From Cold to Closed: How to Write LinkedIn Messages That Actually Get Replies
You have 10 seconds to make an impression. Don’t waste it on “Just reaching out…”
Let’s face it—your prospects are drowning in connection requests and cold InMails. If your message looks like a copy-paste template, it’s getting ignored.
But here’s the secret: relevance and timing beat volume. When you personalize your message based on who someone is and what’s happening in their world, your chances of getting a reply skyrocket.
In this post, we’ll break down how to write LinkedIn messages that actually get responses—and how Leads That Work automates that process using AI and real-time buying signals.
Why Most LinkedIn Messages Get Ignored
Here are the most common cold outreach mistakes:
❌ Generic openers like “Hi [FirstName], I came across your profile…”
❌ No context or connection to the recipient’s goals
❌ Too much “selling” upfront
❌ Irrelevant offers or mistimed pitches
Your message should feel like a continuation of a conversation your prospect is already having in their head—not an interruption.
What Makes a Message Work
Great LinkedIn outreach follows a simple, proven formula:
Hook – A relevant reason for reaching out (based on a trigger event or profile insight)
Personalization – Something specific about them, not you
Value – How you can help solve a problem or support their goals
CTA – A soft, easy next step (no hard sells)
Message Example (The Wrong Way)
“Hi Sarah, I help SaaS companies streamline operations. I’d love to set up a call to discuss how we can help your team grow faster. When’s a good time to connect?”
Why it fails: It’s vague, self-focused, and assumes the recipient wants a meeting with a stranger.
Message Example (The Right Way)
Trigger Event Detected: Sarah just got promoted to Head of Operations at a scaling SaaS company.
“Hey Sarah, congrats on the new role! I saw your team is expanding—especially in ops and customer success. A few of our clients are in a similar stage and used [ToolName] to cut their onboarding time by 40%. Happy to send over a short use case if helpful.”
Why it works:
Contextual (promotion + hiring)
Specific (mentions her department)
Low-friction CTA (just offering value)
How Leads That Work Automates Personalization at Scale
Our platform combines LinkedIn social listening + AI comment generation to write custom messages for every prospect—based on trigger events, profile data, and your ICP.
✨ What You Get:
🎯 Message templates that adjust to the role, company, and recent activity
🤖 AI-generated drafts ready to copy or send via InMail
⚡ 10x faster prospecting without losing personalization
You don’t need to spend hours writing outreach—just approve and send.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Outreach
Avoid hard CTAs like “schedule a demo” in your first message
Keep it under 500 characters for mobile friendliness
Follow up smart (reference their post or reply, don’t just bump the thread)
Engage with content first before messaging, when possible
Use your AI assistant (hint: that’s us) to save time and boost relevance
Want Replies Instead of Rejections?
Start conversations that feel human—at scale.
With Leads That Work, you don’t just get a list of leads. You get AI-personalized outreach crafted around real-time buyer signals, so you can focus on closing, not cold messaging.