Your sales prospecting performance depends largely on your sales team's copywriting. You can generate dozens of appointments each week if you use the right techniques.
This article shares tips on how to write effective LinkedIn prospecting and send them at the right time. Our recommended approach consists of four steps . At each step, you should personalize each of your messages.
Step 1: The connection request message
When you try to connect with a prospect, LinkedIn asks if you'd like to include a short message with the invitation. More than just a text field, it's an essential field you must complete . An invitation without a message could be perceived negatively. After all, this will be your first contact with the person.
A simple and effective method is to take a look at your prospect's LinkedIn and find something to compliment them on, mention a common interest, or ask a question . Here are some examples:
Compliment
“Henri, I loved your article on personalizing sales emails . Would you mind if we got in touch?”
Common points
“Annie, I see that you also know Laurent from Magileads. I would be delighted to get in touch with you.”.
Questions
“Eric, I’m curious to know how your company deals with (sensitive issue). I’m asking because our company does XYZ. Can we connect here?”
Step 2
Once your prospect has accepted your message, wait 24 hours before sending a follow-up message. Remember to personalize your message.
Step 3
If you still don't receive a response, wait two or three days . Then, send another message. You could, for example, offer a free resource or mention something interesting you saw on their profile in the next message.
Step 4
If you have not received a response after one month, you can remove this prospect from your list .
You can also use other channels to contact your prospects, such as cold email . Or why not try an omnichannel prospecting tool like Magileads ?
5 things to do before prospecting on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a powerful platform for business development. However, before diving headfirst into sending prospecting messages, it's essential to follow a few preliminary steps to maximize your chances of success . Here are five things to do before sending prospecting messages on LinkedIn.
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is your first virtual business card . Before initiating a conversation with a prospect, make sure your profile clearly reflects your value proposition . Here are a few points to consider:
- Customize your banner to highlight your value proposition.
- Choose a and engaging profile picture
- Write a clear title that describes your role or skills.
- Showcase your best articles and professional experiences.
- In the “About” section, briefly detail your value proposition.
- Think of your LinkedIn profile as a landing page. A visitor should understand in a few seconds what valuable value you bring to the table.
2. Master LinkedIn search filters
For successful prospecting, targeting the right people is essential. LinkedIn offers powerful search filters you can use to find qualified leads. You can search by job title, keywords, location, company, and much more. Remember that effective searching is the foundation of building a quality prospect list .
3. Strengthen your presence through content creation
Creating high-quality content is an effective way to strengthen your presence on LinkedIn. Indeed, every post you share is initially shown to your personal network, and then to a wider audience if it generates interest .
The key is to create content that resonates with your target audience. If your content is liked and shared, it will make your profile more familiar to the people you invite to your future prospecting campaigns . Link your content creation to your prospecting activities for a holistic approach.
READ ALSO: LinkedIn prospecting in 2025: does it still work?
4. Respect LinkedIn's boundaries
Before you start prospecting on LinkedIn, familiarize yourself with the platform's rules and limitations . LinkedIn imposes limits to prevent abusive behavior.
When prospecting, make sure you don't exceed these limits. For example, you can send up to 150 LinkedIn per day . It's also possible to send between 100 and 200 connection requests per week.
Respecting these limits is crucial to keeping your account active and avoiding sanctions from LinkedIn.
5. Warm up your LinkedIn account
If you're new to prospecting on LinkedIn, it's important to build up your account gradually. Don't jump straight from a few messages and connections to hundreds . Too rapid a growth in your activity can raise red flags with the algorithm.
Here are some tips to boost your LinkedIn profile:
- Start by sending a few manual connection requests per day.
- Focus on second-degree connections with people you know or with whom you have professional affinities.
- Personalize your connection requests to increase the acceptance rate.
By following these preliminary steps, you'll be better prepared for effective prospecting on LinkedIn . Keep in mind that the key is to build genuine relationships and provide value to your potential contacts.
If you are looking for a tool to easily manage your sales prospecting on LinkedIn, there is Magileads.
