Using LinkedIn Voice Notes to Stand Out in Cold Outreach (2025 Guide)

We’re all drowning in the same LinkedIn messages.

Bland intros. Mass personalization. Calendar links flying at you before you’ve even said hello.

“Hey {first name}, I saw you work at {company}. Thought we could connect.”

This kind of outreach isn’t just overused, it’s invisible. And yet, most people still send it, hoping for a different result.

But when everyone’s playing the same game (badly), it’s not that hard to win.

Real personalization still stands out. And one of the fastest ways to sound human, thoughtful, and different?

A voice note.

It’s unexpected. It’s low effort. And it builds trust in seconds, because it sounds like you care.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use LinkedIn voice notes to do personalized outreach that gets replies (without manually recording 97 intros in a row).

Let’s get into it.

Step 1: Build a Qualified List of Prospects for Personalized Outreach

Before you start sending voice notes, let’s get one thing straight: no amount of charm can fix bad targeting.

If you’re talking to the wrong people, it doesn’t matter how personalized your outreach is, it’s still going to be irrelevant. So first, identify people who:

Face the problem you solve
Are in a position to do something about it
Will recognize value when they hear it

So let’s talk about how to build a prospect list that’s tight, intentional, and actually worth your time.

Using Clay and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Target the Right Personas

This is where the magic starts. Clay + LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a power combo for anyone serious about smart outreach.

Here’s how to use them together to go beyond “job title + industry” and build a list that converts:

Use Sales Navigator to narrow down the list

Start with a hypothesis. Don’t just search “Head of Marketing”, get specific:

What stage company are they in?
Are they growing? Hiring? Recently funded?
What tools do they already use?
What geography or market are they in?

Sales Navigator filters you should obsess over:

Company headcount (early-stage vs. enterprise messaging differs)
Recent activity (posted on LinkedIn in last 30 days = warmer lead)
Tech used (via 3rd-party enrichment — Clay can pull this in)
Job changes (new roles = open minds)

Here’s how to leverage Sales Navigator to find buying signals and more.

Then save your search and download the data as a CSV. You’ll use it in Clay next.

Then, pull enriched profiles into Clay

Clay isn’t just for data dumping, it’s your enrichment and segmentation engine. Here’s what makes it powerful:

Pull in your Sales Navigator search results (via CSV)
Enrich each profile with job changes, LinkedIn activity, company tech stack, funding round, and more
Score or tag people based on signals like: “Posted on LinkedIn this week” + “Uses HubSpot” + “Recently hired for growth roles”

Our 60+ page guide on doing LinkedIn sales outreach right has an in-depth section dedicated to Clay. It might be worth a read if you’re looking to learn about Clay from scratch.

Once you have a Clay table set up, it’s time to start outreach.

Step 2: Automate Initial LinkedIn Outreach for Maximum Efficiency

To be able to do personalized outreach at scale with voice notes, you first need to set up an initial outreach sequence. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend hours a day manually connecting with leads.

Salesflow helps you automate the boring stuff. Here’s exactly how to set up a campaign in Salesflow:

Connect Your LinkedIn Account:

Log into Salesflow and head to Settings > LinkedIn Accounts.
Connect your LinkedIn profile.
Set your working hours and local time zone (this keeps your activity looking natural)

Note: Salesflow uses safe automation practices, but don’t push volume out of the gate. Start with a realistic flow.

You can use Salesflow to build a multi-channel campaign in 5 easy steps:

Build Your Outreach Sequence
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Once your account is connected, it’s time to create a sequence. Go to Campaigns > Add New Campaign and choose your targeting list. Here’s what we recommend:

Connection Request (Day 0): Keep it light and conversational.

Example: “Hey {FirstName}, came across your profile through {shared space}, had to reach out.”

Follow-up Message #1 (Day 1-2)

Here’s where you add context and set the stage for your voice note.
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Example: “Appreciate you connecting, {FirstName}. The other day, I came across a resource about {painpoint they are likely suffering from} and thought it would make sense to send it your way: {resource link}. Curious to hear your thoughts.”

You’ve now warmed them up, shown up in their DMs, and made yourself known, all without spamming or sounding robotic.

This is the moment where most outreach dies… but not yours. Because next comes the part that sets you apart: voice note follow-ups. And we’ll get to that in a bit.

But none of this works if your outreach engine isn’t up and running.

That’s where Salesflow comes in. It’s purpose-built for SDRs, SMBs, and agencies who want to run efficient LinkedIn outreach at scale.

