A good LinkedIn InMail is short, names one specific reason you are writing to this person, and ends with a question that is easy to answer. Below are six LinkedIn InMail examples for common sales situations, each with a subject line. They are built for how InMail works: on LinkedIn Premium you cannot send another InMail to someone until they respond to the first 1, and a reply within 90 days gives you the credit back 1. So the first message has to stand on its own.
01 Why InMail needs its own kind of message
Three rules shape how an InMail should read. They come from LinkedIn's help pages, so they are worth knowing before you write.
First, you usually get one shot. LinkedIn's Premium help page says you cannot send another InMail to a member until they respond to the first one 1. On Sales Navigator a second InMail to the same person before a reply uses another credit 2. Either way, a follow-up sequence of InMails is not how it works.
Second, an answer pays you back. LinkedIn says every InMail that is accepted, declined or answered within 90 days is credited back 1. Even a polite no returns the credit. A message that is easy to answer, either way, keeps your credits going.
Third, LinkedIn nudges for you. It sends the recipient an automatic reminder within three days of the InMail being sent 1. You do not need to chase.
02 Six LinkedIn InMail examples for sales
Each example has a subject line, then the message. Swap in your own details. Keep the length: short messages get read on a phone.
- After a trigger. Subject: Your new role at Northwind. Congratulations on the move to head of sales. New leaders often look at how the team finds pipeline in the first few months. Is that on your list, or is it settled for now?
- From their own post. Subject: Your post on onboarding. You wrote that most churn starts in the first week. We see the same with the teams we work with. Would a short note on what they changed be useful?
- Peer to peer. Subject: How other clinics handle no-shows. I work with a few dental groups your size on no-shows. Each had a slightly different fix. Would it help to hear the two that worked best, in a short call or by message?
- A clear, small ask. Subject: Right person for vendor reviews? I am trying to reach whoever looks after payroll tools at Acme. Is that you, or could you point me to the right person?
- For a recruiter. Subject: A role you may not be looking for. Your work on the data platform at Contoso stood out. We have a lead role with a smaller team and more ownership. Open to hearing more, even if the answer is not now?
- For a busy founder. Subject: One question about your hiring. You are hiring three sales reps this quarter. How are you planning to keep their calendars full in month one?
03 What makes these examples work
None of them pitch a product in the first line. Each gives one real reason for writing to this person and not to anyone else, then asks one question.
- One reason, stated early. A new role, a post they wrote, a job ad, a shared market.
- Short. Three or four sentences fit on a phone screen without scrolling.
- An easy answer either way. Yes, no, or the right person's name all count as a reply, and a reply returns your credit 1.
- No fake familiarity. Do not say you met, and do not pretend you know their business better than they do.
- A subject line that sounds like a person. Name the topic, their role or their company. Skip clickbait and capital letters.
04 LinkedIn InMail subject line examples
The subject is the first thing people see. Plain and specific works better than clever. These patterns are easy to adapt.
- Their topic: Your post on onboarding.
- Their change: Your new role at Northwind.
- A question: Right person for vendor reviews?
- Their peers: How other clinics handle no-shows.
- Their plan: One question about your hiring.
05 When one month of InMail credits is not enough
Good messages do not fix the size of the budget. LinkedIn's Sales Navigator help page says you get 50 InMail credits a month and can build up to 150 2. Its Premium page says there is no plan with unlimited InMail credits 1. If you need to reach more people than that, these are the realistic options, each with its trade-off.
- Message Open Profiles. LinkedIn says Open Profile lets members message a person for free, without using InMail 3. Only some members turn it on.
- Connection requests with a note. No credit needed, but one account sends about 100 a week, as the weekly invite limit page explains.
- Email follow-up. Useful once you have a work email. It takes time or a tool to find verified ones.
- More sending accounts. More credits in total, and more accounts to manage well.
- Hire an SDR or an agency. Someone else writes and sends. Quality depends on who you hire.
- Have the InMail run for you. A done-for-you service writes the sequences and handles replies. You give up some day-to-day control.
07 Who this fits, and who it does not
Having it run for you fits a B2B team that needs to reach more people each month than its own credits allow, and wants someone else to write, send and answer.
It does not fit someone sending a few InMails a week to a short list they know well. The examples above, adapted by hand, will do the job and cost only your credits. The guide to LinkedIn InMail covers the basics, and the cold message examples help with messages to your connections.
- On LinkedIn Premium you cannot send a second InMail to someone until they answer the first, so it must stand alone.
- An InMail answered within 90 days, even with a no, gives you the credit back, so make answering easy.
- Good InMail examples share a pattern: one specific reason, three or four sentences, one easy question.
- Subject lines work best when plain: their topic, their change, their peers or a direct question.
- When credits run short, Open Profile messages, connection notes, email, more accounts or a done-for-you service are the options.
FAQ Frequently asked questions
How long should a LinkedIn InMail be?
Short. Three or four sentences that fit on a phone screen are enough: one reason you are writing, one line of context and one question. Longer messages tend to get skimmed or saved for later and forgotten.
Can I follow up on a LinkedIn InMail?
Not with a second InMail on Premium: LinkedIn says you cannot send another until the person responds. LinkedIn sends them a reminder within three days. You can follow up another way, such as a connection request or email.
Do I get my InMail credit back if they say no?
Yes. LinkedIn says an InMail that is accepted, declined or answered within 90 days is credited back. That is why an easy question that people can answer either way is worth more than a hard pitch.
What is a good subject line for a LinkedIn InMail?
A plain one that names their topic, role or company, such as Your post on onboarding or Your new role at Northwind. It should sound like a person wrote it, not an advert.
Can someone write and send LinkedIn InMails for me?
Yes. A done-for-you service like LinkedNav writes the InMail and connection sequences, sends them and handles the replies, at a monthly prospect volume you choose. It suits teams that need more reach than their own credits give.
Sources
- InMail message credits and renewal process (LinkedIn Help) Read on October 21, 2026.
You can't send another InMail message to a member until they respond to the first message you sent.
- Understand InMail credits in Sales Navigator (LinkedIn Help) Read on October 21, 2026.
As a Sales Navigator user, you're allocated 50 InMail credits per month to send InMail messages.
- Manage your Open Profile settings as a Premium subscriber (LinkedIn Help) Read on October 21, 2026.
Open Profile feature allows other LinkedIn members to message you for free, without using InMail messages.
Have your LinkedIn outreach run for you.
LinkedNav is a done-for-you LinkedIn outreach service. You choose a monthly prospect volume, and our team builds the list, writes the sequences, runs the outreach and handles the replies.