Why the copy-paste pitch never works, and what to do instead
Most people network on LinkedIn the same way. Send a connection request, hit send on a script, repeat 30 or 40 times a day.
If you’re in a marketing or lead gen business, that script eventually lands on someone offering the exact same service you do. Now if you’re not looking at the profile and sending that same script, the connection goes nowhere.
The copy-paste connection request nobody wants
Out of 50 requests like that, maybe a handful respond. Even fewer actually need what you’re selling. The math doesn’t work in your favor.
That’s the trade-off with volume. You get reach, but you lose relevance.
Your profile view already gave you the opening
Here’s what most people miss. On LinkedIn, you can see who viewed your profile. That means the person you’re about to connect with can see you too.
Take that seriously. Look at their profile before you send anything. What do they do? What might they be dealing with in their business right now?
A note that references something specific about them will always beat a generic script. It shows you actually looked, and that’s rare enough to stand out.
Treat LinkedIn like a networking event, not a pitch line
Think about an in-person networking event. You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and open with “I offer this service, want to hire me?” That’s not how relationships start.
You’d introduce yourself first. Ask what they do, who they are, what they’re building. That conversation happens before any pitch does.
LinkedIn works the same way. Build the relationship first. The pitch comes later, and only if it actually fits.
This Week's Quote
"All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust."
