In short: the message that won our tests was 2.5 sentences, ended in a question, named something of theirs, said nothing about us, and landed between 240 and 420 characters. It replied at 44.5 percent against 18.6 percent for the same message with solution detail added.
The format, and why it is that shape
Every element in the generated messages comes from a controlled test. Prospects were split at random inside each client account, so industry, geography, seniority and company size are held constant on both sides, and no test was called below 2,000 prospects per arm.
| Element | Result |
|---|
| 2.5 sentences, question-led, no pitch | 44.5% replies against 18.6% with solution detail |
| Naming their product or a competitor | 34.5% against 17.1% for a generic value proposition |
| Question-led rather than company-led | 33.2% against 10.8% |
| 240 to 420 characters | 38.6%, falling to 21.4% under 150 and 11.2% over 700 |
| Naming a shared colleague | 35.1% against 27.0% |
| Connection request rather than InMail | 37.0% against 3.7% |
What to do after they reply
Answer inside 24 hours. Replies answered within a day converted to a meeting at 21.4 percent. Replies answered after 48 hours converted at 3.6 percent. That is the largest single effect in the whole dataset and it has nothing to do with what you wrote.
Then put a calendar link in the reply. It did not change reply rate at all, and it lifted meetings by 8 percent, because it removes friction from a conversation you have already won.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a LinkedIn connection request be?
Between 240 and 420 characters. Across 12 weeks of testing, messages in that band replied at 38.6 percent. Under 150 characters dropped to 21.4 percent because very short messages read as automated. Over 700 characters dropped to 11.2 percent because they do not get read. LinkedIn caps a connection request note at 300 characters, which sits inside the winning band.
What should a first LinkedIn message actually say?
Two and a half sentences, ending in a question, with no pitch. Name their product or a direct competitor, say what prompted you to write, and ask one question about how they handle the problem today. In our test that format replied at 44.5 percent against 18.6 percent for the same message with solution detail added.
What should I leave out of a first message?
What your company does. Your product name and feature list. Case studies, awards and funding news. Any meeting request before they have shown interest. Every sentence about your own solution cost replies in testing.
Does naming their competitor really work?
Yes, and it was the largest copy-level effect we measured. Across 10,815 prospects, naming the prospect's own product or a direct competitor of theirs took reply rate from 17.1 to 34.5 percent, and meeting rate from 1.8 to 4.3 percent.
Does this use AI?
No. It assembles a message from the structure that tested best, using details you supply. It runs in your browser, nothing is stored, and no sign-up is needed. Prospectio's product does use AI to research each prospect and write the message, which is a different job.
