Write a cold LinkedIn message that gets a reply
Crade reads the person's profile on your screen and drafts a cold message that mentions something specific from their work. Not generic outreach.
Write a cold message to this person introducing me as a freelance brand designer. Mention something specific from their work, not generic flattery.
Hi Maya, Saw your post last week about ditching the agency for a series of in-house brand sprints — the Q2 retainer chart got me. Curious how you found the right operator partner for that pace. I run brand sprints solo for small B2B teams (NorthBeam Studio, ex-Pentagram). If you're ever in the market for a contractor for sprint #3 or beyond, would love to chat. No rush — happy to send a few past projects whenever.
Cold LinkedIn outreach has a reply rate close to zero, mostly because most messages are template noise. The ones that work mention something specific from the person's profile or work. The trade-off is that researching each person takes time. Crade reads the profile on your screen and drafts a message that actually shows you read it.
What you put on your screen
- The recipient's LinkedIn profile open in your browser
- Their About section, Experience, and any recent posts visible (scroll once to load)
- Optionally: their company website or a project they shipped, in another tab
What you say to Crade
Mention who you are and what you want from them in the same sentence. Crade reads their profile and weaves in the specific hook.
What you get back
- An opening line that references a specific project, post, or background point from their profile
- A one-sentence intro about who you are (not your life story)
- A specific ask (a 15-min call, a quick reply, a referral)
- A short sign-off
Length: under 100 words. LinkedIn message replies drop fast above that, and Crade is calibrated for the format.
Tips for higher reply rates
- Be specific about the ask. "Can I get 15 minutes to ask you about your launch process?" beats "would love to connect".
- Avoid "hope you are well" openings. They scream template.
- Reference the most recent thing they did, not the oldest. "I saw your post last week" beats "I have followed your work for years".
- Do not pitch in the first message. Ask a question or for a small favour. Pitches come after the second exchange.
- If they have a podcast, newsletter, or open-source project, mention it specifically. Those are the easiest hooks.
When this works best
- B2B founders reaching out to peers
- Freelancers approaching potential clients
- Job seekers messaging hiring managers
- Journalists looking for sources
- Researchers asking for an interview
When to be more careful
- Hiring managers get hundreds of pitches; lead with what specifically you can do, not a vague intro.
- Senior people (CEOs of large companies) have inboxes filtered by assistants; LinkedIn DMs may not be the right channel.
- If you are pitching a product, LinkedIn is rarely the right first touch. Email is usually better.
The whole loop in one sentence
Profile on screen, one prompt with who you are and the ask, message ready to paste. The actual send is still your call.
Most of the time spent on email is not the typing. It is the reading. Crade reads the thread on your screen, gets the actual ask, and drafts a reply you can send or tweak. Here is exactly how it works.
An email you typed too casually. A Slack message that came out blunter than you meant. A first draft that lacks polish. Crade reads what you wrote and rewrites it cleaner without losing your voice.
A meeting you cannot take, a project you cannot accept, an introduction you cannot make. Crade reads the request on your screen and writes a decline that keeps the relationship intact.