Cold DM Cheat Sheet

What to Expect

  • ~90% of cold messages get no reply. Normal.
  • Generic messages: 1-2% replies. Personalized: 15-18%.
  • DMs do about 2x better than cold email.
  • Top senders get 4-8x more meetings — better messages, not more messages.

The 7 Rules

  1. Mention something specific. A real job they posted, not “love your work.” Biggest lever there is.
  2. Don’t pitch in message one. Pitching cold cuts replies by half. Message one just needs to get ANY reply.
  3. Keep it short. 2-3 sentences. No scrolling.
  4. Small ask first. “Worth showing you what we did for another excavation company?” — NOT “can I get your number for a call?”
  5. Once they reply, get specific. “I can call Thursday at lunch or after 4 — best number?” Specific asks double bookings.
  6. Follow up 2-4 times with something NEW each time. Half your replies come from follow-ups. But “just checking in” kills it — bring a tip, a result, or a screenshot instead.
  7. Voice notes for good prospects. 20-40% more replies. Under 40 seconds, use their name, don’t read a script.

The Sequence

  • Day 0: Real question/comment about a job they posted. No pitch.
  • Day 3: One useful thing. “Googled ‘excavation + [city]’ — you’re page 3, competitor X is #1. Happy to tell you why, free.”
  • Day 8: Quick proof from a similar trade client + small ask.
  • Day 15: Easy out. “No stress if timing’s off — door’s open.” (These get replies more than you’d think.)
  • Wait ~3 days between touches. Most people never send even one follow-up — one alone boosts replies ~66%.

Also Worth Knowing

  • Your profile IS the pitch. They check it before replying. Show contractor work, results, your face.
  • Owners reply MORE than employees (~23% more) — and in your niche, the owner runs the page.
  • Never say “never heard back” or mention old messages. It hurts. Each message stands alone.
  • Expect ~5 touches before the average person responds.
  • 20 dialed-in DMs beats 100 blasts. Small targeted batches got ~3x the replies.
  • No ROI bragging in message one. “We 10x’d leads” = spam vibes. Save proof for later.
  • Talk about their problem, not your service. “You’re invisible on Google” beats “we build websites.”