Cold outreach on LinkedIn has become a powerful tool for reaching potential clients, especially in B2B sales. But what if your initial cold outreach message goes unanswered? Should you double text, or send a follow-up message to increase your chances of engagement?
Knowing how to navigate a second attempt can turn an overlooked message into an opportunity for business growth. In this guide, we explain how to double text a cold outreach effectively, offering you insights on timing, crafting personalized messages, and building rapport with your target audience to improve your response rates.
What is Double Texting on LinkedIn?
Double texting on LinkedIn is when a person sends a follow-up message to someone who hasn’t replied to the initial message. This technique is often used to re-engage prospects or connections, but it should be done thoughtfully to avoid appearing intrusive.
Why Does Double Texting Matter in Cold Outreach?
Sending a second message, or double texting, can increase your chances of a positive reply and help establish business relationships with your target audience. A well-crafted follow-up message can:
- Rekindle interest if the initial message was overlooked.
- Offer a new perspective or incentive for the contact.
- Demonstrate persistence and enthusiasm in a crowded business environment.
However, double texting should be approached carefully. Poorly timed or overly aggressive follow-ups can reduce your outreach response rate and turn potential customers away.
Maximize Your Response Rates with a Targeted Approach!
How to Double Text on LinkedIn: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Start with a Strong Initial Message
Your initial cold outreach message should be concise, clear, and engaging. It should introduce yourself, explain why you’re reaching out, and offer value to the recipient. This initial message is crucial; without a strong foundation, any follow-up can come across as spam.
Tips for a Strong Initial Cold Message
- Personalize it with information from their profile—mention mutual connections, shared interests, or recent LinkedIn posts.
- Keep it brief and focused on their business journey or ideal customers.
- Avoid an immediate sales pitch; instead, focus on establishing common ground.
How to Cold Outreach on LinkedIn
2. Wait Before Sending a Follow-Up Message
Timing is a critical factor in cold outreach on LinkedIn. After sending the initial cold outreach message, it’s important to give your B2B contacts a respectful period of time to respond, allowing them to review your message without feeling pressured.
An ideal waiting period is usually around 5–7 days, as this timeframe demonstrates patience and consideration for their busy schedule. Giving them ample time reflects a thoughtful outreach strategy that values their availability, increasing the likelihood of a positive reply.
3. Craft a Value-Driven Follow-Up Message
Your second message should be strategic and value-driven, emphasizing what the contact might have missed. Consider this follow-up as a second chance to provide information they might find useful or interesting, such as a relevant blog post, a resource, or an event.
Follow-Up Message Tips
- Reference your initial message to remind them of your earlier contact.
- Offer new information, like an opportunity for business growth or a resource related to their target market.
- Consider ending the message with an actionable question to encourage engagement.
Example of a Follow-Up Message
“Hi [Name], I hope you’re doing well! I wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding potential lead generation strategies that could help [Company Name]. We’ve worked with businesses in similar industries to optimize their sales process, and I’d be happy to share insights or outreach strategies if you’re interested. Let me know if this is something that aligns with your goals. Thanks!”
Best Practices for Successful Double Texting on LinkedIn
Personalize and Target
Using hyper-personalized messages tailored to the recipient’s profile can significantly improve reply rates. Utilize LinkedIn Sales Navigator to gain insights about their business environment and use advanced search filters to refine your target audience. This helps ensure that you’re reaching out to people genuinely interested in your offer, which can increase the outreach response rate.
Integrate Social Proof
Building trust is essential in cold outreach. Integrate customer testimonials or subtle mentions of your success stories to add credibility. If you’ve achieved business success in similar markets, mention that briefly to create a stronger connection with the recipient.
Optimize Your Profile
Ensure that your LinkedIn profile reflects your expertise. A professional profile picture, clear job title, and optimized profile for sales can attract more profile views and help improve response rates from potential contacts. Your profile acts as a landing page for your cold outreach campaign and can influence whether someone responds to your messages.
Address Negative Responses Tastefully
Not all cold outreach will yield positive replies. Handling negative responses gracefully is key to maintaining a professional image. If someone declines or doesn’t engage, avoid pushing further. Instead, thank them for their time, and respect their response. This leaves the door open for future business deals should their needs change.
