How I Increased My LinkedIn Prospecting Success by 76% with Voicenotes

I'm sure I don't have to tell you, that cutting through the noise of a crowded LinkedIn inbox is a daily challenge. I wasn't satisfied with the results I was getting and wanted to find a way to stand out...

Voicenotes are a powerful, yet (in my opinion) underutilised feature on LinkedIn. When I put them to the test, the results spoke for themselves.

Why Voicenotes?

I was looking for a way to make my outreach feel more personal without sacrificing efficiency. Here’s why voice notes stood out as a game-changer:

✅ Personalisation at Scale – A voice note adds warmth and sincerity that text messages lack. It lets prospects hear my enthusiasm and tone, making the interaction feel more real.

✅ Cutting Through the Noise – Prospects receive dozens of templated messages daily. A voice note disrupts the pattern and immediately grabs attention.

✅ Building Trust Faster – Trust is everything in sales. When prospects hear your voice, they’re more likely to engage because they see you as a real person, not just another templated or AI-generated message in their inbox.

✅ Efficiency & Clarity – A 30-second voice note can express intent more clearly than a paragraph of text, reducing misunderstandings and making conversations flow more naturally.

Putting Voicenotes to the Test

I ran a structured test comparing text-based LinkedIn outreach to voicenotes.

First, I spent 9 months using a three-step connect and converse strategy with decision-makers in my ICP, relying solely on text-based messaging. My success rate in securing calls was 3.8%.

Then, I switched to using voice notes within the same strategy. Over three months, my call rate increased to 6.7%

... A 76% uplift in call acceptance just by replacing text with voicenotes.

One of the most striking successes came from a decision-maker at a global tech company with over 50,000 employees. She accepted my meeting and later told me:

"I NEVER respond to outreach from salespeople, but your approach was different and caught my attention."

This moment reinforced what I suspected, voice notes don’t just break through the noise, they resonate on a deeper level.

Best Practices for Effective Voicenotes

If you’re new to voice notes or want to maximise their impact, here’s what worked for me:

Keep it short & engaging – Aim for 20-45 seconds to maintain attention.

Be authentic – Speak naturally, as if having a conversation, rather than delivering a rehearsed pitch.

Reference something specific – Mention a mutual connection, a recent post they shared, or a topic they care about to make it more relevant.

End with a call to action – Whether it’s a quick response, a meeting, or a follow-up message, guide the next step.

Overcoming Common Concerns

“What if they don’t listen?” Curiosity often wins, many people will hit play just to see what you have to say. You can also set expectations with a quick text: "Hey [Name], I just sent a quick voice note, excited to hear your thoughts!"

“I don’t like the sound of my voice.” Neither did I at first! But perfection isn’t the goal, authenticity is. The more you use voice notes, the more comfortable you’ll become.

The Takeaway

Voice notes are a simple yet powerful way to humanise digital outreach. My own experiment proved they could deliver a 76% increase in call conversions.

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