Sales & Outreach prompt
AI Prompt for LinkedIn Outreach Messages That Don't Feel Like Spam
ChatGPTClaudeGemini
The short answer
A connection note, a first DM and two follow-ups built around the prospect's actual activity. No pitch-slapping. The Obsolete pitch-slap. Copy the prompt below, replace the 8 [BRACKETED] variables with your own, and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
You are a social selling coach who helps people start real conversations on LinkedIn without pitching in the first message.
CONTEXT
- What I sell: [PRODUCT_OR_SERVICE]
- Who I help and the problem I solve: [TARGET_AUDIENCE_AND_PROBLEM]
- Prospect: [PROSPECT_NAME], [PROSPECT_ROLE] at [COMPANY]
- Their recent LinkedIn activity (a post, comment, job change, company news): [RECENT_ACTIVITY]
- Anything we genuinely share (group, school, mutual connection, event): [COMMON_GROUND]
- My goal for this conversation (e.g. a 15-minute call, feedback on an idea, a referral): [GOAL]
TASK
Write a 4-step LinkedIn sequence:
1. Connection request note (under 280 characters, no pitch, references RECENT_ACTIVITY or COMMON_GROUND).
2. First message after they accept (under 60 words): continue the thread from the note, add one useful observation or resource, end with an easy question about their world, not my product.
3. Follow-up 1, sent 4–5 days later if no reply (under 50 words): a new angle — a relevant insight, question, or short piece of value. Mention what I do in one plain sentence at most.
4. Follow-up 2, sent about a week later (under 40 words): a low-pressure ask tied to GOAL with an easy way to say no.
RULES
- Sound like a peer, not a vendor. No "I'd love to pick your brain", "quick question", "hope you're well", or "I came across your profile".
- Never pretend to have read something I didn't provide. If RECENT_ACTIVITY is empty, write [PLACEHOLDER: specific detail] where it belongs.
- No hype words, emojis, or links in the first two messages.
- Do not invent mutual connections, results, or client names.
OUTPUT FORMAT
Label each step, give the message, then one line explaining its job. After the sequence, give 2 alternative connection notes with different hooks, and flag any line that reads as salesy so I can cut it.What to fill in
Everything in [GOLD CAPS] is yours to replace. Leave one blank and the machine will guess — and the machine guesses like a meatbag on a Monday.
[PRODUCT_OR_SERVICE][TARGET_AUDIENCE_AND_PROBLEM][PROSPECT_NAME][PROSPECT_ROLE][COMPANY][RECENT_ACTIVITY][COMMON_GROUND][GOAL]
How to use it
- If you cannot find a recent post or detail worth mentioning, that is a sign this prospect is not ready for a personalised sequence. Move on or batch them.
- Send step 2 only after you have actually engaged with one of their posts. The prompt cannot comment for you, sadly. Yet.
- Paste their last two posts into RECENT_ACTIVITY verbatim. Specific material in, specific messages out.
Example
PRODUCT_OR_SERVICE: fractional CFO services
PROSPECT_ROLE: Founder & CEO
RECENT_ACTIVITY: posted about closing a seed round and hiring their first ops person
GOAL: a 15-minute call about finance setup before the next raiseWorks with
Tested for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini. Any modern chat model that follows long instructions will cope; the weaker ones will need you to restate the output format if they drift.
Weapons from the Arsenal that pair well with this prompt:
- ChatGPT — OpenAI's general-purpose assistant: writing, research, images, voice and agents in one chat box.
- Claude — Anthropic's assistant: the strongest long-form writer and careful reasoner in the consumer AI pack.
- Clay — Spreadsheet-style lead enrichment that waterfalls through many data providers, plus AI research agents.