From campaign setup to inbox management to reporting, Salesflow takes care of the heavy lifting so you can focus on what truly matters: conversations.

If Salesflow is on your mind, sign up for our 7-day free trial and see for yourself just how powerful sales outreach automation software can be.

Step 3: Personalize at Scale Using Voice Notes in LinkedIn Outreach

A voice note is your chance to stop them from scrolling past you. It’s quick, warm, and just unexpected enough. First, how do you even send voice notes on LinkedIn?

How to Send Voice Notes on LinkedIn

Yes, it’s 2025, and LinkedIn still only lets you send voice notes through the mobile app.

No desktop button. No API. No Zapier hack. Just good old thumbs and a steady hand.

Here’s how to do it:

Open the LinkedIn mobile app
Go to the person’s profile or open your chat with them
Tap the microphone icon in the message bar

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Hold to record, release to send (do not swipe or it will get deleted!)

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Note: Try to note down what you want to say before you press record, because you’ve got ~60 seconds before LinkedIn cuts you off.

That’s it.‍

No filters. No editing. No “undo” button.

Which is exactly why voice notes feel so personal; they’re raw, real, and slightly chaotic. Kind of like real conversations.

If you're thinking, "Wait, I want to send the same voice note to multiple people without recording it 97 times,” don’t worry, we’ve got a workaround coming up.

Now there are 2 ways to go about this:

Send a hyper-personalized voicemail to every single contact
Record a voice note once, and automate the process to send it to everyone in the campaign.

There are a few times in life when #1 is the better option, for example, when you’ve got a small (less than 100) list of ABM-style contact list. So let’s address that first:

Creating Hyper-Personalized Voice Notes for Every Contact

You can only do this if your list is small, niche, and filtered. To do this,

Identify unengaged leads: Once you filter out accepted connections and replies, find the no-response prospects (those who didn’t engage or respond). For prospects that replied, you can move them to a different sequence to nurture them further.

Send voice notes manually: Using LinkedIn's mobile app, send a short voice note (20-30 seconds) introducing yourself and a clear CTA.

Example scripts:

The Friendly First Hello

“Hey {First Name}, thanks for connecting! I initially came across your profile while digging into {industry/topic} stuff, and I really liked what you posted about {specific post or insight}.

Thought I’d send a quick voice note instead of a long message, just wanted to say hi and see if {pain point or topic} is something you’re exploring at {Company Name} right now?”

The Compliment + Curiosity Hook

“Hey {First Name}, random voice note in your inbox, I know.

Just wanted to say I really liked your post on {topic or format}, it actually gave me an idea for something I’m working on.

Quick question: how are you currently handling {relevant challenge or workflow}? Always curious how smart folks like you approach it.”

The “Weird but Different” Pattern Interrupt

“Hey {First Name}, I figured I’d go rogue and send a voice note instead of another ‘quick question’ message.

I was looking at {Company Name}, and it seems like you’re doing some pretty cool things in {vertical or niche}.

I work with a few others in the space on {specific result or pain point}, and figured it might be worth at least saying hi.”

The Light Pitch (Soft CTA)

“Hey {First Name}, hope your week’s going well.

I’ve been chatting with a few folks in {job title or industry}, and this challenge around {insert relevant pain} keeps coming up.

Not sure if it’s on your radar right now, but I’ve got a couple ideas that could help. Happy to share them if you’re open to it.”

Okay, but what if your list is bigger, like way bigger?

Well, you cannot record 600 voicemails a day and scale that. So, how do you automate this?

There are quite a few workarounds.

Sending the Same Voice Note to Multiple People: What’s Possible, What’s Not

So you’ve nailed the perfect 30-second voice message. It’s warm, relevant, just sales-y enough.

But LinkedIn doesn’t let you copy-paste audio or send voice notes from your desktop. Which means… recording the same thing over and over?

No thanks.

Here are a few workarounds to send voice-style messages at scale:

Workaround 1: Record Once, Send As a Link

LinkedIn may not let you send voice notes at scale, but the internet will.

And while this method isn’t native to LinkedIn, it feels personal, scales like a charm, and works across DMs, email, whatever.

Step-by-step:

Head to any free recording software available online, one that doesn’t need a login
Hit record and keep it short (30–45 seconds is your sweet spot)
Copy the shareable link after you’re done
Drop that link into a LinkedIn DM with a short message like: “Hey {First Name}, didn’t want to hit you with a long message, here’s a quick voice note I recorded instead: {link}”

Or, if you want an alternative option:

“Hey there, I’ll keep this short!

