Richard van der Blom on Optimizing LinkedIn Outreach: Timing, Notes, and Call Length

In a recent LinkedIn post, Richard van der Blom discusses effective strategies for business-to-business (B2B) outreach on the platform, drawing from over five years of personal testing and experience building outreach sequences for hundreds of sales teams. Van der Blom emphasizes that the primary goal of a connection request should be the connection itself, not an immediate meeting, a common pitfall he observes.

The Critical Role of Timing in Connection Requests

A key element highlighted by Richard van der Blom is the importance of timing for connection requests. He asserts that a significant majority of accepted requests occur within the first 24 hours. According to his data, over 60% of successful connections happen within this initial period, with the figure reaching 91% by the 14-day mark. Van der Blom advises withdrawing requests that remain pending for two weeks, stating, “If someone hasn’t accepted in two weeks, they’re not ‘still thinking about it.’ Withdraw it. A stale request sitting in your pending list does nothing but eat into your invite cap.” This data-driven approach suggests that persistent, unaccepted requests can hinder future outreach efforts.

The Power and Limitations of Connection Notes

Van der Blom also delves into the significance of the accompanying note in a connection request. He points out that while the note’s importance is often underestimated, its scope is also frequently overestimated. With free LinkedIn accounts offering only 200 characters for a personal note, he argues that it’s insufficient for a full pitch. Instead, the note’s sole purpose should be to provide a single, genuine reason for the recipient to accept the connection.

He expresses frustration with LinkedIn’s limitations on personalized notes for free accounts, suggesting it prioritizes revenue over user trust. “My honest opinion: the moment LinkedIn limited personal notes for free members, they put revenue before trust,” Richard van der Blom writes. This limitation means that the few personalized notes available should be reserved for individuals who have already been warmed up through prior engagement, rather than being used for initial, cold outreach.

Optimizing Post-Connection Engagement

Beyond the initial connection, Richard van der Blom addresses the subsequent steps in the outreach process, specifically the request for a meeting. He shares findings that a shorter call duration leads to a higher booking rate. Van der Blom notes that a 15-minute call request is significantly more effective, booking eight times more meetings than a 60-minute request. This strategy, he suggests, lowers the perceived commitment for the prospect, thereby increasing the likelihood of securing a meeting.

These insights are part of a larger framework Richard van der Blom has developed, referred to as “The TRUST method,” which he claims has been tested with over 200 B2B sales teams. He states that this method has yielded average results of 60% more pipeline and 40% more meetings for participating companies. Van der Blom is currently promoting a waitlist for his upcoming launch, offering an early-bird discount.

Richard van der Blom concludes by engaging his audience with a question about their own pending and outstanding invites, sharing his own high numbers (2,645 pending vs. 4 outstanding) as a point of reference.