10 LinkedIn Connection Request Templates With 40%+ Acceptance Rates

Why Most Connection Requests Get Ignored

LinkedIn gives you 300 characters for a connection request note. Most people waste it by pitching immediately, writing something vague, or skipping the note entirely. The prospects who receive dozens of these per week have become experts at ignoring them.

The connection requests that get accepted do one of three things: make the prospect feel seen, offer something specific of value, or establish a genuine commonality.

The 3 Principles of High-Acceptance Connection Requests

1. Make it about them, not you. If your message contains more words about yourself than about them, rewrite it.

2. Reference something specific. Generic admiration is transparent. "I enjoyed your post about [specific topic from last week]" shows you actually paid attention.

3. Don't pitch in the request. The connection request is the first handshake, not the sales pitch. Pitching immediately is the equivalent of handing someone your business card before you know their name.

10 Templates That Work

"[Name], your post about [specific topic] last week was spot on - especially the point about [specific detail]. Wanted to connect with more people thinking this way."

"[Name] - [Mutual Connection] mentioned we should connect given we're both working on [shared challenge]. Looking forward to learning from you."

"Fellow [job title] here. Love following [Company]'s work on [specific thing]. Would be great to be connected and exchange notes."

"Great meeting you at [event] - or if we didn't cross paths, I noticed you were there too. Always worth connecting with people taking [topic] seriously."

"[Name], your background in [specific area] is impressive. I'm working through a similar challenge - would love to connect and pick your brain sometime."

"Saw [Company] is scaling the [team] - exciting growth. Would love to connect and follow along as you build."

"Both in the [community/group/alumni network] - figured it was worth connecting with active members."

"[Name] - I follow your work and respect what you're building at [Company]. Simple as that. Would love to connect."

"[Name] - I just published [resource] on [topic relevant to them]. Thought you might find it useful. Would love to connect and share it."

"[Name], noticed you're focused on [specific initiative] at [Company]. We're seeing interesting things in that space. Worth connecting?"

What to Do After They Accept

Wait 1-2 days before sending a follow-up message. When you do, don't pitch. Start a conversation: share the resource you mentioned, ask a genuine question, or reference something from their recent activity. The sales conversation comes after a real exchange, not immediately after acceptance.