All platforms · 7 templates

Networking Message Templates

Networking messages fail in two opposite ways: too transactional ("can I pick your brain?" from a stranger) or too vague ("we should catch up sometime!"). What works is the middle: a specific reason for writing, a bounded ask, and an obvious way to say yes — or no — without guilt.

These templates cover the core moves of professional networking: the cold reach-out to someone you admire, the reconnection with an old colleague, the introduction request, the advice ask, and the thank-you that keeps the door open. None of them sell anything; that's the point, and it's also why they work.

As everywhere in TemplateJet's library, first_name is a placeholder the Chrome extension fills automatically — because the fastest way to make a warm message cold is to send it to Michael with "Hi Mike's" name spelled wrong.

Cold message to someone you admire

Hi first_name, your talk on pricing experiments changed how we run ours — specifically the "test the fence, not the field" idea, which I've now quoted in three meetings. No ask here; just wanted the person behind the idea to know it landed. Thanks for putting it out there.

The no-ask message is the strongest opening move in networking. If they reply (they often do), the relationship starts as equals.

Reconnecting with an old colleague

Hi first_name! It hit me today that it's been ~3 years since the Delta project — and I still tell the war story about that launch weekend. I see you've moved into product leadership since. What does the honest version of that career update sound like? Mine involves two pivots.

The shared war story does the authentication; the honesty invitation does the reconnecting. Nobody replies to "we should catch up".

Asking for an introduction

Hi first_name, an ask you can decline in one word: you're connected to Elena Kovács, whose team is deep in the exact localization problem I've spent two years on. Could you intro us? Draft below so it costs you 30 seconds — and "no" is completely fine, some connections aren't intro-close.

The forwardable draft and the explicit out are what make this easy to say yes to. Always write the draft before you ask.

The advice ask (done right)

Hi first_name, I'm at a fork you passed years ago: agency work versus going in-house, at about the same career stage you did it. One question only — what did you underestimate about the switch? A single sentence back would genuinely shape my thinking.

"One question only" plus proof you know their path. This is what "can I pick your brain" wishes it was.

After a conference conversation

Hi first_name, we talked at the WebSummit espresso stand about hiring your first designer — I'm the one who argued for the portfolio-over-CV rule. Following through on what I promised: the scorecard template we use, attached. How did the debate with your co-founder end?

Identifies the exact conversation, delivers the promised thing, and re-opens the thread with their cliffhanger, not yours.

The thank-you that keeps the door open

Hi first_name, an update you didn't ask for but earned: I took your advice about negotiating the scope before the salary — and it worked. Different title, better mandate, same money. Thank you. Next coffee is on me, redeemable in any city we're both in.

Closing the loop on advice received is the rarest move in networking. The people who do it are the ones who get advice again.

Offering help without an agenda

Hi first_name, saw your post about hunting for a technical co-founder. I'm not them — but I ran that exact search last year, made every mistake available, and have a list of what I'd do differently. Want the 20-minute version? Nothing in it for me except good karma.

Leading with declared non-candidacy ("I'm not them") removes suspicion and makes the offer read as what it is.

These templates fill themselves in

Save any template to TemplateJet and the Chrome extension inserts the recipient's first name via first_name right inside LinkedIn, Telegram, and WhatsApp — Cyrillic names included.

Save to TemplateJet

Frequently asked questions

How do I network without feeling fake?

Only send messages that are true. Every template here is a structure, not a script — if you don't actually admire the talk or remember the project, pick a different template or a different person. Structure can be borrowed; sincerity can't.

What's a reasonable ask of a stranger?

One question answerable in a sentence, or nothing at all. Coffee, calls, and "brain-picking" are asks you earn after the first exchange, not with it.

Do templates make networking impersonal?

The template handles the part that was never personal — structure, greeting, the name via first_name. That frees your attention for the part that is: the one specific, true detail only you could write.

Related template packs

LinkedIn Connection Request Templates

Connection notes that fit the 300-character limit and give people a real reason to accept.

All platforms

Job Search Message Templates

For candidates: messages to recruiters, hiring managers, and referrers that don't sound like everyone else's.

Telegram Message Templates for Business

Outreach and client messages for the channel where half your market actually answers.

Write once. Personalize every send.

TemplateJet is a free template manager with a Chrome extension — your whole library one click away on LinkedIn, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

Start Today Install Chrome Extension