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 20+ tools into outbound systems our clients own — and guarantee the results.
Apply for a Pilot Spot → →Frequently asked questions
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.
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