LinkedIn connection requests
Why Victoria AI connection requests go out blank by default, how much that lifts acceptance, and what a note should say if you add one.
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The job of a LinkedIn connection request
A connection request has one job: get accepted. Acceptance puts the lead on the Yes path, where LinkedIn messages can reach them. Don't pitch in the request; a pitch gets ignored or declined.
Send LinkedIn connection requests blank by default
Send the invite with no message. In our testing, requests with no note were accepted 10% to 30% more often than requests with one.
The likely reason: a blank request doesn't start the relationship on an angle or an ask. A note, however friendly, tells the prospect you want something. A blank request is just one professional connecting with another.
The Copilot leaves the note empty unless you ask for one, and the built-in Email + LinkedIn and LinkedIn Only templates send a blank request. In the Sequence editor the note is marked (optional), and an empty note is a valid step.
Your profile does the work on a blank LinkedIn request
With no note, the prospect decides from your photo, your name and your headline. A clear, professional headshot and a short headline about who you help do more for acceptance than any note. See Optimize your LinkedIn profile.
If you add a LinkedIn connection note, keep it neutral
If you'd rather send a message, make it a neutral peer note: no pitch, no ask, and a personalization field so it reads as written for them.
Hey {first_name}, I'm looking to connect with fellow podcast hosts. Would be great to chat sometime.Hey {first_name}, I'm connecting with other founders in [your market], and {company} came up. Would be good to know each other.The first is an example from our own outreach. Swap "podcast hosts" and "founders" for the group you and the prospect both belong to.
LinkedIn connection note rules
- Up to 300 characters, counted after variables are filled in. Long company names or titles can push a note over, and LinkedIn refuses it.
- Use only standard and custom fields, such as
{first_name},{company}or a column from your CSV. Don't put AI Personalization fields in a connection note; the editor doesn't offer them there. - No product, no company pitch, no link.
- Avoid LinkedIn's default text and anything that reads like a template.
Make the No path count
Some leads never accept. In an Email + LinkedIn sequence, put emails on the No path so they're still reached. See Choosing a sequence shape.