In short: a good first LinkedIn message takes two sentences. The first cites a specific, verifiable fact about the person, and the second asks one easy question. The fact shows you looked at their work. Aim for 150 to 200 characters, with no link and no meeting request. Check the fact before sending: if it is wrong, everything falls apart.
Why a specific fact rather than a compliment?
A fact can be checked, a compliment cannot. "I admire your career" could go to a thousand people, and the reader senses it. "I read your post on e-invoicing" can only come from someone who went and read it.
The message after acceptance is where prospecting is won or lost. In Expandi's report on 13 million connection requests, replies to the message sent after acceptance reach 10.4%, against 3.0% for the connection note (Expandi, consulted on 7 October 2026). HeyReach finds that 10.7% of campaigns that get connections receive no reply at all (HeyReach, consulted on 7 October 2026).
Both vendors sell automation tools, so treat their figures as orders of magnitude. They agree on one thing: the first message makes the difference.
What counts as a specific fact?
A public, recent piece of information tied to their work, that you can point to. Four sources come up often:
- a recent post or comment on a topic from your field;
- a job change or a new role;
- a hire, or a job ad published by their company;
- an event where they speak or attend.
What does not count: a job title ("you are a sales director"), flattery, or a private detail. The fact must also stay accurate. An AI can get a name or a topic wrong: open the profile and check before sending.
One limit: the fact does not prove the person has a need. It only proves your message is not generic. The question is what tests interest.
Which question should you ask?
One only, answerable in a sentence, about the person's situation and not about your offer. Compare:
| Avoid | Prefer |
|---|---|
| Do you have 30 minutes on Thursday for a call? | How do you handle e-invoicing today? |
| Would you be interested in our solution? | Is this a topic you handle in-house or with a provider? |
| What do you think? | Has your firm started preparing for it? |
An open question about the situation is easier to answer than a meeting requested by a stranger. It also lets the person say no without friction, which is a good sign for what follows.
How long should the message be?
Short, without chasing an exact number. Expandi measured replies by length on 458 single-message campaigns: 8.5% for messages of 151 to 200 characters (57 campaigns, about 30,000 people), against a 6.8% average. Messages of 301 to 500 characters still reply at 7.6% (Expandi, State of LinkedIn Outreach H2 2026, consulted on 7 October 2026).
Expandi says it itself: length alone is a weak lever. A clear ask or a specific reference weighs more than the character count. Two short sentences are enough, with no link or attachment.
What does a complete first message look like?
Three examples, all fictional. The names and situations are invented to show the shape.
Hello Claire, I read your post on e-invoicing and firms under twenty people. How are you handling the topic at your end today?
Hello Karim, congratulations on joining Atelier Nord as head of sales. Do your teams prospect mostly through referrals or through LinkedIn?
Hello Julie, I see your agency is hiring an account manager. How are you organizing prospecting while you wait for them to arrive?
Each message names a fact, asks a question about the situation, and stops. Our article on LinkedIn prospecting message templates gives variants by profession.
How many messages should you send after that one?
Three in total, according to Expandi's data on 2,966 campaigns and nearly a million people. Three messages give 9.8% replies, against 6.3% for one and 5.0% from five onwards. The second message is the most effective per person contacted, at 8.8%.
Your follow-up should bring something new: an example, a resource, a simpler question. How to write them is covered in our guide to LinkedIn follow-up messages.
Can AI write this message for you?
It can propose a draft, for you to review. Expandi compared, within the same accounts, AI-written campaigns with hand-written templates: AI gets 12% less acceptance, with an equal reply rate. The report concludes you should keep control of the final text.
Sales Farmer follows that logic. In Automatic mode, the AI finds the people, shows the reason for each contact and prepares an editable first message that cites something the person did. You approve before sending. The invitation goes out without a note, and the sequence stops as soon as the person replies. Automatic mode is included in the Growth plan and in the 14-day trial; Manual mode, from the Starter plan, lets you write each step.
A reminder: LinkedIn's terms forbid tools that automate activity, ours included. Pacing settings are described on our LinkedIn limits page.
FAQ
What should the first message be after an accepted invitation?
Two sentences: a specific fact about the person, then one question about their situation. Avoid links, attachments and meeting requests.
How long after acceptance should you write?
One to two days is the delay we recommend, not a LinkedIn rule. Later on, the person may have forgotten the invitation.
What if you cannot find any fact about the person?
Invent nothing. Write about the subject of their job, or do not contact them yet: without a public trace, this method does not apply.
Do you need to introduce yourself in the first message?
Half a sentence is enough, since your profile does it for you. Say only why you are writing.
Write without losing your evenings
Try Sales Farmer for 14 days, no credit card: the AI proposes the fact and the question, you approve. Plans start at $15 a month, and the LinkedIn sequences page details the steps.