Outbound messages are not about selling straight away. They’re about starting a relevant conversation with the right person.

Whether you’re writing emails or LinkedIn messages, the best results come from keeping it simple, specific, and rooted in real challenges.

This guide breaks down how to prepare before writing, and how to structure your messages once you’re ready.

What to Prepare Before Writing

1. Understand the person you’re targeting

Get clear on their role and responsibilities. Think about what they’re accountable for, how they’re measured, and what pressures they’re likely facing.

Ask yourself:

• What do they spend their time thinking about?

• What problems keep showing up in their role?

• What would make their job easier or more successful?

2. Identify 1 or 2 real problems they likely care about

Focus your message on challenges they’re already aware of or feeling in their day-to-day work. 

Avoid making the message about your product…start with what they care about.

Ask:

• What’s frustrating or slowing them down?

• What are they trying to improve but struggling with?

3. Be clear on what you offer

Write down the specific outcome you help people like them achieve. Focus on the business impact, not your tools or services.

Ask:

• What results have we delivered for others like them?

• What’s the simplest way to explain how we help?

4. Gather one relevant proof point

Messages are stronger when backed by a quick success story, stat, or example. It shows you’ve done this before and that you understand the space.

Tip: Even a one-sentence reference to a past result can help build trust.

5. Choose one message angle per message

Each message should focus on one clear problem or insight. Don’t try to cover everything, your goal is to be relevant, not comprehensive.

6. Decide the next step you want from them

Avoid pushing for a meeting right away. A soft question that invites a reply works best.

Examples:

• “Is this something you’ve been exploring?”

• “Would you be open to learning more?”

• “Does this resonate with what you’re seeing?”

How to Structure the Message

When you sit down to write the message, remember: the goal is not to pitch your service, it’s to create a moment of relevance.

You want the reader to think, “This feels like it’s for me.”

The best way to do that is by structuring your message around one clear problem, a simple point of credibility, and an easy next step.

Here’s a breakdown of how to structure it:

1. Start with the problem

Open with something the reader is likely feeling or dealing with. This shows them immediately that you understand their role or situation. The more specific the problem, the more likely they are to read on.

Examples:

• “Many [job title]s I speak with are under pressure to show results but working with limited internal resources.”

• “Most [role]s I talk to are struggling to generate quality leads from their current marketing efforts.”

Don’t start by introducing yourself or your company – get straight to the thing they care about.

2. Explain the impact of that problem
Once you’ve highlighted the challenge, show why it matters.

What happens if they don’t solve it?

This helps them feel the weight of the problem and builds urgency without being pushy.

Examples:

• “The result is often wasted budget, internal pressure, and no clear path forward.”

• “This usually leads to inconsistent pipeline and too much reliance on traditional sales channels.”

You don’t need to be dramatic, just clear about what’s at stake.

3. Share a quick proof point

After you’ve made the problem real, show that you’ve helped others solve it.

A short stat, client example, or result makes your message feel credible and grounded.

Examples:

• “We recently helped a company in a similar space improve lead quality by 50% in 90 days.”

• “One of our clients saw a 45% boost in conversion rates after we fixed a few key website issues.”

Keep it short, there’s no need to go into full case study mode.

4. End with a soft, low-pressure question

Your goal is to get a reply, not a commitment. End with a question that invites conversation rather than pushes for a meeting.

Think of it as starting a dialogue.

Examples:

• “Is this something you’ve been exploring?”

• “Would you be open to hearing how others are solving this?”

• “Does this sound familiar?”

Avoid phrases like “Let me know a good time to talk” or “Can we jump on a quick call?” in the first message.

Save that for once they engage.

Example Message Flow (not client-specific):

Hi {{first_name}},

Many {{job_titles}} I speak with are struggling to {{problem}}, even though they’re investing in {{activity}}.

We recently worked with a company in a similar space that saw a {{stat/result}} by addressing this head-on.

Is this something you’ve been looking at?

Each message should be simple, focused, and easy to read in under 20 seconds.

If you follow this structure: problem > impact > proof > soft ask, you’ll write messages that feel relevant and get replies.