Personality Data: The Key to Successful Cold Outreach on LinkedIn

Does your cold outreach strategy include LinkedIn? If not, it should. LinkedIn is a goldmine for actionable lead generation, with four out of five LinkedIn members influencing business decisions — not to mention LinkedIn users have twice the buying power of the average internet audience. The only downside to LinkedIn outreach? It can be hard to cut through the noise.

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, prospects are inundated with cold outreaches in every inbox — making sales reps everywhere reevaluate their outreach strategy to ensure their pitch stands out from the rest. 

The most important thing you can do to spice up your LinkedIn cold outreach and cut through the noise? Make it personal. Studies show that personalizing a subject line increases open rates by 50%, and 71% of consumers are frustrated when messaging isn’t personal or relevant to them. By taking the time to understand your prospect and tailor your outreach to their specific personality type, you’re significantly increasing your chance of getting a response — as well as a sale.  

Personalizing your pitch can be tricky in the game of cold outreach — especially when you’ve never met your prospect. Luckily, tools like Crystal can help you make each message intentional, relevant, and personal as you work through your LinkedIn outreach. Read on to discover how. 

The role of personality data in cold outreach.

It would be a huge time-saver if there were a perfect formula for LinkedIn cold outreach — but there isn’t. Why? Because no two prospects are exactly the same. What works for some industries may not work for others, and certain individuals may love what others dislike. That’s why personality data is hugely important to the success of any pitch. 

Top sellers spend an average of 6 hours per week researching their prospects because they know personalization pays off. Understanding your buyer — beyond just their name and job title — can often make or break your pitch. You can infer quite a bit about a person and their needs or interests based on their job title and industry, but this information isn’t going to help you understand the natural personality of your buyer. 

Traditionally, the only way to fully understand a buyer’s personality is by having a pre-established relationship with them or asking them to take a personality test. Since this information is hard to come by in the game of cold outreach, many sales reps throw in the towel — but they don’t have to. Adaptive selling tools like Crystal can help you gain insight into the personality types of individual buyers without ever meeting the prospect or requiring them to take a personality assessment. The software works by analyzing publicly available information on websites on their LinkedIn profile to determine exactly what type of prospect you’re pitching to. 

Use personality data to understand your prospects. 

While there are many effective ways to assess the personality type of your buyer, Crystal uses the DISC Framework to classify prospects into four distinct personality types: D (dominant), I (imaginative), S (stabilizing), and C (conscientious). Below is a breakdown of common personality traits within each of the categories in DISC, and what kinds of language would likely resonate with each: 

D Personality Types: Captains, Drivers, Initiators, Architects

• Motivated by control over the future and personal authority
• Tend to prefer instant, concrete results and having an advantage over competition
• Communicate clearly and succinctly — use language that is concise and confident, and avoid small talk. 

I Personality Types: Influencer, Motivator, Encourager, Harmonizer

• Motivated by innovative, unique, creative ideas and excited by the future
• Tend to prefer building new relationships and experiences
• Communicate in a casual, expressive way — engage in some small talk before diving into your pitch. 

S Personality Types: Counselor, Supporter, Planner, Stabilizer

• Motivated by peace, safety, and others’ wellbeing
• Tend to prefer security, reliability and trust
• Communicate in a friendly and genuine way — avoid language that is overly pushy or salesy. 

C Personality Types: Editor, Analyst, Skeptic, Questioner

• Motivated by logic, information, and problem-solving
• Tend to prefer accurate information and quality solutions (quality over quantity)
• Communicate in a business-like, fact-based way — use language that is quick and to the point, and avoid asking irrelevant personal questions.

Tailor your LinkedIn cold outreach using Crystal.

Using personality data to facilitate empathetic communication with prospects is a surefire way to stand out from the crowd. Crystal makes it seamless to relate to your prospects in authentic, meaningful ways — while increasing lead conversion in unprecedented ways.

By understanding how your prospects naturally behave, communicate, and make decisions, you can tailor your LinkedIn pitch to make them feel seen and understood — without ever meeting them. For example, a Supporter (S) is less likely to engage in a discussion about facts and data, and would likely prefer to engage in a more personal, get-to-know-you conversation. Conversely, an Analyst (C) would prefer to learn more about specific, concrete information — so lead it would be better to lead with stats. 

