Most outreach doesn't die at the ask. It dies in the scheduling. You send a tailored message, they write back yes, and then you spend four emails trading "can you do Wednesday?" Every one of those replies is another chance for them to get pulled into something else and go quiet.
A client of mine messaged a finance director at Microsoft recently. She said yes, clicked the Calendly link we had set up together, and booked herself. No back and forth. A director does not have time to manage your logistics on top of her own calendar. Your job is to make saying yes take one click.
Some people will tell you a booking link is presumptuous, that it is not your place to send a senior person a calendar. I understand the ego in it. I still send the link, because I have watched too many of these turn into coffee chats, and then into interviews, to argue the other side.
One event type, 20 minutes, titled "Coffee chat with [your name]". Open weekday mornings only, so nothing lands in the middle of close.
Make it the last line, never the first: "If it is easier, here is my calendar. Grab whatever slot works for you."
The link closes a message that already earned the yes. It does not replace the reason you reached out.
From Big 4 to T-Mobile
Senior Accountant at T-Mobile, $34K more base, six weeks.
“Alex was wonderful to work with! He provided excellent suggestions and guided me through his entire resume writing process when making edits to content and format. He was accommodating and incredibly helpful. Alex was also knowledgeable about the job market I am in and was very easy to talk to.”