For those who spend any time on LinkedIn, you already know there’s one debate that by no means appears to die: when it is best to pitch after somebody accepts your connection request.
Some individuals swear it is best to pitch instantly — no small speak, no warmup, simply get to the purpose.
Others insist it’s the quickest technique to get ignored or blocked.
And the publish I noticed just lately captured that stress completely.
On one aspect, you could have Matt Firestone saying:
“Rip the band-aid off and inform me what you’re promoting. No person has time for faux relationship constructing.”
On the opposite aspect, Evan Hughes jumps in with the precise reverse take:
“Please cease pitching the second your connection request will get authorised. I take away 3–5 connections every week due to this.”
They’re on the ame platform, with the identical function however fully totally different expectations.
And that’s what makes this tough, particularly for those who’re freelance writing, consulting, or attempting to develop what you are promoting on LinkedIn.
So let’s break it down, as a result of the feedback below posts like this at all times reveal the actual reply behind when it is best to pitch and how to do it with out turning individuals off.
Individuals Aren’t Arguing About Pitching
It’s not like content material entrepreneurs, CEOs, or founders are strolling round with a deep hatred for pitches (I hope not!).
Most of them perceive pitching is a part of doing enterprise.
Some even count on it.
What they don’t like and what sparks all of the frustration on LinkedIn are pitches that present up with completely zero context.
A chilly message that lands in somebody’s inbox with out relevance, personalization, or any indication you already know who they’re looks like sleazy gross sales name that noone desires to reply.
It interrupts their day, and provides nothing of worth. That’s the half individuals push again towards — not the pitch itself.
A superb writing pitch reveals you took 5 seconds to know the particular person. A foul pitch might’ve been copied and pasted to 300 individuals earlier than you.
When there’s no context or no point out of one thing they posted, no trace you perceive their position, or no clear purpose why theyparticularly, ought to care — the pitch lands fallacious.
It looks like an ask with none effort. And that’s the form of outreach that will get ignored and deleted.
So no, individuals aren’t anti-pitch. They’re anti-automation, and anti “Hey, need to hop on a name?” from somebody who didn’t even look at their profile.
And that’s precisely why Matt Firestone and Evan Hughes land on reverse sides of this debate.
Matt’s POV
Matt works in gross sales. His complete day is pitches, demos, and getting straight to the purpose.
He doesn’t need warm-up messages or “How’s your week going?” fluff. To him, a quick pitch is respectful and it saves time and will get proper to the choice.
Evan’s POV
Evan, however, leads advertising and marketing at a fast-growing B2B firm. He will get pitched always. Generally each hour.
And most of these messages? They’re irrelevant, automated, or despatched by individuals who didn’t even hassle to take a look at his profile.
So after all he’s bored with the moment pitch.
Whenever you see each side, it truly is sensible.
And when you begin studying the feedback below posts like this, you discover the identical patterns time and again:
Individuals don’t thoughts a writing pitch when:
- It’s related to their work
- It’s clear you already know who they’re
- It feels like a human wrote it
- It doesn’t soar straight to “Can we hop on a fast name?”
Individuals completely hate a pitch when:
- It’s generic
- It’s a copy-paste script
- It has nothing to do with their position
- It pushes for a gathering earlier than belief exists
- It ignores the content material they’ve already shared publicly
So the actual downside isn’t when you pitch. It’s whether or not the pitch suits the particular person you’re sending it to.
Timing issues far lower than relevance and when you perceive that, the entire debate begins to really feel rather a lot much less dramatic.
So… When Ought to You Pitch? Right here’s the Solely Rule That Works
Pitch to potential purchasers when your message is related and earned and NOT when the connection is authorised.
That is likely to be 10 seconds after they settle for you. That is likely to be 10 weeks later.
Your timing is determined by the context YOU create.
And right here’s easy methods to create that context with out faking a relationship or losing anybody’s time.
1. Personalize the Connection Request (With out Being Bizarre)
That is the place most individuals overthink issues.
Personalization doesn’t imply writing a paragraph.
It doesn’t imply finding out their complete content material historical past. And it undoubtedly doesn’t imply pretending you’ve been following them for years for those who found them 5 minutes in the past.
A easy, direct line is sufficient:
“Noticed your publish on X — spot on. Would love to attach.”
That’s it. Significantly.
No pitch. No faux “value-first” angle. No attempting to impress them with how totally you stalked their profile.
Why does this work?
As a result of personalization indicators intention.
It tells the opposite particular person you’re not connecting at random, and also you’re not operating some automated mass outreach marketing campaign.
You’re displaying a fundamental degree of consciousness, which is already greater than what 90% of LinkedIn customers do.
When somebody sees a customized request, they naturally assume any future message from additionally, you will be related and considerate.
That’s the entire level. You’re constructing a context bridge that makes your follow-up really feel acceptable as a substitute of abrupt.
And right here’s one of the best half: you solely want one line to do it. Whenever you do it this manner there’s no fluff and every thing is real and intentional.
Only a clear, human purpose for hitting “join.” That’s all individuals actually need at this stage.
2. Have interaction Twice Earlier than Pitching (Sure, Twice is Sufficient)
When attempting to attach on LinkedIn for some future writing purchasers, you don’t want an extended, drawn-out “relationship constructing” section earlier than you ship a pitch.
No person has time for that, and albeit, most individuals can see by it anyway.
However you do want to indicate you’re an actual human who truly understands who they’re.
