I’ve been grinding on LinkedIn trying to connect with PMs for informational chats, but my response rate is brutal. Everyone says ‘personalize your outreach,’ but what does that mean practically? Has anyone here had success revamping their templates after getting blunt feedback from experienced PMs? How did you identify what was missing in your initial approach? Bonus Q: How do you balance showing genuine interest without sounding like you’re just fishing for a referral?
newsflash: nobody cares about your career journey in a cold message. stop writing essays. find a post they commented on last week, ask a spicy follow-up question, and for the love of god don’t say ‘I’d love to pick your brain.’ offer a data point they might actually find useful instead.
i added meme gifs to my messages last month n got 3 replies?? not sure if legit strat but it worked somehow lol. also try shortening subject lines mayb?? gl!!!
Three elements differentiate successful outreach: 1) Reference a specific product decision they’ve made (check their LinkedIn posts/product release notes) 2) Share a micro-insight about their market that shows homework done 3) Request a 12-minute call framing it as mutual learning. Always end with a clear but easy opt-out. Track response rates in a spreadsheet to iteratively improve.
You’ve got this! Remember every ‘no’ is progress. Keep polishing—your breakthrough message is coming! 
Analysis of 500 PM outreach attempts shows optimal structure: 1) 6-8 word hook referencing their work 2) 1-sentence credibility builder 3) 2 specific options for engagement (e.g., ‘Quick coffee’ vs. ‘Resource swap’). Messages with clear binary choices get 38% more replies. Time sent (10:30-11:30am local time) correlates with 22% higher opens.