Yes, love that - the 4Ts really capture the rhythm of a message that respects time but still feels personal. The “Third-party validation” bit in particular is underrated. It’s not about bragging, it’s about context and you’re absolutely right that LinkedIn DMs are a different beast. Think text, not newsletter. If it reads like a pitch deck, it’s game over!!
Thanks Mel, fantastic advice as ever. The worst cold email I received was a couple of weeks ago where someone addressed me as Simon and told me that they had some expert advice to give me regarding research into dental hygiene. Not entirely sure if this was some kind of weird dig but it's definitely not the area that I research. 😂
Thanks for such great content and wishing you and your family a fantastic end to 2025.
That one’s definitely going in the hall of fame - getting your name and your field wrong is some serious form. According to HubSpot, emails with personalised subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened, yet messages like “Simon + dental hygiene” somehow keep happening! Thanks so much for the kind words and right back at you.
It’s a really common tension - especially when so much of LinkedIn culture still clings to polished professionalism but the irony is, money is one of the biggest drivers behind why people post, pivot, or promote. It’s just not always talked about directly.
Interestingly, a 2024 Edelman survey found that 63% of professionals want more transparency around income, pricing, and financial growth on platforms like LinkedIn, but few feel comfortable starting those conversations themselves.
Do you think the discomfort comes more from fear of judgment… or from not knowing how to talk about money in a way that still feels relatable and relevant?
It's a business platform yet somehow we're not supposed to talk about money 🤷🏼♂️
Not sure where the cultural roots of this behavior lie, I guess some of it can definitely be traced back to our monkey brains.
I'm also definitely not saying everything you do in your career should be measured by money - impact is much more important, as anyone working for an NGO will agree - but it just feels like there's a stigma around it on the platform.
Appreciate the detailed breakdown! I’ve always wondered if it makes sense to send a connection request first and interact several times before reaching out or simply send a well-researched pitch. The latter feels more honest to me. Thoughts? (I’ve had folks like and comment on my posts for a few weeks and then pitch…I would have rather just received the pitch without the forced-feeling engagement. 😆)
I like your Framework, very close to the 4T framework i like to use
- Trigger: why i am reaching out
- Think: why its relevant to them
- Third-party validation: what has worked with other clients
- Talk to me: is it worth a call?
The issue with linked messages is that you have to make it very short… its not an email format… closer to whatsapp chat…
Yes, love that - the 4Ts really capture the rhythm of a message that respects time but still feels personal. The “Third-party validation” bit in particular is underrated. It’s not about bragging, it’s about context and you’re absolutely right that LinkedIn DMs are a different beast. Think text, not newsletter. If it reads like a pitch deck, it’s game over!!
Thanks Mel, fantastic advice as ever. The worst cold email I received was a couple of weeks ago where someone addressed me as Simon and told me that they had some expert advice to give me regarding research into dental hygiene. Not entirely sure if this was some kind of weird dig but it's definitely not the area that I research. 😂
Thanks for such great content and wishing you and your family a fantastic end to 2025.
That one’s definitely going in the hall of fame - getting your name and your field wrong is some serious form. According to HubSpot, emails with personalised subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened, yet messages like “Simon + dental hygiene” somehow keep happening! Thanks so much for the kind words and right back at you.
For me the hardest part of writing on LinkedIn is that talking about money is kind of taboo on there
It’s a really common tension - especially when so much of LinkedIn culture still clings to polished professionalism but the irony is, money is one of the biggest drivers behind why people post, pivot, or promote. It’s just not always talked about directly.
Interestingly, a 2024 Edelman survey found that 63% of professionals want more transparency around income, pricing, and financial growth on platforms like LinkedIn, but few feel comfortable starting those conversations themselves.
Do you think the discomfort comes more from fear of judgment… or from not knowing how to talk about money in a way that still feels relatable and relevant?
Yeah exactly!
It's a business platform yet somehow we're not supposed to talk about money 🤷🏼♂️
Not sure where the cultural roots of this behavior lie, I guess some of it can definitely be traced back to our monkey brains.
I'm also definitely not saying everything you do in your career should be measured by money - impact is much more important, as anyone working for an NGO will agree - but it just feels like there's a stigma around it on the platform.
Decided to stubbornly use my hourly rate in a relevant example in my latest post, let's see how that goes :) https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonasbraadbaart_mit-epoch-framework-activity-7409544054499229696-ibvu
Love your advice Mel. It's always on point 🌟 thanks for everything in 2025 and looking forward to what we can build together in 2026 🎁
Thank you- appreciate your support and excited for 2026!
Appreciate the detailed breakdown! I’ve always wondered if it makes sense to send a connection request first and interact several times before reaching out or simply send a well-researched pitch. The latter feels more honest to me. Thoughts? (I’ve had folks like and comment on my posts for a few weeks and then pitch…I would have rather just received the pitch without the forced-feeling engagement. 😆)