And that solely takes two small touches and never a month of nurturing them (though, some individuals might have a bit extra time than two touches).
Two real interactions can appear like:
- A publish they shared
- One actual remark that proves you paid consideration
- Considerate reply to one thing they stated
This helps you look much less like a bot and extra like a human wanting a connection (but additionally a writing job!).
Whenever you present up even twice and it’s not performative, simply merely and intentional, you sign that you simply’re totally different from the mass-pitchers filling their inbox.
And truthfully? That alone places you within the high 5% of LinkedIn communicators.
Most individuals skip this step fully and go straight to “Hey, can we hop on a fast name?”
You doing the naked minimal already feels refreshing… and that’s what makes your eventual pitch really feel welcome as a substitute of intrusive.
3. When Pitching, Make it Clear Why You’re Reaching Out
That is the second the place most individuals lose the deal earlier than it even begins.
Not as a result of they pitched, however as a result of the pitch has no context to something the particular person stated, posted, or cares about.
An amazing writing pitch isn’t lengthy and it isn’t dramatic.
It merely solutions one query:
“Why are you reaching out to me particularly?”
When you possibly can reply that clearly, your writing pitch instantly feels related as a substitute of random.
An amazing pitch feels like:
“You talked about [very specific pain point].
I assist [very specific type of business] repair that with [simple solution].
For those who ever need a fast breakdown, I can ship it. No obligation.”
Brief, respectful, and grounded in one thing they already expressed.
A horrible pitch, however, often feels like this:
“Can we hop on a fast name? I’ve an incredible answer that may rework what you are promoting.”
No context and no purpose. It’s only a request for his or her time, which is the costliest factor they’ve.
4. If No Response, Don’t Chase Them Down
This one at all times hits a nerve, however it’s the reality: when you’ve despatched a transparent, related pitch, the ball is formally of their courtroom.
Your job is completed.
Something past that begins to look determined… and desperation is precisely what will get individuals eliminated, muted, or blocked.
Nothing kills your credibility sooner than follow-up messages like:
- “Simply bumping this to the highest of your inbox!”
- “Circling again on my final message!”
- “Any ideas?”
These phrases don’t make somebody all of a sudden .
They simply remind them that you simply’re prioritizing your want for a response over their bandwidth, timing, or curiosity.
However once more, it’s essential make every pitch private and if a circling again feels like a good suggestion, then do it. Typically I’ll circle again a couple of week to 2 weeks after which one last time a month later.
I make my followups nonetheless extremely private and related and take a look at to not “templatize” my response.
Notice this:
If somebody desires your pitch, they will reply.
Perhaps not at this time. Perhaps not this week. However they’ll come again to it when the timing aligns with an precise want.
And in the event that they don’t reply in any respect? That’s a sign too.
Skilled outreach isn’t about chasing individuals, it’s about creating readability and letting adults make their very own selections.
If the writing pitch was related, respectful, and well-timed, you’ve already carried out greater than most.
The Actual Takeaway: Pitching Isn’t Dangerous However Dangerous Pitching Is Dangerous
Whenever you actually break down this dialog about when to pitch, and the reactions, you begin to see the larger image:
Each Matt and Evan aren’t fallacious of their evaluation.
They’re all reacting to the high quality of outreach they obtain and never the idea of pitching itself.
That’s the nuance most freelance writers skip proper over. As a substitute of asking “Ought to I pitch?” the higher query is:
“What sort of pitch expertise do I need to create for individuals?”
As a result of on LinkedIn, you get to decide on the popularity you construct:
- You will be the spam pitcher who blasts the identical message to 200 individuals a day.
- You will be the over-nurturer who engages for months and by no means will get to the purpose.
- You will be the never-pitch-anyone-ever creator who posts every day however by no means truly asks for enterprise.
- Otherwise you will be the intentional, related, respectful pitcher who reaches out with readability, context, and confidence.
And right here’s the shocking fact:
Out of all 4, just one constantly books purchasers, the one who pitches with goal and respect.
So, notice that pitching isn’t the issue it’s dangerous pitching is the issue.
When you perceive that, outreach turns into rather a lot much less scary, and much more efficient.
My Easy Rule for Freelance Writers
After a decade as a contract author on-line and having despatched lots of of pitches, I’ve boiled outreach and networking down to at least one rule I educate each WriteTo1K pupil — and observe myself:
Pitch quick when it’s related.
Pitch sluggish whenever you want context.
It sounds easy, however it solves nearly each outreach downside freelance writers wrestle with.
In case your message is clearly tied to one thing the particular person posted, stated, or is actively engaged on? You’ll be able to pitch straight away. It gained’t really feel abrupt as a result of the context already exists.
For those who’re connecting with somebody new and also you want a second to know who they’re, what they do, or whether or not your supply suits? Decelerate.
Give your self time to assemble the context so your pitch doesn’t land fallacious.
This rule prevents you from sending random messages that get ignored.
And, most significantly, it helps you construct a popularity on LinkedIn as somebody value connecting with — somebody skilled,and respectful of different individuals’s time.
That’s all it’s essential begin touchdown purchasers with out annoying the very individuals you’re attempting to succeed in.
I Simply Made LinkedIn Outreach Simpler!
Nicely, I hope I did!
Let me know within the feedback under what you’re battling on LinkedIn! I’ll attempt to assist.
Additionally let me know for those who’re going to make use of this pitching course of when connecting on LinkedIn!
I need to know.
