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LinkedIn outreach templates that get replies

Short, specific, human. Then stop.

These LinkedIn outreach templates are short on purpose: a connection note that gives one real reason to connect, a follow-up that offers something useful, and a polite last message, with no pitch in the first line. Templates only work when the first line is written for the person, so treat them as a structure, not a script.

Josef Winstone, Founder & Managing Director, Foundry Agency

By Josef WinstoneFounder & Managing Director · 6 min readUpdated

What makes LinkedIn outreach templates work?

Relevance and restraint. People accept connections from someone with a real reason to talk to them, and they ignore anyone who opens with a pitch.

The templates below leave the most important line blank on purpose: the one that shows you've looked at their profile, their company or something they posted. That's the line that gets replies, and it can't be templated.

How should you structure a LinkedIn outreach sequence?

Use this six-step method. The templates follow it.

  1. Pick the list: a tight group of people whose role and company make your offer relevant. Fewer, better.
  2. Look before you write: their recent posts, their company news, a shared connection or event.
  3. Connection note: one specific reason to connect, no pitch, no link. Keep it short; LinkedIn limits the length of notes.
  4. First message after they accept: thank them, then one useful thing related to their world.
  5. Follow-up a week or so later: a short question about a problem you can actually help with.
  6. Last message: a polite close that leaves the door open. Then stop.

Copy-ready LinkedIn outreach templates

Replace everything in curly brackets. The {specific line} is the part you write fresh for every person.

linkedin-outreach-templates.txt
1. CONNECTION NOTE (no pitch)
Hi {first_name}, {specific line: their post, company news or a shared connection}. I work with {type of company} on {one-word topic}, so I'd like to follow what you're doing. Happy to connect?

2. FIRST MESSAGE (after they accept)
Thanks for connecting, {first_name}. {specific line}. We put together {useful thing: a checklist, a short guide, an answer to a common question} for {their role}; happy to send it over if it's useful. No pitch attached.

3. FOLLOW-UP (about a week later)
Hi {first_name}, quick one. When {their type of company} {common trigger: hires sales staff, launches a product, enters a new market}, the usual sticking point is {specific problem}. Is that on your plate at the moment, or not really?

4. IF THEY REPLY WITH INTEREST
Great, thanks {first_name}. Easiest thing is a 20-minute call so I can ask a few questions and tell you honestly whether we can help. Does {day} or {day} work? Or if you'd rather, I can send a few lines by message first.

5. LAST MESSAGE (polite close)
Hi {first_name}, I'll leave it here so I'm not cluttering your inbox. If {specific problem} comes up later, I'm easy to find. Good luck with {their project or news}.

6. REFERRAL ASK (when you've reached the wrong person)
Thanks {first_name}, that's helpful. Who'd be the right person for {topic} at {company}? I'll mention you pointed me their way, unless you'd rather I didn't.

What should you never put in a LinkedIn connection note?

Anything that makes the request about you. These are the patterns people ignore:

  • A pitch, a price or a calendar link before they've accepted.
  • Flattery that could apply to anyone, such as "I was impressed by your profile".
  • A fake shared interest, or pretending you've met.
  • Long paragraphs. If it needs scrolling, it won't be read.
  • Messages that are obviously sent to hundreds of people at once.

Should you automate LinkedIn outreach?

Be careful. LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits bots and unauthorised automated tools for things like adding contacts and sending messages, so read it before you buy anything that promises to run your outreach for you.

More to the point, automated messages read like automated messages. The best results come from a small list and a person writing the first line.

How many follow-ups should you send on LinkedIn?

Two after the first message is plenty. Space them a week or so apart, make each one useful in its own right, and stop after the last. Silence is an answer, and a polite close leaves the door open for later.

How does Foundry run LinkedIn outreach?

We start with the buyer: job titles, sectors, company size and the triggers that make your offer timely. Then we build a tight list and write the sequence, with a person writing the first line of every message and checking the rest.

LinkedIn runs alongside cold email in one sequence that feels natural to the person receiving it, and warm replies come straight to you the same day.

Our averages. Not our best days.

Our averages

  • 5days

    Website, kick-off to live

  • 20mins

    Average reply timethis service

LinkedIn outreach template FAQs

  • Yes, if it gives a real, specific reason to connect. A generic note is worse than none. Keep it short and leave the pitch out.

  • Within a day or two, while they remember accepting. Thank them and offer one useful thing, not a sales pitch.

  • Use the structure for everyone, but write the first line fresh for each person. That one line is what separates outreach from spam.

  • They work best together. LinkedIn builds familiarity; email gives you room to explain. A sequence that uses both usually feels more natural than either on its own.

  • Thank them and stop. If they're the wrong person, ask who'd be right. Never argue with a no.

  • It helps with searching and saving lists, but it isn't essential. A clear idea of who you're looking for matters more than the tool.

Related

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