I've been testing different outreach approaches lately and the standard templates just don't cut it anymore. A colleague shared something that surprised me - they used just the 😊 emoji in their LinkedIn hook and it got a noticeably higher response rate. Apparently it humanises the message without you even thinking about it, makes it feel like a real personal note.
Another one that's worked for me is asking 'What's annoying you about your current setup right now?' People answer way faster than if I ask them to tell me about their business. It's direct, shows empathy, and cuts through the fluff.
But how do you present it? Do you just drop that question cold or add some context first?
