What you'll get
- 16 copy-ready blocks
- 6 min read
- Decision maker (CEO, MD, business head): company event
- Decision maker: their own words
- Finance leader (CFO, finance director): shared topic
- Finance leader: event or community
- Technical leader (CIO, CTO, head of IT): their stack or project
- Technical leader: content they shared
- and 10 more
How to use it
- Step 1: Decide the person's role in the decision. Title alone is not enough.
- Step 2: Find one specific, true thing about them or their company.
- Step 3: Pick a note for that role and replace the brackets.
- Step 4: After they accept, wait a day, then send one of the follow-up messages.
LinkedIn limits connection notes to a few hundred characters, and some free accounts get fewer characters and only a handful of personalised notes each month. Every note here is written to fit in 200 characters once you fill it in. Check your own limit before you send.
The job of a connection note is to get accepted and nothing more. Selling comes later, if at all.
Part 1: Notes by buyer role
Decision maker (CEO, MD, business head): company event
Hi [Name], I read about [company]'s [expansion / launch / result]. I work with [sector] leaders on [topic] and would value being connected.Decision maker: their own words
Hi [Name], your point about [topic] in [post / interview] stayed with me, especially [detail]. I'd like to follow your thinking here.Finance leader (CFO, finance director): shared topic
Hi [Name], I work with finance teams in [sector] on [cost or risk topic]. I saw [company] is [initiative] and would like to connect.Finance leader: event or community
Hi [Name], we're both in [group / event]. I spend most of my time on [finance topic] with [sector] companies. Good to be connected.Technical leader (CIO, CTO, head of IT): their stack or project
Hi [Name], I saw [company] is working on [project / platform]. I work on the [integration / security / data] side of that and would like to connect.Technical leader: content they shared
Hi [Name], thanks for the post on [technical topic]. The part about [detail] matches what I see with other [sector] teams. Glad to connect.Operations or business-unit head: the daily problem
Hi [Name], I work with [function] teams in [sector] on [daily problem]. I'd like to learn how [company] approaches it. Open to connecting?Operations head: a team milestone
Hi [Name], congratulations to your team on [milestone]. I follow how [sector] operations teams handle [topic] and would like to connect.Procurement or vendor management: process first
Hi [Name], I work with [sector] companies as a supplier of [category]. I'd like to understand how [company] prefers vendors to engage. Open to connecting?Procurement: respect the route
Hi [Name], I'm speaking with colleagues of yours in [function] about [topic] and want to follow your process properly. Glad to connect.Send the second procurement note only if you really are in conversation with their colleagues.
Champion (manager or senior specialist): their expertise
Hi [Name], your work on [project / topic] at [company] caught my eye. I work in the same area with other [sector] teams. Good to connect?Champion: a mutual connection
Hi [Name], [mutual connection] and I worked together on [context]. I see you lead [area] at [company]. I'd like to be connected.Mention a mutual connection only if that person would recognise your name.
Part 2: When to send no note
A blank request is sometimes the better choice: when you have nothing specific to say, when you share many relevant connections, or when your profile headline already explains why you are relevant. A generic note is worse than no note.
Part 3: After they accept
Wait a day. Then send one message with a question and no pitch.
Follow-up 1: ask about their view
Thanks for connecting, [Name]. A question, not a pitch: with [trigger or initiative] at [company], what has been the hardest part for your team so far?Follow-up 2: offer something useful
Thanks for connecting, [Name]. We put together [a checklist / template / short note] on [topic] for [role] teams. Shall I send it over? Nothing needed in return.Follow-up 3: say why you chose them
Thanks for connecting, [Name]. To be direct: [company] is one of a small number of companies we think we can help with [problem]. Would you be open to a short conversation, or is someone else closer to it?Worked example (illustrative, not a real company)
Three notes into "Northfield Logistics" from a warehouse-software seller, sent over two weeks. Names are invented.
Three roles, three different notes
VP Supply Chain (decision maker, company event):
Hi Dana, I read about Northfield's second distribution centre. I work with logistics leaders on warehouse planning and would value being connected.
Head of IT Applications (technical leader, their project):
Hi Marcus, I saw Northfield is extending its warehouse system to a second site. I work on the integration side of that and would like to connect.
Regional Warehouse Manager (champion, their expertise):
Hi Asha, your post on slotting in peak weeks caught my eye. I work in the same area with other logistics teams. Good to connect?Each is under 200 characters, each is true, and no two could be swapped.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Pitching in the note. No offer and no calendar link until they have accepted and answered.
- Praising a post you have not read. "I'd love to pick your brain" is the same mistake.
- Sending one note to several people in one company. They compare.
- Claiming a colleague referred you when they did not. It ends both conversations.
- Sending a third message after two unanswered ones. Move to another channel or another person in the account.
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
How long can a LinkedIn connection request message be?
LinkedIn limits notes to a few hundred characters, and some free accounts get fewer. Every note here fits in 200 once filled in. Check your own limit before you send.
Should I add a note to a connection request?
Only when you have something specific and true to say. Otherwise send it blank (Part 2).
What should I send after they accept?
Wait a day, then send one message with a question and no pitch (Part 3).
Read next
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