The Anatomy of the WORST LinkedIn messages 👎

Do you remember ever watching the Muppets?

There’s a character named Beaker.

All Beaker could say was “Me”.

He sounds a bit like some of the people who reach out to you on LinkedIn.

Messages like these:

Why most LinkedIn outreach fails

1. Lack of personalization: Cold emails that are generic and not tailored to the recipient's specific needs or interests are often ignored.

2. Poor subject line: The subject line is the first thing that the recipient sees, and if it’s irrelevant or spammy, it’ll never see the light of day.

3. Too much focus on the you: Emails where people talk too much about themselves and their company, rather than the recipient's needs or interests, are sure to get deleted.

4. Too salesy: Cold emails that are too aggressive or pushy can be off-putting and may turn the recipient away.

5. Lack of value proposition: Cold emails that don't clearly communicate the value proposition or benefit to the recipient are less likely to generate a response.

6. Poor grammar and spelling: Emails that are poorly written, contain typos, or have grammatical errors can create a negative impression and reduce the chances of success.

7. Wrong target audience: Sending cold emails to the wrong target audience can also result in failure.

8. Bad timing: Sending emails at the wrong time or on the wrong day can reduce the likelihood of success.

9. No clear call-to-action: Cold emails that don't have a clear call-to-action can leave the recipient unsure of what they should do next.

   Lack of follow-up: Failure to follow up after sending a cold email can also reduce the chances of success.

What you can do to be more successful

1. Research your industry: Use the “Flood Your Feed” technique mentioned in last week’s email. Research the industry, the key stakeholders, the biggest challenges. That way you’ll have plenty of discussion topics top of mind.

2. Personalize your outreach: If you’re sending the same generic message to everyone, it won’t do well. Find a blog post, video, podcast, anything they’ve done, then thank them for the inspiration.

3. Start with THEM: The biggest reason for failed outreach messages, is starting by talking about yourself instead of focusing on them and their needs. It’s not about you. It’s about them.

4. Spammy buzzwords: If I ever get a LinkedIn message from someone who tells me about my “high professionalism” or that they want me in their network, it’s an automatic trash bin for me.

5. Spell their name right: This is a give-in.

Advice and Frameworks from the experts

1. Common Mistakes in DMs - Claudia Stellner

2. Simple Framework to Not Get Blocked - Virgil Brewster

3. Easy DMs in 7 Steps - Dan Koe

Quote of the week

👋 I’m Izzy. Career Coach & Job Search Strategist
AKA "The Wizard of Iz" 🧙‍♂️

Here are 3 ways I can help you break out of the cycle:

1. Follow me on LinkedIn (and hit the 🔔) for daily motivation

2. Join our job search ambassob Search Accelerator for accountability, support, and advice

3. Book a discovery call to explore 1-on-1 coaching with me

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