How to Reach Out and Make a Great First Impression

Quick Links:

• Initiate the connection
• Compose your message
• How Robert made compelling asks of his mentors
• What happens next?

Overview

Now that you’ve found someone you’d like to connect with, it’s time to take the next step. In this article, you’ll learn how to send a thoughtful message, make a strong first impression, and start your conversation off on the right foot.

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Initiate the connection

Ready to reach out? Great—you have two simple ways to start the conversation:

• If you're ready to send a message right away, just click the Message button wherever you see it (like on search results or profile cards) to compose your message. 
  
  

• Want to learn more before messaging? Click on the person’s name or profile image to view their full profile. There, you can read about their background, interests, and experience. If you decide to connect, just click the Message button on their profile to start the conversation.

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Writing a Great First Message

Not sure how to start your message? We’ve got you covered. To help you make a strong first impression, the platform offers three message templates you can use as a starting point.

 

Choose the one that best fits your situation, then personalize it to reflect your voice and goals. You’ll also see writing tips below the message box to guide you as you edit.

✨ While templates are helpful, a customized message is much more likely to spark a response.

Here’s what makes a message stand out:

• Personalized – Mention what caught your attention about their background or experience, and why you're excited to connect.

• Specific – Clearly explain what you're hoping to learn or talk about. If you're requesting a meeting, suggest a topic.

• Respectful – Be thoughtful in your ask. You're reaching out for guidance—not a job—so focus on learning from their experience.

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How Robert made compelling asks of his mentors

Robert began reaching out to alumni from his school for flash mentoring - quick meetings where he'd ask questions about their career trajectories and fields. These interviews ultimately helped him understand what field he wanted to build a career in.

Robert acknowledged that reaching out to potential mentors was “little nerve wracking,” but argued that the platform “helps mitigate that a little, because the people who are on there have kind of self-selected, they’ve basically already said ‘Hey, I’m open to talking to you.’”

Also helpful? “Doing a small ask."

Strategies that have worked for Robert include:

• Asking for 15 minutes on the phone
• Asking for a quick chat over a cup of coffee, or even offering to bring a cup of coffee to the potential mentor’s office.

“I got really good responses. And the more good responses you get, the less intimidating sending that initial message is.”

Most importantly, though, Robert emphasized that you need to treat the potential mentor with respect, not as a resource to be exploited.

Robert tries to approach mentors “from a generosity mindset.” Pointing out that most mentors get requests centered around what they can do for the mentee, Robert reported that he’d made a lot of meaningful connections simply by “finding out what matters to them.”

He recommended that mentees “do a little extra homework on what you have in common with them — for instance, do they have a charity that you could come donate your time to? Don’t feel like you don’t have a lot offer the mentor. Just use your imagination, offer them something, and then be willing to ask for stuff (because they do want to help).”

Asked for some advice for first-time mentees, Robert recommended that they “just go for it.”

“I think young people don’t necessarily realize how eager people who are further along are to share what they’ve learned. A lot of them really delight in it, and a lot of them are not asked for their insight and mentorship as often as you would expect.”

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What happens next?

We'll send you a notification when the person you reached out to responds! You can access and reply to conversation threads from your platform inbox.

What if the person I reached out to doesn't respond?

Sometimes it happens. The person you reached out to may have overestimated their availability or ended up with an unexpectedly busy schedule. Or maybe they just forgot to check their email.

Either way, you shouldn't be discouraged! Remember, everyone who's available for connections on the platform has opted in and wants to help!

Find someone else who looks promising, and try again.

And if you're looking for some encouragement or want to get an idea of how others have successfully gone about flash mentoring, we recommend this interview with Robert Reeves on how he connected with multiple alumni for flash mentorship.