15 ways to be a LinkedIn DM pro (While prospecting)

Includes 6 snippets for LinkedIn

Sep 07, 2025

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Today's mini-guide is sponsored by Kondo.

Below you'll learn how the best reps turn LinkedIn DMs into predictable pipeline.

Here’s the tool that makes it doable.

Because what's the point of mastering LinkedIn prospecting... if your inbox is still where opportunities go to die?

That’s why I use Kondo every day. It turns LinkedIn’s messy inbox into a real sales tool:

Never miss an "interested" reply
Follow up without spreadsheets
Snippets ready to go

I’ve been a paying customer since day one, and when they asked to write this sponsored guide, it was an easy yes.

P.S. Normally, you’d pay for month one. With my link, you get it free (worth $40), a small gift from Kondo just for my readers.

Try Kondo free for a month (worth $40)

How many "interested, or tell me more" messages are sitting unread in your LinkedIn inbox right now?

You don't know, because LinkedIn treats every DM the same.

No prioritization, no follow-up system, just a wall of the same notifications where interested prospects get buried under connection spam.

You might have tried spreadsheets or Salesforce tasks, but those never get updated when you’re juggling 12 other things.

Result: you drop 2–3 qualified opportunities every month.

Meanwhile, top reps send 100+ connection requests a week, never miss a follow-up, and never miss a reply from an interested prospect.

Here are 15 ways to run your inbox like they do, and become a LinkedIn DM Pro (while prospecting).

P.S. These tactics come from 5 years in the LinkedIn trenches and 50+ interviews with top SDRs and AEs.

15 ways to become a LinkedIn DM Pro (while prospecting)

Playbook 0: The Right Inbox Setup

Before we even get into sending messages, you need to know this:

LinkedIn actually gives you two inboxes.

The regular LinkedIn inbox.
The Sales Navigator inbox.

Most reps don’t even realize this split exists, and it can mess up your outreach before you send a single DM.

1. Always Use the Native LinkedIn Inbox

Never message from Sales Nav because, Sales Nav messages often land in prospects' "Other" folder (LinkedIn's spam folder), drastically reducing your reply rate.

The native inbox gives you voice notes, video messages, and group chats for intros.

2. Route Sales Nav Prospects the Right Way

You’ll spend most of your time in Sales Nav.

But for messaging? Always switch to your regular LinkedIn inbox. Here’s how:

Sending a blank invite? Do it from Sales Nav. Once accepted, switch to the native inbox.
Sending a note? Open the profile → 3 dots → “View LinkedIn profile” → Connect → Add your note.
Already connected? Never DM from Sales Nav. Instead: click their name → View on LinkedIn → message them there.

Why?

Otherwise, you’ll create two separate threads, one in Sales Nav, one in LinkedIn, and it makes you look like a bot.

3. Master mobile connection requests

LinkedIn mobile's "Connect" button works differently than on desktop, it sends blank connection requests instantly with no chance to personalize.

If you want to personalize your connection request: On your phone app: tap the three dots menu → select "Personalize invite" → add your note.

Playbook 1: Stay on Top of your DMs

4. Time-Box your DMs (3x a day)

One big mistake I made: living in my LinkedIn inbox all day.

Now I check DMs at dedicated times, like 9am, 1pm, and 4pm, and ignore them in between.

Batching keeps you out of constant context-switching every few minutes, cuts stress, and makes your replies more intentional.

Turn off and mute LinkedIn notifications outside these windows to protect your focus on your phone and your computer.

5. Split your inbox: Focused vs Other

Create 2 mental folders for every message:

Focused (prospects, customers, active deals)
Other (recruiters, spam, newsletters).

Sort ruthlessly in one second per message, prospect reply goes to Focused, recruiter outreach goes to Other, no exceptions or overthinking.

Always clear Focused first since these drive revenue, then speed-skim Other in your last 2 minutes (archive 90% unread). This simple binary split means you'll never miss an interested prospect buried under "congrats on your work anniversary" notifications again.

6. One-touch decisioning

When you open a DM, make an immediate decision: reply now (if under 2 minutes), set a reminder for later, or archive, never just read and close.

For complex responses, don't mark as unread hoping you'll remember; instead, set a calendar reminder for "3pm tomorrow: Reply to John about pricing question" with the conversation link.

This eliminates the habit of re-reading the same message 3-4 times before acting.

Every message gets processed exactly once with a clear next step, transforming your inbox from a graveyard into an active pipeline.

Playbook 2: Speed Reply

7. Build snippets for your top messages

You’re probably typing the same 5–10 messages on repeat:

intro DMs, quick follow-ups, “here’s my calendar,” and the classic objection replies.

Stop.

Create snippets so you can send them in seconds, no typos, no wasted time.

Below, I’ve got 6 ready-to-use snippets for you.

Copy them into your notes app.

📌 Or skip the copy-paste. Get these snippets pre-loaded in Kondo + try Kondo free for 1 month (worth $40).

Click here to grab them

Point the prospect to your email

Hey {{First Name}}, given {{insert the reason you reached out}}, I sent you an email. Did you get a chance to take a look?

Calendar link (my favorite one)

When they are interested in booking a meeting. Simple but effective:

Absolutely, feel free to grab a slot that works for you here: {{Calendar URL}}

Educational Follow-up

Hi {{First Name}}, do you have any feedback on my last note?

