The Power of Voicenotes in LinkedIn DMs: A Game Changer for Prospecting Salespeople

For BDRs and sales professionals responsible for driving their own prospecting, standing out in a crowded LinkedIn inbox is a constant challenge. The key to breaking through? Authenticity and personal connection. That’s where voicenotes come in—an underrated yet powerful tool that can make your outreach more human, engaging, and effective.

Why Use Voicenotes in LinkedIn DMs?

1. Personalisation at Scale Sending a voicenote makes a message feel personal and genuine. It allows the recipient to hear your tone, enthusiasm, and sincerity—elements that are often lost in text.
2. Breaking Through the Noise Prospects receive countless templated messages daily, making it easy for your outreach to get lost. A short, engaging voicenote disrupts the pattern and captures attention in a way text messages cannot.
3. Building Trust Faster Trust is the foundation of any successful sales interaction. When a prospect hears your voice, they are more likely to see you as a real person rather than just another salesperson. This accelerates the trust-building process, making it easier to secure a conversation.
4. Efficiency and Clarity Typing long messages can be time-consuming and prone to misinterpretation. A 30-second voicenote can convey your message more effectively, reducing misunderstandings and making the conversation flow more naturally.

The Supero Social Selling Benchmark Study

As part of the Supero Social Selling Benchmark Study, Jordan Abbott (M.ISP) conducted a rigorous test comparing text-based messaging to voicenotes within his three-step connect and converse strategy. Over a twelve-month period, he targeted decision-makers within his ICP using text-based messaging, achieving a 3.8% success rate in securing calls. However, when he switched to using voicenotes with the same message sequence over a three-month period, his call rate increased to 6.7%. This represents a 76% uplift in call acceptance simply by using voicenotes instead of text. The findings highlight that voicenotes are not just a novelty but a tangible way to improve engagement and results in outbound prospecting.

One particularly notable success story from this research involved a decision-maker from a global tech company with over 50,000 employees. She agreed to a call that resulted in a sales opportunity, stating: "I NEVER respond to prospective outreach from salespeople, but your approach was different and caught my attention." This highlights the ability of voicenotes to break down barriers and engage even the most hard-to-reach prospects.

Best Practices for Using Voicenotes

• Keep it Short & Engaging – Aim for 20-45 seconds. Anything longer may lose the listener’s attention.
• Be Authentic – Speak as if you’re having a conversation, not delivering a rehearsed sales pitch.
• Mention Something Specific – Reference a recent post they shared, a mutual connection, or a topic they care about to make it more relevant.
• End with a Call to Action – Guide the next step, whether it’s a quick response, a meeting, or a follow-up message.

Overcoming Common Concerns

“What if they don’t listen to it?” Not everyone is used to receiving voicenotes on LinkedIn, but curiosity often leads people to press play. You can also send a brief text message beforehand, setting the expectation: "Hey [Name], I just sent you a quick voicenote—excited to hear your thoughts!"

“I don’t like the sound of my voice.” Most people feel this way initially, but remember—the goal isn’t perfection; it’s authenticity. The more you use voicenotes, the more comfortable you’ll become.

Final Thoughts

For sales professionals and BDRs actively prospecting, voicenotes in LinkedIn DMs offer a unique opportunity to humanise digital communication, making outreach feel more like a conversation than a sales pitch. Supero’s research proves that this small tweak in outreach can deliver a 76% increase in call conversions. By integrating voicenotes into your prospecting strategy, you can create stronger connections, build trust faster, and ultimately drive more meaningful sales conversations.

If you haven’t tried voicenotes yet, challenge yourself to send one today. You might be surprised at the impact it has!