5 Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Cold Outreach on LinkedIn

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One of the best places to find leads for your B2B service is LinkedIn.

But not all outreach is created equal.

It's easy to fall into some common pitfalls when attempting cold outreach on this platform.

Today, we're going to discuss 5 common mistakes to avoid when doing cold outreach on LinkedIn.

By the end of this issue, you'll know exactly what not to do, and you'll be ready to take your LinkedIn outreach to the next level.

1. Spraying & Praying

When you're looking for new leads on LinkedIn, it might be tempting to send connection requests and messages to EVERYONE who might be remotely interested in your service…

But this 'spray and pray' approach is more likely to burn bridges than to build them.

Example:

Imagine you're a graphic design agency.

Instead of messaging anyone with a business…

Focus on those in industries that value design…

Such as:

• Marketing agencies

• Software companies

This way, your messages are more likely to resonate and less likely to be marked as spam.

2. Using Generic, Non-Personalized Messages

Nothing says…

"I don't care about you"

More than a generic message that could have been sent to anyone.

Instead of writing:

"Hi, I think my graphic design service could help your business,"

Try something more personal like:

"Hi [Name], I was looked through your homepage & seen the review of your work on [project]. [discover question]."

LinkedIn is about making genuine connections, so make sure your outreach messages reflect that.

3. Failing to Follow-Up

Many people make the mistake of sending a single message and then giving up when they don't get a response right away.

Wait a week after your initial message.

If you haven't received a response, send a gentle follow-up:

"Hi [Name], just checking in case my previous message got lost in your inbox. Did you manage to review the document I sent through?"

Remember, people are busy.

A polite, well-timed follow-up can make all the difference.

4. Not Providing Value Upfront

People are more likely to engage with your messages if they offer something of value.

To start the conversation on the right foot…

Try offering a:

• Piece of advice

• Useful resource

• Compliment

Like this:

"Hi [Name], I noticed a few ways you could improve the design of your website's landing page to boost conversion rates. Would you mind if I sent you a video outlining them?"

If you offer something that helps the person you're messaging…

They're more likely to respond because you’ve taken the time to build trust before pitching them.

Like the start of all business relationships should be!

5. Not Using LinkedIn's Features to the Fullest

LinkedIn has many useful features that can help you connect better with potential leads.

For example, you can:

• Use LinkedIn Sales Navi to help you find the right people to connect with based on their job titles, locations, and experience.

• Join relevant LinkedIn Groups to find people who will be interested in your offer.

• Using Boolean search to build tigher lists

Using all of LinkedIn's features can make a huge difference to how successful your outreach is…

Here's an example:

We recently helped a client who wanted to find Shopify stores that sell vegan skincare products.

With the help of Sales Nav & Boolean commands, we were able to make a list of over 200 of the ideal customers.

Without using these tools, we wouldn't have been able to make this list.

Sometimes you need to use more than just the free features.

I mean, think about it... Sales Nav is $99/month.

What if you used it to land a customer for $3,000/month?

Talk about ROI!

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