Imagine greeting a peer for the first time at a networking event. You start with a friendly salutation, deliver your best elevator pitch about yourself, and ask questions to get the conversation flowing.
Now think about another scenario. You walk up to a new colleague, say, “Hi, I’d love to connect,” and walk away.
The second approach probably doesn’t sound effective. It’s vague and insincere, and it doesn’t build interest or rapport with the other person.
The same effect applies to professional social media like LinkedIn. And online, it’s even easier to ignore your interpersonal skills and let the automated “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” do the heavy lifting.
Your communication skills are among the most valuable ones you need to grow and nurture your professional network. Show them off with a personalized LinkedIn message every time you connect with someone new. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are some LinkedIn networking message templates to inspire you.
The importance of a LinkedIn opener
In face-to-face communication, you don’t just exchange words. Approximately 70% of communication is nonverbal.
To understand the content of someone’s speech, you naturally pay attention to a person’s gestures, vocal tone, and eye contact. The sum of these body language cues informs your judgments about the other person and what they’re saying. You might interpret low eye contact as a lack of empathy, or a power pose as confidence.
Written communication doesn’t afford you the same clues. The words on the page (or on the screen) are the only cues someone has to interpret and assess a message. That means each word you choose — no matter how concise the communication — should make the impression you intend.
Humans tend to overestimate strangers’ ability to understand and comply with what you ask of them. You know what the intention and tone of your words are, but your brain naturally struggles to imagine that your recipient might not. This leaves room for errors, misinterpretations, and potentially bad first impressions.
Developing an outreach strategy with a personalized LinkedIn cold message, rather than relying on an impersonal, automatic connection request message, can facilitate understanding and improve your response rate.
8 LinkedIn message templates to connect with your network
Like any other professional correspondence, writing a LinkedIn personal message to connect with colleagues should be short and concise. Remember, your message is someone’s preview of your whole communication style, so put some thought into it. The objective is to lay the foundations of a professional relationship.
To help you out, here are eight of the best LinkedIn connect messages to edit based on your needs.
Informational interview
Chances are, you’re connecting with someone because you want to work with them or follow a similar career path to theirs. With this in mind, you might want to set up an informational interview to learn more about them.
Start by introducing yourself and mentioning a strength or personal achievement of theirs you admire. It’ll show your attention to detail and help you find common ground.
Here’s a basic template to edit based on your intentions and target audience:
Hi [recipient’s name],
My name is [your name]. I’m a [your job title] at [company name]. I’ve been following your work and am really impressed by your [describe strength or professional accomplishment]. If you have a moment to chat, I’d love to ask you some questions about how you’ve developed your career.
Best,
[your name]
Colleagues or industry influencers you admire
There are several reasons to contact a colleague you don’t work with directly. You may want to develop a mentor-mentee relationship, glean industry information, or open the path to future collaboration. Make your intentions clear and open the door to further contact. Here’s a basic example:
Hello [recipient’s name],
My name is [your name]. I’m a [position] at [company name]. I attended your webinar series last week and was impacted by your approach to developing a career as a [position]. Do you have any other series coming up? I saw you’ll be speaking at [conference] next month. I hope we can run into one and meet formally.
All the best,
[your name]
Follow-up after a networking event
At a typical networking event, you’ll likely meet several new people or mutual connections for the first time. LinkedIn outreach after a live event should be part of your networking plan because it helps people remember you amongst all the new faces. This is a quick message you could send:
Hey [recipient’s name],
We met at the [topic] conference last week and bonded over [topic]! It was so enjoyable to meet a like-minded person. I hope that we can connect again. Will you be attending the next conference in March?
Best,
[your name]
A casual colleague
For colleagues you’ve run into at professional mixers or non-work-related social events, it might feel uncomfortable slipping into an elevator pitch. Use the same familiar tone that defines your other interactions with that person. It may help build a stronger bond that opens up a deeper conversation at the next meetup.
Hey [recipient’s name],
I’m so glad that [name] introduced us. It’s always so wonderful to meet like-minded, smart people working in [industry]. I’m really looking forward to seeing you at the next meetup.