PS: Sharing this article {{Article+hyperlink}}, and thought you might like it, especially this part: {{topic that matters to your persona or prospect}}

Pain Follow-Up

Hi {{First name}} - typically when I speak with {{Buyer personas}}, they say {{Pain point}} is a challenge. Have you seen something like this?

PS: happy to send a 1-min explainer video, if you think that might be useful.

Colleague Follow-Up

Hi {{First name}}, would it make more sense for me to speak with {{colleague_name}} about this?

Referral template

Another one I’ve used with colleagues or founders to get referrals, usually through LinkedIn or Slack.

Hi {{Founder/VP}}, hope you’re doing well. I’d like to connect where [company priority] overlaps with [our value]. Would you be open to a double opt-in intro to one of these?

- [Name 1, Title, Company] — [why now]
- [Name 2, Title, Company] — [why now]
- [Name 3, Title, Company] — [why now]

I’ve already written short blurbs you can forward, just let me know which one works best.

8. Route next steps to email (or a call)

LinkedIn DMs are for starting conversations and booking meetings, not for complex discovery calls.

When prospects ask detailed product questions or you need to share documents, immediately suggest: "This deserves a proper conversation, I'll send you my calendar" or "Let me email you those case studies with pricing details."

Email provides searchable threads, and stakeholder visibility, while calls build rapport faster than typed messages.

Recognize the inflection point (usually 3-4 messages deep) and graduate to the appropriate channel before the conversation stalls.

9. Use voice notes to increase your reply rate

Voice messages instantly differentiate you from the wall of text in prospects' inboxes, they hear your enthusiasm and personality in 30 seconds.

Record directly in:

LinkedIn mobile app
Use Kondo for desktop voice notes without switching devices (huge time saver).

Rotate between text, voice, and video based on the prospect's communication style, top performers test all three formats until something clicks, reporting a higher response rate with different formats.

Playbook 3: Nurture & Hygiene

10. The 3-marker system: Stars/Unread/Archive

Use LinkedIn's built-in features strategically:

Unread = waiting on their reply (after you message)
Star = prospect who showed interest (respond ASAP) or ongoing conversations
Archive = done/not the right timing.

This creates three clear buckets: your turn (regular inbox view), their turn (unread), and urgent prospects (starred).

Keep starred conversations under 5, these are only for prospects who explicitly asked for meetings or showed buying intent. Everything else stays unstarred but organized through the unread/archive system.

11. Weekly 15‑minute inbox reset

Every Friday, set a recurring 15-minute calendar block titled "LinkedIn Inbox Reset" and protect it religiously.

In this session: archive all lost conversations, clear connection requests, check for any missed replies by scrolling back 7 days, and reset your star/unread system for Monday.

This prevents the gradual chaos creep that kills most LinkedIn systems within 2 weeks.

12. Process starred (interested) prospects first

Start every LinkedIn session by checking starred messages; these are your interested prospects who've shown explicit interest and need immediate attention.

Handle all starred conversations before touching anything else.

After responding to a starred/interested prospect, and mark as unread (ball in their court) unless they need another immediate action.

Playbook 4: Automation

13. Split Inboxes with the Right Tool

LinkedIn only gives you 2 inboxes (Focused + Other). Not enough.

That’s where Kondo comes in, it lets you build custom inboxes using labels and filters.

You could have one view for:

new inbound leads
One for ongoing prospect conversations
“Cold outreach”
another for networking
everything else.

I run mine like this:

It’s like having separate desks for each task instead of one messy pile.

The result is you always know where to look, nothing gets buried, and your inbox finally works for you.

14. Snooze to resurface follow-ups

Never send a LinkedIn DM without setting a follow-up reminder, use reminders, calendar blocks, or automation tools (like Kondo) that resurface conversations automatically.

Follow this proven cadence:

Initial message (Day 1)
First follow-up if no response (Day 3)
2nd follow-up if no response (Day 6)

Each follow-up hits different weekdays to maximize catching prospects when they're active. This systematic approach means you'll never wonder "did they reply?" or miss following up, conversations simply reappear when action is needed.

P.S. Remember, not all prospects spend their whole day on LinkedIn.

15. Sync to CRM/Notion/Clay

Connect LinkedIn DMs to your CRM/Clay/Notion in real-time. When you label a conversation "Qualified" in Kondo, it pushes to your CRM. This eliminates copy-paste logging that reps skip anyway. Your LinkedIn activity becomes visible alongside email and calls, creating a unified prospect view in your systems.

Since sales teams use 10+ tools on average, integration is crucial for maintaining data hygiene and preventing dropped balls.

Your Next 3 Actions (Do These Now)

Right now: Block 3 inbox check-ins (9am, 1pm, 4pm).
Next 2 min: Copy the follow-up snippets
Tomorrow: Ditch Sales Nav inbox. Use the native inbox only.

💡 Bonus for Readers

Want to implement these tactics without the spreadsheet chaos?

Kondo transforms LinkedIn's mess into an actual sales inbox.

The 6 templates above? Pre-loaded in your account.

Plus automated follow-ups, CRM sync, and zero missed replies.

Normally, you’d pay for month one.

With my link, you get it free (worth $40), a small gift from Kondo just for my readers.