gets replies look like?
All our messages follow the same shape, in three sentences:
- What you saw: a dated, verifiable fact about the person or their company.
- What it often implies: a consequence you know because you see it elsewhere.
- One simple question, which can be answered in one line.
"Hello Claire, I saw the firm is hiring a second accountant in Lyon. At that stage, entering clients' documents often takes more room than planned. Is that something you are dealing with at the moment?"
"Hello Mark, I saw you are taking over the Nantes agency. In their first months, many directors rethink how the team finds new clients. Is that on your list?"
"Hello Claire, we are hosting an evening for agency founders in Paris next month. You would be very welcome. Shall I save you a seat?"
The first message holds no link, no meeting request, no company introduction. If the question lands, the person replies, and the rest comes in the conversation.
What should you do and avoid in a LinkedIn message?
| Do | Avoid | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | A dated fact you saw | A compliment on their career |
| Length | Three sentences | A paragraph about your offer |
| Personalisation | A real trigger, checked first | "You have done X since Y, so…" |
| Ending | One simple question | A link, a meeting request |
| Follow-up | Something new | "Just bumping this up" |
| After a no | Stop, for good | Another campaign later |
Why does automated personalisation show?
We tested messages that mechanically echoed the profile: "You have been a partner since 2019, so…". Internally, we rejected them before sending: they sound like a machine that read a profile, which is exactly what the reader thinks.
What works is simpler: a short message, in plain language, one real fact. We only personalise when there is a real trigger (a hire, an appointment, a merger), and we check it first. A wrong fact loses the conversation for certain.
How do you find the fact that opens the message?
The fact comes from a signal: a public event that makes a need likely. On LinkedIn, people announce an event, they do not ask for help. Our searches that find buying moments pair an event word with a job title in the author's profile, for example "hiring" with "accountant".
Buyer phrases ("can you recommend a tool for…") find almost nothing. In our first live run, 3 posts out of 10 were real buying moments, and each dismissed post was dismissed for a good reason. The sources are covered in our article on signal-based LinkedIn prospecting.
What sequence after the first message?
We send the connection request with no note: the real message comes once it is accepted. Then one or two follow-ups, several days apart, each bringing something new.
A follow-up that adds something
"Hello Mark, one more thought: agencies that rethink their prospecting often start by listing the companies hiring in their sector. If it helps, I can show you how we do it."
Two rules that are not up for debate
A reply stops the sequence: you do not follow up with someone who answered. And a no is final: that person is not contacted again, by this campaign or any other. For the rules, see our guide to B2B prospecting, and for the overall method our guide to sales prospecting.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good LinkedIn reply rate?
On our own campaigns, 11% of the people who received a message replied, and more than half of those replies were interested. A campaign aimed at a single profession reached 15%.
Should you put a link in the first LinkedIn message?
No. A link turns a question into a sales pitch. Keep it for later, once the person has replied and asks for it.
How long should a LinkedIn prospecting message be?
Three sentences are enough: what you saw, what it often implies, and one simple question. Beyond that, it reads like a brochure.
How many follow-ups should you send on LinkedIn?
One or two, several days apart, each bringing something new. A reply stops the sequence, and a no is final.
Every day Romeo spots the companies that need you and writes the first message. Nothing leaves without your approval.
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