Last week, I deleted 50+ cold LinkedIn DMs without reading them. Here’s what they got wrong:
They were constant pitch slaps without any research.
Here were three of the most common approaches:
Approach 1: They start with “Hi [First Name], I see you’re in [industry]”—translation: you copy-pasted this from my profile.
Approach 2: They immediately try to sell me [your product I never asked about] without understanding my challenges.
Approach 3: They use tired, vague hooks like, “Can we hop on a quick call?” Spoiler: it’s never quick.
If you’re sending cold messages, ask yourself:
1. Did I personalize this beyond their job title?
2. Am I offering value, or am I just pitching?
3. Does this feel human, or does it scream automation?
The best LinkedIn connections I’ve made didn’t try to sell me anything.
They built rapport, shared insights, or simply said something meaningful.
Remember: people don’t ignore cold DMs because they’re too busy—they ignore them because they don’t feel seen or respected.