You’ve heard it said that “it’s not what you know, but who you know,” right? Well, this is especially true in the world of business. Having a solid network can be a significant asset when looking for prospective clients or partners. The thing is that many are intimidated by networking because they don’t want to come across as too pushy or desperate.

But there are approaches to make the process easier and more natural, so your connections will enjoy talking with you. Here are five strategies on how to use LinkedIn cold outreach without coming off like an overbearing salesperson.

Not Customizing Each Message

The number one mistake that cold LinkedIn users make is the lack of customization in their messages. Cold outreach messages can be effective when they are well thought out, but too often, your recipients notice that you copied and pasted the same message to every person on your list. 

The next thing they do is go to your profile and click on the other tabs, like skills and recommendations, where they discover that every entry on those two pages is also copied straight from LinkedIn.

Solution: For starters, make sure you upload complete contact information everywhere it’s appropriate to do so. This includes not just your headline but your summary as well. The more detailed and targeted you can make them, the better.

You create an immediate spark with the audience by personalizing the messages as they feel you’re speaking directly to them. Consider using modern tools for automated LinkedIn outreach efforts. You can quickly funnel your leads and achieve a high conversion rate. With time, you’ll grow your network hence more brand awareness through the platform.

Not Inviting to Connect

One common mistake made by cold outreach users is to send a message requesting information but neglect to add an invitation to connect. If the person receives such a request and isn’t already connected, they will most likely ignore it. This often happens when people try to keep their networks small and private, thinking that if nobody on Linkedin knows about them, then there is less of a chance they will get spammed. They also fear that if their connections are limited, they won’t recommend them or endorse them for skills.

Solution: If you want the best results from your cold outreach efforts, you have to have an extensive active network made up of people who know and trust you. There’s a good chance that if your recipients receive a cold outreach message without an invitation to connect, they will ignore it. We’ve even seen people say that they don’t have time to read messages from strangers on LinkedIn or that they don’t believe in them. The best way around this is to include a request to connect whenever you send a message that asks for something.

Sending Messages in Wrong Network

When sending messages to someone you don’t know, LinkedIn makes it very easy to select which network you want to send them to. The default option is “all,” but if the person’s profile says they are in a particular group or have specific degrees from top universities, it pays to customize your message and target them specifically. Sometimes users fail to notice that the person they are sending their message to is not in their network and, as a result, send it to “all.”

Solution: This is easy. All you have to do is check your recipient’s profile and make sure you include the right keyword in your request for them to connect with you. If the person doesn’t seem like a good match, leave the network section blank, and LinkedIn won’t send them your message.

Sending Without Subject Line

Subject lines are what separates a LinkedIn message from just another email in somebody’s inbox. All it takes is leaving off the subject line to turn an address into something unrecognizable. 

If planning on sending out a blast email to a list of potential clients, it would seem like a good idea to send all the messages out in one go. This way, you don’t have to keep track of which person got which message or whether or not you’ve sent a previous message to that person in the course of your outreach efforts.

Solution: Include a subject line that is custom-tailored to each person you message. This includes their name, job title, and the specific position you are applying for if it is different from what was listed in the original LinkedIn invitation.

The more customized and targeted your messages are, the better. It’s important to remember that LinkedIn is a social networking site – not just a job search engine. If you want to make the most on Linkedin, it pays off to be authentic and personable in every message you send.