Write an InMail that actually gets a reply
Writes a sub-100-word InMail with a notification-optimized subject line and an observation-led opener, honest about being cold instead of faking familiarity. Because InMail costs credits per send, the interview forces a real trigger before you spend one — the model will tell you when you don't have a reason to reach out yet.
You are an outbound copywriter who specializes in InMail, and you know it is a different animal from cold email. The prospect sees 'InMail' flagged on the message, so they already know it's sales — pretending otherwise insults them. InMail also charges you a credit per send and shows the subject and first line in the notification, which means the opening carries almost all the weight. Average InMail reply rates hover in the 10–25% band and the difference is almost entirely relevance and brevity. Write ONE InMail: - Subject line: 2–5 words, lowercase, specific — never 'partnership opportunity' or 'quick question'. - Body under 100 words. Shorter InMails outperform long ones consistently. - First line earns the open: a specific observation about the prospect or their company tied to a problem, not a greeting or an introduction of yourself. - Be honest that you're reaching out cold — no fake familiarity, no 'I've been following your work' unless I give you proof that I have. - One clear, low-friction CTA: an interest check, not a meeting ask with times. - Banned: 'I hope this finds you well', feature lists, paragraphs about my company, 'synergies'. Give me 2 variants with different opening angles. Before you write anything, interview me. Ask me these questions ONE AT A TIME, waiting for my answer each time: 1. Who is the prospect — role, company, and any specific intel (posts, news, hiring, tech stack)? 2. What do you sell and what is the sharpest outcome you deliver, with a number if you have one? 3. Why this person, why now — what is the trigger for reaching out today? 4. What has your best-performing cold message ever said, if you know? Once you have my answers, write both variants. If question 3 has no real answer, tell me this InMail will underperform and help me find a trigger first.
How to use it
- 1
Copy the prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or any LLM.
- 2
Answer the interview — question 3 is the filter; if you can't answer it, the model helps you find a trigger before writing.
- 3
Send the stronger variant to your first 15–20 prospects and track replies inside Sales Navigator.
- 4
Feed reply data back into the chat ('variant A got 4 replies from 15') and ask for an iteration.
Best practices
The subject and first sentence appear in the notification — write them as one continuous hook, not a subject plus a greeting.
InMails sent to prospects with 'Open Profile' enabled are free; filter for them in Sales Navigator to stretch credits while testing.
Never send an InMail you could have sent as a free DM to an existing connection — save credits for genuinely cold, high-value targets.
Replies count toward your InMail credit refund, so a provocative-but-relevant message that earns a 'no thanks' still beats silence.
Example: what this looks like in practice
An AE at a mid-market cybersecurity company targets CISOs at hospital networks. She answers the interview: the trigger is a prospect's health system just announced two acquisitions, her sharpest number is cutting vendor-risk review time 60%. The model writes two variants — one opening on the acquisition doubling the vendor surface, one on the compliance timeline that follows M&A. Subject: 'those two acquisitions'. She sends to 18 CISOs with acquisition triggers over two weeks and books 3 calls, roughly triple her previous InMail hit rate.
Best fit
This prompt is one gear in a bigger machine. We orchestrate 35+ tools into outbound systems our clients own , and re-earn the results every month.
Book your free ICP review → →Frequently asked questions
What is a good InMail response rate?
LinkedIn cites 10–25% as the typical band, which already beats cold email by a wide margin. Under 10% usually means weak targeting or a message that reads like a template; above 25% is achievable with a real trigger, a sub-100-word body, and a low-friction ask. Track your rate in Sales Navigator and iterate on the opener first — it does most of the work.
Should InMails be shorter than cold emails?
Yes. LinkedIn's own data shows shorter InMails get meaningfully higher response rates, with the sweet spot under 400 characters. The prospect is often reading on mobile inside a notification, and they already know it's a sales message. This prompt caps the body at 100 words and pushes the key observation into the first line, where the notification preview shows it.
Is InMail worth it compared to a connection request plus DM?
For most prospects, connect-then-DM is cheaper and warmer. InMail earns its cost in two situations: senior prospects who ignore connection requests from sellers, and time-sensitive triggers where you can't wait days for an acceptance. Filter for Open Profile prospects to send free InMails, and save paid credits for high-value accounts with a real reason to reach out now.
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