LinkedIn Outreach Message Templates That Get Replies
Templates are a starting point, not a script. These LinkedIn outreach templates give you a proven structure for every step — then you make them yours.
A good template removes the blank-page problem and gives you a structure that works. The trick is to treat it as a skeleton: keep the shape, swap in something true and specific about the person, and cut anything that sounds like marketing.
Connection request templates
Keep these under 300 characters. The goal is acceptance, not a pitch.
- Shared context: "Hi {{name}} — we're both in {{group/community}} and I keep seeing your posts on {{topic}}. Would love to connect."
- Role trigger: "Hi {{name}}, congrats on the move to {{company}}. I work with {{role}} leaders on {{problem}} — thought it'd be worth connecting."
- No-note: for some senior audiences, a clean request with no note is accepted more often than a salesy one.
First message (after they accept)
Lead with why them, not what you sell. One small ask.
- "Thanks for connecting, {{name}}. I noticed {{specific observation}}. We help {{similar companies}} with {{outcome}} — is improving {{metric}} something on your radar this quarter?"
- "Appreciate the connect. Not pitching anything — genuinely curious how your team currently handles {{problem}}?"
Follow-up templates
- Value follow-up: "Shared a quick breakdown of how {{similar company}} solved {{problem}} — happy to send it over if useful."
- Soft close: "Totally fine if the timing's off, {{name}} — I'll leave it here. If {{problem}} becomes a priority, my door's open."
If a template could be sent to anyone, it will be ignored by everyone. Always change the first line so it could only have been written to this person.
Questions
Do LinkedIn outreach templates still work?
The structure works; copy-pasting verbatim does not. Use the template for shape and flow, then personalise the opening and the reason for reaching out. The teams that win treat templates as a base layer, not the finished message.
How long should a LinkedIn message be?
Short. Connection notes under 300 characters, first messages two to four sentences. People read LinkedIn on their phones between meetings — a wall of text gets skipped.
Send personalised outreach at scale.
Warmerly helps you template the structure and personalise the rest — across LinkedIn and email. Start free.