I know you probably get hit with a bunch of cold messages on here, but I wanted to take a different approach and drop you a quick voice note instead.

I work with folks in [industry/type of role] who are usually trying to improve [result or pain point], and I had a quick idea that might be helpful.

Happy to share it if you're open, just shoot me a message back.”

Pro tip: URLs that look suspicious never get clicked on. Head over to Bitly once you’re done recording, and customize your URL for free.

Having said this, if you were to record a voice note and host it online, wouldn’t it just be better to record a video instead?

Workaround 2: Use Video as a Voice Note Alternative

Video gives you all the same personal touch, i.e. tone, warmth, intent, plus a little bonus: they can see you. Tools like Loom make it super easy.

Here’s how to do it:

Open Loom (or any other video recording app)
Record a short video, 45 seconds max, webcam on ideally
Copy the shareable link
Drop it into your message with a note like: “Hey {First Name}, figured I’d say hi properly. Here’s a quick video I recorded for you (promise it’s short): {link}”. Or:

“Hey there, figured I’d go a little personal and send a quick video instead of another cold DM.

I work with a lot of people in [industry] who are dealing with [challenge or pain point], and I thought this resource might resonate with you too.

Totally get that you’re busy, so if this isn’t relevant, no worries at all, but if it is, I’d love to chat and see if it’s worth a convo. Either way, thanks for watching!”

And don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be Hollywood-level. Slightly messy, off-the-cuff videos often perform better because they feel real.

Pro tip: Use Loom’s thumbnail preview so your message doesn’t look like a mystery link. Bonus points if you wave or smile in the first frame.

Step 4: Track, Test, and Optimize Your LinkedIn Outreach Strategy

Once you start mixing in voice notes and videos, it’s not just about what you send, it’s about what works. That’s where analytics come in.

Salesflow’s built-in analytics dashboard makes it easy to see which message formats are getting the most engagement. You can filter by campaign, channel (LinkedIn vs. email), and timeline to spot patterns fast.

Here’s what to track:

Connection request acceptance rate: Are people accepting your requests when they’re paired with a friendly note or left blank?
Reply rates: Are voice notes outperforming your cold text DMs? Do follow-ups with Loom links get more responses?
Campaign-level conversion: Look at the entire journey. Did a voice-led touch sequence lead to booked calls faster than a standard one?

Here's what Salesflow's analytics dashboard looks like:

Pro tip: Use Salesflow’s filters to isolate performance by campaign or time. Voice notes might crush it with agency owners but fall flat with CTOs, knowing that helps you personalize at scale.

And don’t just look at what’s working, test new formats, swap out intros, and keep iterating. Because what works once might not work next quarter.

When Not to Use LinkedIn Voice Notes in Your Outreach Strategy

Voice notes are generally great, but they’re not suitable for all occasions. In some cases, they can actually work against you.

Here’s when to skip the audio and go text instead:

First Touch with Busy Execs

If someone doesn’t know you, and they’re the kind of person who lives in back-to-back meetings (read: every VP or C-level ever), a surprise voice note can feel intrusive. They might not even listen to it.

Instead: Start with a quick, thoughtful text message. If they respond or engage, then consider a voice follow-up.

High-Formality Industries

Think finance, legal, and enterprise IT sectors, where formality is still a thing. A casual voice message might come off as unprofessional or lazy.

Instead: Keep it tight, sharp, and typed.

Cold Outreach with Zero Context

If there’s no warm-up, no previous interaction, and no shared network, a random voice note can feel too much. Especially if it’s long.

Instead: Use a friendly written message to break the ice first, voice notes work better once a little trust is built.

Sensitive or Detailed Topics

Explaining pricing? Addressing objections? Clarifying complex value props? Don’t do it in a ramble-y audio message. That’s what text (or calls) are for.

Instead: Use voice to start the convo, not to close it.

Gut check rule: If you wouldn’t cold-call them out of the blue, maybe don’t voice-note them either.

Final Thoughts: Sound Human, Get Replies

Cold outreach isn’t broken, it’s just been hijacked by lazy templates and mass-blasted nonsense.

That’s why doing something genuinely personal, like sending a voice note or video, works so well. It interrupts the pattern. It sounds like effort. It feels real.

And it’s even better when you can scale it.

With Salesflow handling the grunt work, connections, follow-ups, scheduling, and a smart voice note strategy doing the heavy lifting, you get the best of both worlds: automation and authenticity.

So, whether you’re a founder, SMB, agency, or an SDR, try out Salesflow. Find out why 10,000 users use and love us.

Try for free

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