Common LinkedIn Outreach Mistakes to Avoid

I get 400+ connection requests every week. 99% make the same mistakes. Only 1% get it right. Here’s how you can be that 1%. Before I preach: I’ve also made all these mistakes. I’m no exception. But, by now I’ve learned from it. I hope this post helps you avoid them. ❌ SENDING REQUESTS WITHOUT A NOTE. 99% of connection requests I get have no note. By adding no note, you’re asking the other person to spend at least 30 seconds looking at your profile title, understanding what you do, & decoding whether that’s relevant. Sure, they can do it for 10 people. But not 100+. You’re wasting an opportunity EVERY time you send a request without a note. ✅ SEND A NOTE, EVEN IF IT'S 2 SENTENCES. Forget writing detailed & specific notes. Just write 2 sentences. “Hi Pooja! I enjoyed reading your recent post on how to send connection requests. Now, I’d love to follow along your journey and hopefully contribute in a meaningful way.” That’s it. BOOM. You just 5x-ed your acceptance rate. ❌ ASKING FOR A "20-MIN CALL" No, most people don’t have time for a “20-min call.” I don’t have time for a “20-min call.” Because you haven’t convinced me what’s in it for me. Instead, here’s an idea: ✅ ASK, "HOW CAN I HELP?" That’s it. So simple. “Hi Pooja! I enjoyed reading your recent post on how to send connection requests. I also see you publish regularly. I’d love to follow along your journey. Also, if I can help in anyway, just let me know.” I will 1000% accept a request with such a note. Most people would. Build a relationship before asking for more. ❌ SENDING AN ESSAY FOR A REQUEST By sending long essay messages, you’ve made 3 mistakes: - You wasted your time - The other person probably didn’t read it - Your request got lost in the abyss ✅ SENDING A SHORT, SPECIFIC REQUEST WITH A COMPELLING WHY Make it easy for the other person to help you. Keep your message short, specific, and give them a REASON to help you. “Hi Pooja! I’ve read most of your posts on LinkedIn. There’s so much value in them. Thank you. I aspire to publish my book next year. Can you point me to any resources/tools that was helpful for you? If you already have it written down somewhere, let me know. P.S. I can help you compile a post on this if you’d like!” Now, you’ve given me 3 reasons to help you: - You’ve done your homework in reading my posts - You have a clear goal in mind - You already offered value in your “P.S.” I get it. All this is extra work. It takes time. But, these few minutes will make or break your chance to find your co-founder, next job, or even a best friend. If this helped you, please re-share the post and help your network! 👉 And, follow me if you'd like more of this. I publish a resource every day. P.S. Wanna send me a connection request? Now you know how to do it 😉 #writing #freeresources #unshackled #advice #linkedin

We must do better. I'm IMPLORING everyone to do better. PLEASE. This is a blind/cold LinkedIn message I received from someone trying to sell me on exploring "business ownership as a career option." Here are a few things that went wrong immediately: Generic Opening: "Still Exploring Career Options?" assumes something about me that may or may not be true. Do your homework and personalize the message. Lack of Specifics: The phrase "very significant leadership experience" is vague and feels (probably is) automated. Mention something specific about my background. Show me you took 2 minutes to scan my profile. Ambiguous Value Prop: "Business ownership as a career option or an investment" is unclear. What exactly are you pitching? Franchise opportunities? Angel investing? Own a Subway? D&D Modeling Business? Clarify the ask. Call Without Context: Asking immediately for a call without clearly stating why I’d benefit or why it's worth my time won't get a response. Make the value clear first. Using a Middleman: Hiring someone else to send LinkedIn messages on your behalf is outdated, especially in the age of AI and automation. Genuine connections matter. If you're going to automate, do it thoughtfully. Unrealistic Timeframe: "10-15 minutes" seems arbitrary and screws the ask. Be mindful of people's time. Clarify why the call would genuinely be valuable, regardless of length. I'll take the time if you sell me appropriately. Sales and business development are hard. I get it. But sending automated, generic messages without taking 60 seconds to personalize or clarify hurts your credibility and the brand you represent. This isn't solely on the person sending it. It's on their leadership and their process (the person who hired them in the first place). Do better. Warm Regards, Kyle

LinkedIn Outbound Audit for Series B SaaS - Found $150,000 worth of missed opportunities! 💰💰💰 Top mistakes found 🛑 (1) Not targeting active LinkedIn users - I've found that in most cases, companies target ALL profiles matching their criteria, when only 10-20% of them are actually active on LinkedIn. Filter for "posted on LinkedIn in last 30 days" to see 300% increase in response rates! (2) NEVER AUTOMATE CONNECTION REQUESTS! - Sending blank connection requests with an optimized profile gets 30-40% acceptance rates vs automated pitchy messages that get flagged. (3) Profile optimization issues - Your headline should be job title + company, not "I help X do Y." Avoid sales-y language and use a true headshot (not shoulders/body shot) for maximum connection acceptance. (4) Missing content ecosystem - Most companies rely solely on brand accounts when they should build a 3-part ecosystem: founder-led content, employee-led content, and company content. People want to engage with PEOPLE, not logos. (5) Problem statement misalignment - Messages focused on YOUR solution instead of THEIR problem get 5-10% response rates vs 20-30% for problem-oriented messages. This is the number 1 place to invest your optimization efforts. (6) No LinkedIn sales pipeline tracking - Without proper lead lists for "Connection Requests Sent," "Messages Sent," "Responded," and "Positive Reply," you can't optimize each stage of your funnel. (7) No content strategy supporting outbound - Even with perfect outbound, your close rates suffer without content nurturing prospects. The best companies post 5x weekly with 10-20% TOFU, 60-70% MOFU, and 10-20% BOFU content. Lots of other missed opportunities from here for mature LinkedIn outbound accounts, but these are great places to start. Most companies can generate 4-12 meetings per month with a properly executed LinkedIn strategy!

Cold outreach isn't the problem. Lazy outreach is. Every day, I see messages that scream, "I didn’t do my homework." They’re generic, irrelevant, and frankly, a waste of time for both of us. Here’s the thing: When reaching out without a clear understanding of what I do, who I serve, and how I can actually help, it’s obvious. It also screams, “I don’t value your time, and I’m not valuing mine either.” 𝐸𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 when it’s easy to see what I do right there on my profile or website. 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐩: The best way to stand out isn’t fancy pitches or relentless follow-ups. It’s knowing exactly why your message is a fit for the person you’re contacting... For hiring, fundraising, sales, asking for help, networking, etc. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐮𝐭: 📍 Research isn’t optional. It’s the baseline for credibility. 📍 Lead with relevance. Why this message, why you, and why me? 📍 Be clear about your ask. If you don’t know, I certainly won’t either. Not only will you get more responses, but you’ll build the kind of reputation that opens doors before you even knock.