Following up with prospects on LinkedIn is essential for building genuine connections and moving your conversations forward.
Sometimes, prospects may need a reminder to respond, or you might want to keep an ongoing discussion alive.
In either case, a well-crafted follow-up message can make a significant difference in turning connections into meaningful conversations. LEO Bizdev can help streamline this process by drafting personalized LinkedIn follow-up messages that reflect the context of your past exchanges.
Here’s how to make the most of LEO’s follow-up message generation feature to engage your prospects effectively.
1. What is a Follow-Up Message on LinkedIn?
A follow-up message on LinkedIn is a brief, context-driven message sent to a prospect you’ve already contacted but who hasn’t responded yet, or with whom you’ve had a recent conversation.
Unlike initial outreach, follow-up messages aim to re-engage the prospect or keep a conversation going by referencing previous discussions or shared interests.
They are crafted to be unobtrusive yet compelling, with the goal of prompting a reply or advancing the dialogue.
2. Why Send Follow-Up Messages on LinkedIn?
Following up with prospects on LinkedIn demonstrates professionalism and commitment. Often, prospects may miss the initial message or may need a gentle reminder to respond.
A follow-up message shows that you’re serious about connecting, respects the prospect’s busy schedule, and increases the chances of a meaningful reply.
Additionally, for ongoing conversations, follow-ups can help maintain momentum, allowing you to delve deeper into the prospect’s needs or interests.
Key Benefits of Sending Follow-Ups:
Increases Response Rate: Prospects are more likely to respond when they receive a well-timed reminder.
Demonstrates Persistence: Following up shows your commitment and interest in engaging with the prospect.
Enhances Relationship Building: Follow-ups help to build trust and establish a genuine rapport, making it easier to move conversations forward.
3. How to Ask LEO to Draft a LinkedIn Follow-Up Message
To have LEO draft a follow-up message on LinkedIn, follow these simple steps:
Open the LinkedIn profile of a prospect with whom you have an ongoing conversation.
Indicate your interest in re-engaging with the prospect, and LEO will generate a message tailored for you.
To generate LinkedIn follow-up messages, LEO relies on various information sources and advanced message generation algorithms.
For this specific use case, LEO also considers the conversation history, creating a follow-up message that naturally aligns with your previous exchange.
=> Learn more about message generation (article in preparation).
Once LEO generates the message, you have two options:
Option 1: The Message Suits You
If the message aligns with your goals, you can directly copy it, paste it into LinkedIn, and send it to your prospect. You can make edits if needed before sending 👇
Option 2: The Message Does Not Suit You
If the message doesn’t quite meet your expectations, you have two alternatives:
Request LEO to regenerate the message by clicking the 🔄 icon.
Share your “writing instructions” with LEO by clicking the 📝 icon to guide it toward a more tailored message.
In this case, we recommend not adding a template, allowing LEO the flexibility to draft a message that fits seamlessly into the flow of your ongoing conversation. However, feel free to share specific instructions with LEO to fine-tune the message to your liking.
With these options, LEO helps you craft follow-up messages that are highly relevant and professionally aligned with the prospect’s context, ensuring each interaction is meaningful and well-timed.
4. When to Use This Feature
👉 Re-engaging Prospects Who Haven’t Responded
If you've sent an initial message to a prospect who hasn’t responded, a well-thought-out follow-up can rekindle their interest and encourage a reply.
With LEO’s help, you can send a follow-up message from a fresh angle, avoiding any impression of spamming while reaffirming your intent to connect or highlighting the value of an exchange. This type of follow-up strengthens your credibility and shows that you tailor your approach to each prospect’s needs and interests.
Why is this relevant?
People are often busy, and it’s easy for a message to be overlooked or forgotten. Sending a polite follow-up demonstrates professionalism and reminds the prospect of your value. A follow-up message can often be the nudge needed to start a conversation that might otherwise go cold.
Key Benefits:
Boosts Visibility: Following up brings your message back to the prospect’s attention, increasing the likelihood of a reply.
Creates a timely reminder: A follow-up shows that you’re attentive to your network, subtly reminding the prospect that they were contacted with thoughtfulness.
Adds Value: A well-crafted follow-up can briefly restate the value of connecting, giving the prospect a clear reason to respond.
👉 Continuing a Conversation with an Active Prospect
For prospects with whom you’re already conversing, follow-up messages can keep the dialogue flowing, allowing you to delve deeper into mutual interests or discuss specific opportunities.
LEO can help by drafting messages that pick up seamlessly from the last exchange, ensuring the tone and content are consistent.
Why is this relevant?
Keeping an active conversation alive helps build rapport and can provide valuable insights into a prospect’s needs or interests. Follow-ups in ongoing conversations demonstrate your attentiveness and allow you to explore potential synergies more thoroughly.
Key Benefits:
Maintains Engagement: Regular follow-ups prevent the conversation from stalling, keeping prospects interested and engaged.
Strengthens Relationships: Continuous dialogue shows your dedication, enhancing trust and rapport.
Advances the Sales Process: By staying in touch, you increase the chances of discovering opportunities that could lead to a sale or partnership.
Conclusion
Building a LinkedIn network is only part of the process; actively engaging with connections through thoughtful follow-ups is what drives real results.
LinkedIn messages have a high read rate, and by using LEO to create targeted, contextually relevant follow-ups, you can maximize your response rate and build stronger relationships with prospects.
Use LEO to make each message count, saving time and ensuring every follow-up is crafted to create impact.