Cold email vs LinkedIn DM

What are the steps

1. Pick by where they are activePosters read DMs, executives read email.
2. Lead with value in a DMA useful fix with no ask.
3. Keep email shortThree blocks and an easy question.
4. Reference one channel in the otherMention their post in your email.
5. Do not repeat the same pitch in bothEach touch adds something.

How do the options compare

Which real examples show it

Justin Welsh

1. Send three helpful messages before you pitch

Each message was personal and useful on its own, so by the time there was a deal, trust was already built.

1. Open with a specific, useful fix and no ask
2. Watch for posts that signal a need
3. Return with a resource built for them
4. Answer questions in depth
5. Let them ask for the call

Full breakdown · Source

30 Minutes to President's Club

2. Write three lines for three jobs

It is short enough to read on a phone, starts from the reader's world, and the ask is easy to say yes to.

1. Write a problem line from what you know about them
2. Explain your fix in one or two lines
3. Ask an interest question, not for a meeting
4. Keep each block to three lines on mobile
5. Avoid commas and long words

Full breakdown · Source

HubSpot

3. Open with something they made

The first lines are about the reader's own work, so they read like a note from a fan, not a pitch. Being a customer of his product adds a second reason to keep reading.

1. Find one thing the prospect made, said or shipped
2. Open with a sincere, specific reaction to it
3. Mention any real connection, such as being their customer
4. Keep the pitch to one or two lines
5. Close with a short yes or no question

Full breakdown · Source

Sri Guduguntla

4. Promise a playbook then admit there is none

The fake out is a pattern break, and the honest story is more useful than a list.

1. Open with a result people want
2. Tease the format readers expect
3. Break it with honesty
4. Tell the real story in short lines
5. Credit the people who helped

Full breakdown · Source

What else do people ask

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