You sent a few InMails last week.
“Hi Joe, I admire your company and would love to be considered for any opportunities.”
It was polished. Professional.
You even read it twice before hitting send.
And… crickets.
Now flip it.
You’re hiring.
It’s 3:17 PM.
You’ve had seven meetings, one last-minute escalation, and your budget tab is still open.
You check LinkedIn.
There it is. InMail #297 of the week.
Subject: “Excited to Explore Opportunities”
Body: “I’d love to be considered for any roles.”
You squint.
You sigh.
You close the tab.
Why You’re Not Getting a Reply (Even as a Perfect Fit)
Here’s what you don’t know:
You’re InMail #297 this week.
The hiring leader you messaged?
They’re underwater handling their actual job, juggling a million internal tasks…
and also trying to hire.
(And yes, hiring always comes second to the fires they’re already putting out.)
Everyone says, “I’d love to work with your team.”
So why should they stop, click, and reply to you?
Especially when your message reads like everyone else’s.
And honestly?
They shouldn’t have to work to figure out why you’re worth responding to.
Want the InMail odds to be in your favor?
Start here 👇👇👇
🔥 Five InMail Shifts That Get Noticed
1. Warm the lead, before you hit send.
Hiring leaders check their own notifications. Show up where they’re looking.
Engage with a recent post
Leave a thoughtful comment
Tag them in a relevant share
You're building familiarity. This is networking.
2. Offer insight, not an ask.
Instead of:
“I’d love to be considered.”
Try:
“Hi JackieO, I saw your post about scaling post-Series B. I’ve led a few bumpy rides there. Sharing a few takeaways here.”
You’re signaling strategic thinking.
Adding value, not more work.
3. Make it frictionless.
Most execs are drowning in cold outreach. If your ask requires much thinking or effort, you lose.
❌ “Let’s connect for 30 minutes so I can share my background.”
✅ “Here’s a 2-min voice note on X. Pls DM back for part II.”
It’s low-lift. Plus it builds curiosity.
4. Message active people.
Don’t pitch to a LinkedIn ghost.
You’re 2–3x more likely to get a reply from someone who’s:
• Posted recently
• Commented on shared topics
• Viewed your profile in the last 14 days
• Active in your niche
Use your good digital instinct – or Sales Navigator. Pick another person to message who’s active.
5. Be the hook.
Skip the resume (They have your profile). Lead with a spark.
“Caught your webinar on next level legal ops powered with AI. I’ve worked in federal capture, the legal side. Virtual coffee? or may I share here?”
“Your post on burnout in product teams hit home. I tried something last quarter that worked. It’s a new check-in app called xyz.”
These are conversation starters.
TL;DR
❌ If your InMail screams “please hire me,” it gets ignored.
✅ If it sparks relevance, it gets a reply.
So offer a spark. Create a conversation.
That’s what we do.
🎯 Drop a comment or message me “spark” and I’ll share more.
It is a counterintuitive, isn’t it? What has your experience been?