Marketing strategy is a comprehensive blueprint to reach prospective customers and convert them into paying clients. Factors like the company’s value proposition, brand message, target customer, and demographic data are a part of the blueprint. Marketing teams adopt different approaches to reach out to customers.
The cold calling technique is one of the techniques used by companies around the world. Cold calling is an outreach program to a prospective customer when you have not met or contacted them before. Cold messages are messages sent through emails, or messages on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. You should have a strategy to have a successful cold messaging campaign. In this blog, we offer some inputs to help you draft a perfect LinkedIn cold outreach message.
Prepare your profile before you start messaging
LinkedIn Prospecting has emerged as a powerful tool for generating leads. When you reach out to prospective customers, they will visit your LinkedIn profile. First impressions are vital in any interaction, and you need to strike the right note.
Optimizing your LinkedIn Profile will improve the chances of the lead moving further into your sales funnel.
6 tips for writing LinkedIn cold outreach message
Before you send direct messages, you need to upgrade to LinkedIn Premium user or buy InMail credit. A LinkedIn member can send a connection request for free, but there is a restriction of 300 characters with each message. The recipient can delete your message without reading it. If you want to have a successful cold outreach message program, you need LinkedIn Premium. Here are some tips you can follow-
1. Find Common Ground
LinkedIn outreach programs permit you to find information like a person’s job profile, education, and interests. Before you reach out to a potential customer on LinkedIn, study their profile. Try finding a commonality between you and the person you plan to contact. LinkedIn has excellent filters to narrow down potential leads. You and the client may have common interests or belong to the same group, have mutual acquaintance, or have gone to the same university. Why is their profile interesting?
You should send customized messages to a potential lead. While drafting the message, ensure the message is targeted, personal, and relevant. Send customized messages, so that they know you have studied their profile.
Avoid using too much jargon or wordy phrases. Be direct and say what you mean. The aim of cold messaging is to get your lead interested.
2. The mutual connection
Try looking for a common connection with the potential buyer. Getting in touch with a stranger may be easier if an acquaintance can vouch for you. You can ask your mutual friends or ex-coworker to introduce you. They could start a group message where they introduce you and share how they know you. After the introduction, you can begin corresponding with the prospective lead on your own.
Alternatively, you can introduce yourself mention your mutual connection in your first message. There are two benefits of reaching out through a mutual connection. You will have a topic to talk about, and the lead can check up on you through the mutual connection.
In your interactions try to appear as a like-minded individual, and you want to start a professional discussion with them that will be mutually beneficial.
Hi [first name of lead], I noticed you, and I are both know [name of the mutual connection].
I thought I would reach out and connect with you as well. Where did you meet [name of mutual contact]?
3. Draft a short letter
LinkedIn Messaging is an instant message, not an email. Try sending a few sentences instead of a paragraph.
Your prospective customer’s decision to answer your message will depend on its length.
You want to recipient to reply to your first message. Keep your message crisp and to the point. Avoid giving too much information about your product. Instead, your initial message should get your prospect interested and ask you for more information. Do not send attachments to your messages.
Business owners often make the mistake of focusing on themselves rather than the lead. They tend to start every sentence with I. By shifting the focus on the prospect, you are communicating your objective of writing to them is to help them out, not you. You need to focus on their pain points.
4. Save the selling for later
An unwritten rule of a cold outreach program is leading with a pitch. If you ask for a sale in your first letter itself, you are giving the impression that you cannot attract customers, and your product or services are not worthwhile.
Initially, introduce yourself to a potential buyer on LinkedIn. Remember the goal of messaging them is to establish a connection and start a conversation.
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5. Give them a reason to reply
Most people do not respond to a stranger’s message unless you give them a reason to respond. Initial cold call messages aim to establish a relationship, but you should include some ask to keep the conversation active.
You could ask a question about their experience, interest, mutual connections, or the nature of the work. Frame your questions carefully, it should be something that they would know and would want to answer. Try asking for their inputs on a topic will increase their likelihood of responding.
To send impactful cold messages, you need to offer a strong value proposition and social proof. If you have worked with some big customers in the past, include them in the proposition. Alternatively, you can show social proof by asking them if they would like to read a case study about the product or service you offer.
6. Keep track and follow up
You are possibly simultaneously corresponding with multiple leads on LinkedIn. Remember to track everyone you are corresponding with. You need to follow up with them if they have not replied right away. Customer relationship management software can help you streamline and your correspondence with multiple clients.
To summarize
Remember to follow the 4 touchpoint rules while corresponding –
- Send an initial message on LinkedIn.
- After your lead accepts your message, send a follow-up email in 24 hours.
- If they have not responded, try again after a week or two. Try another approach like offering a free resource.
- If the lead has not responded, send a final message after a month. This time around, you can offer a free consultation call.
The goal of the 4 touchpoint rule is to be persistent without being considered to be spam. This strategy will help by not getting flagged by LinkedIn for sending spam.