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7 Common Double Texting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Here are some of the most frequent missteps in double texting for cold outreach and how you can avoid them to increase your average response rate and customer success.
1. Sending Follow-Ups Too Soon
One of the most common mistakes is rushing to send a second direct message or cold message too quickly after the initial contact. Sending a second message too soon can overwhelm or annoy the recipient.
Remember to allow a period of time—usually 5–7 days—to show respect for the recipient’s schedule and increase the chance of a positive reply. If you’re working with automation tools or cold email outreach software, set your outreach sequences with these delays in mind.
2. Using Generic Message Templates
While message templates can save time, they can also harm your cold messaging efforts if overused. Generic cold message templates often lack personalization, which is critical for business owners and decision-makers who receive many cold outreach messages daily.
Instead, craft each prospecting message to include specifics from their LinkedIn profile or business background, using advanced search operators to gather tailored contact details for deeper personalization. For example, mentioning a recent event they attended or an insight specific to their industry can help make your message stand out.
3. Overlooking the Right Communication Style and Tone
Understanding the appropriate communication style is essential for a successful cold outreach strategy. Messages that are too formal can feel disconnected, while overly casual ones can seem unprofessional. It is best to adopt a style that aligns with the contact’s industry and role, which helps convey respect and builds business relationships.
4. Ignoring Metrics and Failing to Adjust Based on Response Rates
If your cold messaging campaign is not yielding the desired response rate, it’s crucial to review and adjust your approach. For instance, monitoring email deliverability and average reply rates can reveal insights into which cold message campaign adjustments are needed. Use a CRM integration or cold email outreach tool to analyze each message outreach effort, ensuring that you’re continually refining your strategy based on performance.
5. Over-Automating Without Personal Interaction
While cold email outreach software and automation tools streamline efforts, relying too heavily on automation without any personalized messaging can alienate potential leads. A balanced approach that combines automated sequences with manual follow-ups will help maintain a personal touch, fostering business growth and building rapport with your target audience. Use LinkedIn Boolean Search to identify specific contact companies and tailor your communication to their unique business needs.
6. Lack of a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Every follow-up should have a purpose, yet a common mistake is sending vague messages that don’t guide the recipient on the next steps. Avoid weak CTAs by providing specific actions, such as suggesting a brief call, sharing additional resources, or inviting them to explore relevant job opportunities or internship opportunities (if applicable). A clear CTA directs the conversation forward and gives the recipient an easy way to respond positively.
7. Neglecting Social Proof and Success Stories
Many prospects are hesitant to engage with cold messages due to a lack of trust. Including subtle hints of customer success or linking to a success story or video can establish credibility. References to business growth or customer testimonials within your cold outreach strategy can reassure the recipient that you offer value and have a track record of helping similar event attendees or business owners achieve success.
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How Leadsier Enhances LinkedIn Cold Outreach to Help You Build Business Connections
Leadsier specializes in LinkedIn cold outreach by creating targeted strategies that generate qualified leads and build valuable business connections. We help businesses in various ways:
- Developing Personalized Messaging: We craft outreach sequences that resonate with the target audience.
- Optimized LinkedIn Profiles: Enhancing profiles increases credibility and boosts positive replies.
- Integrating Automation: We have the expertise to seamlessly manage large contact lists with automation while preserving personalization.
- Scaling Personalization: We tailor messages at scale with advanced search filters and industry-specific content to reach the right leads.
- Providing Expert Guidance: Leadsier provides exclusive resources and expertise to refine outreach, handle negative responses, and boost business growth.
Supercharge Your Lead Generation Strategy – Contact Leadsier!
Leadsier: LinkedIn Outreach and B2B Lead Generation Services
At Leadsier, we empower businesses by delivering tailored solutions that generate qualified leads and establish meaningful business connections. With a focus on LinkedIn outreach, pharmaceutical lead generation, and scientific SEO, we provide tailored solutions that attract qualified leads, boost response rates, and drive business growth. By partnering with Leadsier, you gain access to expert resources and proven strategies designed to foster sustainable success in competitive markets.
