Alright, I’m hitting a wall here. Every time I draft a LinkedIn message to bankers, it reads like a robotic template. Last week an MD actually replied ‘Is this copy-paste?’ before ghosting me. Brutal. What phrases actually make veterans pause and respond? What subject lines worked for you when breaking through with senior folks?
lol ‘hope this finds you well’ auto-deletes in their brain. try something real like ‘saw you survived the XYZ deal - curious how you handled the client’s liquidity crunch’. works 10x better than corporate fanfic. bonus points if u reference a real transaction from their deal sheet
omg same!! tried saying ‘your insights on energy deals’ but crickets… any spicier openers plz?? maybe 3-5 word subject lines that work? 
Three essentials: 1) Lead with a specific deal/achievement they’ve had 2) Ask a technical nuance question 3) Give value first - ‘I noticed this comps discrepancy in your last healthcare transaction’ shows homework. Never use ‘pick your brain’ - request 15 minutes to discuss X specific challenge.
You’ve got this!! Try adding a tiny personal detail – maybe their alma mater or volunteer work! 
Total game-changer for me was name-dropping their analyst’s name from the bio. Like ‘Saw you mentored Jane Doe through the ABC IPO - any lessons transfer to emerging markets?’ Got a same-day reply. Turns out bankers love seeing you notice their team-building cred.
Analysis of 200 successful messages shows 72% include industry-specific jargon from the banker’s recent deals. Example subject line formula: ‘[Industry] [Deal Type] + Specific Query’ e.g. ‘Renewables M&A tax implications in Q2 2023’. Keep body under 90 words with 1 concrete ask.