Write a LinkedIn outreach message that gets replies

Copy this into ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI tool. Replace the brackets with your situation.

I want to send a LinkedIn message to someone. Help me write it.

**Who I'm messaging:**
[Example: "The hiring manager for a Product Manager role at Stripe" or "A VP of Engineering at a company I want to work for" or "A former colleague who now works at my target company"]

**Their LinkedIn info (if you have it):**
[Paste any relevant details from their profile: title, recent posts, shared connections, anything notable]

**What I want from this message:**
[Be honest: "I want to ask about an open role" or "I want an informational conversation" or "I want a referral" or "I want to reconnect and see if they know of openings"]

**What connects us (if anything):**
[Example: "We went to the same school" or "We worked at the same company 3 years ago" or "Nothing, this is a cold outreach"]

**My quick background:**
[1-2 sentences: "I'm a product manager with 5 years in fintech" or just paste your headline]

**What I know about their company (if anything):**
[Optional: paste notes from your company research, or mention something specific about what they're working on]

Rules:

1. Keep it under 100 words. Nobody reads long LinkedIn messages from people they don't know.

2. Don't start with "Hi [Name], I hope this message finds you well." Get to the point.

3. Lead with something specific to them, not me. Reference their work, company, or a post they made.

4. Make the ask clear and small. "Would you have 15 minutes for a quick call?" is fine. "I'd love to learn more about your journey" is vague.

5. Don't oversell myself in the message. My profile does that. The message just needs to get a reply.

6. Sound like a person, not a networking template.

Tips for better results

• Shorter is better. If the output is over 100 words, ask the AI to cut it down. Long cold messages don’t get read.
• Personalization is everything. Spend 2 minutes on their profile and feed those details into the prompt. A generic message gets ignored.
• If you’re messaging someone at a company you’re interviewing with, run the company research prompt first. Knowing what they’re working on gives you a better opening line.
• If you have a mutual connection, mention them. It immediately changes the dynamic.
• Send messages Tuesday through Thursday. LinkedIn engagement drops on weekends and Mondays.
• Follow up once after a week if you don’t hear back. Just a short “Bumping this in case it got buried” is fine.