Take care,
[your name]
A former coworker
It’s always a great idea to keep work friendships going, even if you leave your current job or say farewell to a coworker who found a new position. Past colleagues are your potential sources for new opportunities, job referrals, and glowing professional references. Here’s how to approach them:
Hey [recipient’s name],
I wanted to congratulate you on your new job. Although I’m disappointed to see less of you around the office, I’m happy you landed your dream role after the job search. I’d love to stay in touch. Let’s grab a coffee when you’re settled in.
Best of luck,
[your name]
A new coworker
Updating your LinkedIn profile after landing a new job is a great opportunity to make connection requests with new team members, managers, and business owners. You’ll likely cross paths frequently, so stay professional and let the familiar tone develop naturally in person. Here’s how to write a personalized InMail message:
Hi [recipient’s name],
I’m excited to start next week with the rest of the [department] team. The company’s commitment to [company value] spoke to me, and I can’t wait to learn from you and the rest of the crew. I’m looking forward to becoming a valuable member of the team.
Best,
[your name]
Someone in the same LinkedIn group
Networking with new colleagues doesn’t have to be just for in-person gatherings. You can get the ball rolling in digital spaces, too. Joining LinkedIn groups, participating in conversations, and regularly posting can also bring qualified leads to your professional network.
To improve your chances of a high acceptance rate, consider reaching out to people you’ve interacted with a few times or have a second-degree connection with. Here’s a connection request template to make it more personal:
Hi [recipient’s name],
I enjoy the articles and input you share in the [group name]. Our interactions are always so insightful and leave me with lots of food for thought. Have you heard of the [other group name]? It’s a monthly meetup to network with other freelancers and founders in [industry]. I think you’d find a lot of value in it. Let me know if you’re interested.
Best,
[your name]
Someone you want to work with
Sending a cold email to a recruiter or hiring manager can show them you have the soft skills they’re looking for, like initiative, determination, and self-confidence. It can also be beneficial to send a letter of interest and explain specifically why you want to work with them. Try sending a message like this one:
Dear [recipient’s name],
I found your LinkedIn profile on the [company name] company page and wanted to introduce myself. My name is [your name], and I’m a recent [major] graduate from [school]. The experience has been fantastic and cemented my decision to go into [industry], but I’m looking to join a company committed to [goals].
I’m a huge admirer of [company name]’s proactive approach to [topic]. I don’t see any current job openings but would love to stay in contact if anything opens up in the near future. Let me know if you’re available for a quick phone call to discuss my education and skill set in more depth.
Thanks for your time,
[your name]
What can you do with Linkedin connect messages?
Depending on the message and who it’s for, you can accomplish pretty much anything with a LinkedIn connect message. Say hello and be transparent about what you’re looking to gain. And including a call-to-action for potential next steps — like a job referral or casual connection — is a great way to improve your LinkedIn lead generation.
Here are a few ways to incentivize a response from a connection request:
- Ask for an email address to send them an invitation
- Contact a recruiter, human resources, or hiring manager about job inquiries
- Reconnect with former coworkers or alumni
- Request an introduction from a mutual connection
- Schedule an informational interview
- Set up a meeting or call
- Endorse skills and request endorsements
- Share useful information about your industry, a job posting, or events
What else can you do on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the largest professional social network, and it’s one of the best platforms online to meet peers and look for job opportunities. Staying active on LinkedIn shows employers you’re an eager member of the workforce and can transfer that passion over to a new job.
Here are a few other things to do with a LinkedIn account:
- Find job posts and professional opportunities
- Use LinkedIn’s automation tools to see relevant postings
- Join local, regional, or national industry groups
- Share information about job postings or industry news
- Post content and interact with like-minded colleagues
- Build profiles to represent your personal brand, small business, or service
Link up for success
Digital spaces open the door to more robust professional networks with people from all over the world. But the lack of face-to-face communication cues means you need to craft messages carefully.
If you aren’t sure how to write a LinkedIn message to connect with colleagues, use LinkedIn networking message templates to get the ball rolling. Stay concise, get to the point, and remember to be yourself.
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