LinkedIn prospecting: start from a signal, not a list
Contents
Why does list-based LinkedIn prospecting run out of steam?What is a buying signal?Where do you find these signals?How do you write the first message from the signal?What rhythm works: request, message, follow-up?Is LinkedIn prospecting GDPR compliant?In short
- What runs out of steam on LinkedIn is not the channel but the list: it says who could buy, not who is looking now.
- A buying signal is a public, dated fact that makes a need likely: a hire, a new role, a new company, a post.
- The search that finds signals pairs an event word with a job title ("hiring" and "accountant").
- The first message fits in three sentences: what you saw, what it implies, one question.
- Two rules: a reply stops the sequence, and a no is final.
Most LinkedIn prospecting campaigns start the same way: a search by job title, industry and region, a few hundred profiles exported, then the same connection request sent to everyone. The first weeks bring a few meetings. Then the acceptance rate drops, replies dry up, and the team concludes that "LinkedIn doesn't work any more".
LinkedIn works. What runs out of steam is the list. Someone who matches your target does not necessarily need you now.
Every day Romeo spots the companies that need you and writes the first message. Nothing leaves without your approval.
Join the listWhy does list-based LinkedIn prospecting run out of steam?
A list answers the question "who could buy?". It says nothing about "who is looking right now?". The message it produces is bound to be generic: it can only talk about the job title and the industry, the only two things the list knows.
- Volume replaces relevance. To make up for a low reply rate, you send more. LinkedIn caps connection requests per week and spots accounts that send too fast: in the end, volume costs you the account itself.
- The prospect recognises the template. A founder receives several sales requests a week. The ones that open with a compliment on their career all look alike.
- The right moment is missed. The firm hiring today will have picked its tool in three months. Reaching it whenever the campaign calendar says so means arriving before the need, or after it.
What is a buying signal?
A signal is a public, dated event that makes a need likely. On its own it proves nothing, but it gives you a reason to write to this person, this week, rather than to someone else.
A company that is recruiting is growing, and getting organised.
A new director often reviews their tools and suppliers.
Or a change of director, published in legal announcements.
Someone opening an office, changing software, looking for a solution.
A reaction to your posts, a request received, a visit to your site.
Where do you find these signals?
Most of them are public and free. What costs is the time it takes to collect them every day.
LinkedIn posts
People announce an event, they do not ask for help. A search that pairs an event word with a job title finds more buying moments than a search on your own vocabulary.
"hiring" with "accountant", "opening" with "lawyer", or the name of a piece of software with the job title of its users.
Job offers
Public job boards publish offers with the company's line of business and location, so you can aim at one sector and one area.
Legal announcements
Company registers publish new companies and changes of director, with the name of the person arriving. In France, that is the BODACC.
Your own audience
The people who react to your posts, or to those of an influencer in your field, have already shown an interest in the subject.
| Signal | Where to find it | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| A hire | Job boards, "hiring" posts | The company is growing and organising |
| A new role | LinkedIn, Sales Navigator | Tools and suppliers under review |
| New company or director | Company registers | Everything is being set up |
| A post | LinkedIn post search | A named project or problem |
| A gesture towards you | Reactions, requests, visits | Interest already shown |
How do you write the first message from the signal?
The signal does the job the generic compliment was trying to do: it shows you looked. The message fits in three sentences: what you saw, what it often implies, and one simple question.
"Hello Claire, I saw the firm is hiring a second accountant in Lyon. At that stage, entering clients' documents often takes more room than planned. Is that something you are dealing with at the moment?"
On our own LinkedIn campaigns written this way, 11% of the people who received a message replied, and more than half of those replies were positive.
No company introduction, no link, no meeting request in the first message. If the signal is right, the question is enough to open the conversation. If it is wrong, the person will tell you, and you will have learnt something about your target.
What rhythm works: request, message, follow-up?
On LinkedIn, a reasonable sequence stays short:
- a connection request with no note or a single sentence;
- the first message once the request is accepted;
- one or two follow-ups several days apart, each bringing something new.
When LinkedIn is not enough, a work email can take over within the same sequence.
Is LinkedIn prospecting GDPR compliant?
It can be. In Europe, B2B prospecting can rely on legitimate interest when the message concerns the person's professional role. Three duties remain: telling the person where their data comes from at the first contact, letting them object easily, and respecting that refusal for good. Rules on emailing businesses differ between countries, so check those of the country you write to.
Signal-based prospecting lends itself to this: every fact has a source and a date, which you can quote if the person asks. To go further, read our guides to sales prospecting and B2B prospecting.
Frequently asked questions
How many LinkedIn connection requests can you send per week?
LinkedIn caps weekly connection requests and does not publish a fixed number. It also spots accounts that send too fast: a few well-chosen requests beat volume.
Should you add a note to a LinkedIn connection request?
It is not necessary. A request with no note, or a single sentence, is enough: the real message comes once the request is accepted.
Do you need LinkedIn Sales Navigator?
No. Its alerts (job changes, company growth) are useful signals, but posts, job offers and legal announcements are public and free.
What is a buying signal?
A public, dated event that makes a need likely: a hire, a new role, a new company, a post, or a gesture towards you such as a reaction to your posts.
Every day Romeo spots the companies that need you and writes the first message. Nothing leaves without your approval.
Join the list