LinkedIn Inmail Vs. Cold-Emails for Networking / References?

Hey there,

I'd recommend you not to cold email people with the firm format for two reasons:

1. If they haven't introduced themselves, it's creepy and suspicious (''where did he get my email from?'' + MBB is very wary of phishing, spam, etc.

2. Consultants get tons of emails per day and need to prioritize as they work through them. Random requests are at the bottom of the pile

Due to those 2 reasons, cold emails are mostly ignored, especially by more senior colleagues.

Rather, approach people via Linkedin. Why?

1. It's a level playing field. They get to see who you are,  common connections, etc.

2. They get much fewer Linkedin requests than emails

Try to target people with a similar background, e.g. same school, same previous employer, same hometown, etc. This increases the likelihood that you will receive a positive reply.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

Q: I've found varying suggestions on different forums. But I'm curious whether anyone here has had luck with either of those approaches above.

I would recommend emails, they convert better if you have the right script / target the right people. It's the approach I used and it worked pretty well. However, if you have a weak script and target random people they won’t convert much.

You can find more at the link below:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176

Best,

Francesco

I would find that “cold email” technique to be a bit creepy. One thing is you finding me randomly on LinkedIn and reaching out. Other is someone out of nowhere trying to guess my email.

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• Generally speaking, while it is common practice that (nearly) graduates contact alumns working in the target industries and companies, you do not want to come off creepy. Moreover, in case you are thinking about contacting them via their university e-mail, chances are high they are not checking them anymore.
• As such, I would advise you to contact them via LinkedIn since 1) it is very transparent for them who you are and how you might know each other and 2) you ensure the message actually reaches them.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on the best approach to receive the referrals for your desired companies, please feel free to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

Hi there,

Honestly, I'm not sure! I can see pros/cons for both.

What I'd recommend is to actually do both! Try it out in a 1st round/phase (5-10 emails and 5-10 LinkedIn messgaes) and see what the hit rate is. Then, focus on the tactic that seems to work best…basically run your own experiment :)

Quick note: For anyone you email, if they don't respond, do try to follow-up on LinkedIn after a week or two. They may not have gotten the email. (Of course, intro yourself by apologizing for double-messaging)

if you're weighing between inmail and cold email, both can work — but cold emails give you more room and control (especially if you're personalizing). if you're doing this at scale and want to make it feel natural, linkedowl ai might be a good fit. it helps you automate outreach while still making the messages sound human, not like typical spam. you can even tailor the tone for networking, referrals, or job inquiries.

Hi!

The ideal approach would be to network via your school's Alumni or friends of friends.

Otherwise, I'd recommend the LinkedIn approach rather than cold emails.

Good luck,

Anto