Cold messages to people in my field, do they work? - 11 weeks in

I want to talk to people in a new field but I hate cold messages. I have been trying to stay organised about it. I worry about bothering people. How do you phrase the request?

I asked what they wish they had known at my stage. People enjoy answering that.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It made the follow-up calls so much easier.