Send Personalized Cold Outreach to LinkedIn Connections

Turn your LinkedIn network into a qualified pipeline. This workflow automatically researches each new connection, qualifies their potential as a lead, and sends personalized cold outreach emails at scale—using AI to analyze their profile, company data, and find verified email addresses.

Why teams use it

• Scale personalized outreach: Research and email 100+ connections per day without manual work
• Higher response rates: AI-crafted emails reference specific details about their role, company, and use case
• Email verification: Uses Hunter.io to find and verify email addresses automatically
• Lead qualification built-in: Score leads 1-10 before sending, focus on your best fits
• Complete LinkedIn export workflow: Step-by-step guide to export your connections from LinkedIn

How it works

1. Export LinkedIn connections to Google Sheets (Connections.csv from LinkedIn)
2. Load connections from Google Sheets into the workflow
3. AI web research searches for each person's recent activity and professional background
4. Email finder uses Hunter.io to find and verify their email address
5. Company research looks up employee count, industry, and recent news via LinkedIn API
6. Lead qualification AI scores each lead 1-10 based on role fit, company size, and buying signals
7. Personalized email generation GPT-5 crafts custom emails with:
   • Reference to connection date
   • Specific observation about their role/company
   • Relevant automation use case
   • Free consultation offer
8. Send via Gmail delivers the email and tracks delivery

How to get your LinkedIn connections

LinkedIn allows you to export your connection data:

1. Go to linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/download-my-data
2. Select "Connections" from the data export options
3. Request the export (LinkedIn will email you when ready, usually within 10 minutes)
4. Download the Connections.csv file
5. Upload to Google Sheets

Expected columns: First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Company, Position, Connected On

What makes great cold outreach

The workflow generates emails following these best practices:

• Short and mobile-friendly: 75-100 words (excluding signature)
• Two blank lines between paragraphs: Easy to read on mobile
• Personalized opener: References their specific role or company
• Exclusive positioning: "Top 10% of profiles I recently connected with"
• Specific use case: Suggests automation relevant to their job
• Clear CTA: Free 20-minute consultation with Calendly link
• No AI vibes: Conversational tone, no em dashes or formal language

Email structure example

Hey [Name],

I've been following your journey at [Company] and noticed [specific observation].

I could imagine automating [brief use case] could save you hours each week.

You've been selected for a free founder consultation (top 10% of profiles I've recently connected with). Would you be open to a quick 20-minute session?

https://calendly.com/needle-ai/intro

With gratitude,
Jan

--
Jan Heimes | Co-founder & CEO
jan@needle.app
needle.app | #never not automate

Lead qualification criteria

The AI scores leads 1-10 based on:

• 7-10: High priority

  • Role fit (decision-maker, operations, growth)
  • Company size (10-500 employees, B2B SaaS)
  • Clear automation use case
  • Active on LinkedIn

• 4-6: Medium priority

  • Some potential but requires nurturing
  • Smaller company or less ideal role
  • Generic use case

• 1-3: Low priority

  • Unlikely to convert
  • Wrong industry or company stage
  • No clear automation needs

Setup (10-15 minutes)

1. Export LinkedIn connections following the guide above
2. Upload to Google Sheets at the URL specified in the workflow (or update the URL)
3. Connect integrations:
   • Google Sheets (for connection data)
   • Gmail (for sending emails)
   • Hunter.io (for email finder and verification)
   • LinkedIn API (for company research)
4. Customize the email template in the final AI node:
   • Update sender name and signature
   • Adjust tone and offer
   • Change Calendly link to yours
5. Test with 1-2 connections before running at scale
6. Run manually or schedule daily/weekly

Tips for best results

• Start with recent connections: Filter by "Connected On" date to reach out while you're still top-of-mind
• Customize the use case prompt: Update the AI system prompt to focus on use cases specific to your product
• A/B test subject lines: Try "Quick question about [Company]" vs "Automation idea for [Role]"
• Respect unsubscribes: Add an unsubscribe link if sending at high volume
• Follow up manually: Use the qualification score to prioritize which replies to engage with first
• Batch by industry: Segment connections by industry and customize messaging per batch

What makes this workflow powerful

Unlike generic outreach tools, this workflow:

• Researches each person with AI before writing (not just mail merge)
• Finds verified emails automatically (no manual lookups)
• Qualifies leads first (don't waste time on low-fit prospects)
• Uses LinkedIn API for accurate company data (employee count, industry)
• Writes like a human (no templated feel, references specific details)
• Runs in parallel (processes multiple connections simultaneously for speed)

FAQ

How many emails can I send per day? Gmail limits vary (500/day for Google Workspace, 500/day for personal accounts). Start with 20-50/day to maintain good sender reputation.

Will this work without LinkedIn Premium? Yes. The workflow uses LinkedIn's public API for company research, which doesn't require Premium. However, Premium gives you more visibility into who viewed your profile.

What if Hunter.io can't find an email? The workflow will still attempt to send using any email provided in your LinkedIn export. You can also add a filter node to skip contacts without verified emails.

Can I use this for other email sources? Yes. Simply adjust the Google Sheets input to match your data structure (name, company, position, email).

How do I avoid sounding spammy? The AI prompt is designed to sound conversational and human. Key tips: keep it short, reference specific details, offer value (free consultation), and don't use sales-y language.

Can I send in batches? Yes. Add a filter node after the Google Sheets input to process rows 1-50, then 51-100, etc.

Does it track replies? Not automatically. You'll need to check your Gmail inbox for replies. Consider adding a label in Gmail to track outreach responses.

Ready to turn your LinkedIn connections into qualified leads? Open the template and start your first outreach campaign in minutes.