Crystal allows you to seamlessly connect on this hyper-personal level with our Chrome Extension. Once the extension is downloaded to your browser, Crystal analyzes the information on your prospect’s LinkedIn profile and gives you the necessary information you need to craft your perfect pitch. 

Get a head start on your LinkedIn outreach using these examples. 

Once you know the personality type of your buyer, you’re ready to begin your LinkedIn outreach. Get a head start on your pitch by using these templates, each crafted specifically for the different DISC personality types. 

Pitching to Dominant Types

D-Types love concise messages that get straight to the point. If your prospect is a D-Type, you should shoot them a quick, informative email that highlights why your product or service will give them an edge over their competition. A sales pitch to a D-Type could look like: 

Hey Amanda, 

My name is David and I’m a sales rep for . I checked out your profile on LinkedIn, and I love the work you’re doing for . I’m very impressed with your growth in 2022 — however, our platform can offer you a competitive edge that can take you even further in 2023. I’d love to have a quick 15-minute conversation about what we can do for you in the new year. Shoot me a quick email if you’re interested and we can set up a time. 

Thanks,
David 

Pitching to Influential Types

When you pitch to an I-Type, you should send an email using a casual, friendly tone and show an interest in what they’re doing for their company. I-Types are relational, so you should engage them in some small talk before getting into your pitch. A sales pitch to an I-Type could look like: 

Hi Amanda, 

How’s it going? My name is David and I’m a sales rep for . We have a few mutual connections here on LinkedIn, including . I’ve taken a look into your company, and I am amazed by your stellar growth in 2022! I’d love to hear about the tactics you implemented this year that led to your success.

If you’re looking for a way to gain even more traction in 2023, I know our product could work well for you. We offer several packages that could help you reach new heights in the new year, and if you’re interested, I’d love to chat with you about a plan that would work well for your team. Respond to this email if you’re interested and we can find a time that works well for you. 

Thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to our conversation. 

Best, 
David

Pitching to Steady Types

When you pitch to an S-Type, you should send them a friendly introductory email that helps them get to know you. Help them relax by asking them how their day is going and respect their schedule by being brief and honest. A sales pitch to an S-Type could look like: 

Hi Amanda! 

I’m David, and I work with to help companies like reach new heights. I was so impressed with the work your team put in this year, so I had to find you here on LinkedIn. I wanted to reach out and see if you were interested in a partnership that could help take you even further. 

I want to respect your time, so I’ll keep it brief. Just shoot me an email if you’d like to continue the conversation. 

Have a great day! 
David 

Pitching to Conscientious Types

When you pitch to a C-Type, you should send them an up-front email that lets them know exactly what they can expect from you. Be intentional about showing respect for their time and demonstrating your expertise. A sales pitch to a C-Type could look like: 

Hi Amanda, 

I’m David, and I’m a sales rep for . I’ve been so impressed with the work you and your team have accomplished this year, and I’d love to have a conversation with you about how we can take you even further in 2023. 

In the last year, we’ve helped companies like yours excel in unprecedented ways, and I feel confident that we can do the same for you. If you’d like to learn more about what we can achieve together, reply to this email and let me know. We’ll find a time that works well for you! 

Hope to talk soon, 
David 

Crystal ups your LinkedIn outreach game.

With so many sales reps using LinkedIn to reach out to prospects, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your pitch is personalized. Anyone can throw a prospect’s name into a subject line, but Crystal helps you go the extra mile by allowing you to actually understand how to communicate with your potential buyer in a way that will resonate. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the difference personalized sales pitches can make for your team, you can try Crystal for free.

In the meantime, download our HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR PITCH PDF here, and get to work crafting your perfect pitch — no matter who your prospect might be. 

P.S. If you need a LinkedIn tool to automate your personalized cold outreach, then Klenty is a great option.

To scale your cold outreach on LinkedIn, Klenty has a LinkedIn automation feature that allows you to schedule and send personalized LinkedIn InMails or DMs with a single click. Simply schedule LinkedIn activities—like sending a connection request or viewing a prospect’s profile or sending an InMail—as part of your sales campaigns or sales sequences, and don’t worry about missing another follow-up. With Klenty, you can reach more prospects by email, LinkedIn, and their phones.