Guide to personalized outreach

Darren McKee outlines a step-by-step process for securing a meeting with an enterprise company like Cisco in one day:

1. Search your network
   ⇢ Check LinkedIn for 1st-degree connections at the target company. Find someone who can help you get introduced.

2. Research priorities
   ⇢ Use keywords to search their sustainability reports and earnings call transcripts. Look for terms like “coaching” or “revenue.” Understand what they care about.

3. Filter with sales navigator
   ⇢ Use filters to find decision-makers. Look for roles with “less than 1 year” in their position or past customers who now work there.

4. Target key buyers
   ⇢ Identify 7 decision-makers who match your ideal customer profile. Focus on 2nd-degree connections who are active on LinkedIn.

5. Write intros and pitches
   ⇢ Ghostwrite DMs asking mutual connections to introduce you. For other targets, craft personalized messages that address their specific pain points.

6. Own your role
   ⇢ Be direct in your outreach. You’re in sales to solve problems, not to schedule casual coffee chats.

7. Send video or audio DMs
   ⇢ Respond with a video or audio message to make your outreach more human. Darren used this to book 4 Fortune 500 C-level meetings.

8. Engage with their content
   ⇢ Comment meaningfully on their posts. Share insights and teach something instead of leaving generic remarks.

9. Post relevant content
   ⇢ Create LinkedIn posts that resonate with your target audience. For example, Darren might post about how social selling replaces outdated tools.

10. Time block and focus
    ⇢ Set aside 2 hours daily to follow this process. You can reach 10-15 high-value prospects a day with focused effort.

11. Avoid burning leads
    ⇢ Don’t rely on mass sequences. These burn through territories and damage relationships. Personalization is key to success in 2024.
    

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Lead generation using LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Jed Mahrle explains how to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator effectively to generate leads and hit quotas.

Here’s what salespeople can do to get the most out of it:

Setting up personas
Create personas for your ideal customer profiles. Filter by role, seniority, and geography. This narrows your search to the right prospects faster.

Job changers strategy
Look for decision-makers who’ve changed jobs in the last 90 days. Use filters to find them. New leaders often look for fresh solutions, so empathize with their transition in your messaging.

Targeting growing companies
Find companies with fast headcount growth. Use filters to see departments with a 33% increase in six months. Position your solution as a way to handle growing pains like inefficiencies or scaling challenges.

Utilizing the lead list feature
Keep a list of warm prospects you’ve interacted with but didn’t close. Monitor these leads for job changes—they’re more likely to respond if they know you. Reference your past connection in follow-ups.

Previous work history filter
Search for prospects who’ve worked at companies that are already your customers. Their familiarity with your product builds trust. Mention this in your outreach to make your message more relevant.

Connections of strategy
Use shared connections for warmer intros. Mention mutual contacts to build rapport, or ask current customers for permission to use their names in outreach.

Content keywords for lead identification
Search for LinkedIn posts discussing problems your product solves. Use Boolean searches to find engaged users posting about relevant challenges. Reach out while the issue is top of mind.

What to feature on your LinkedIn profile

Your LinkedIn profile will make or break your first impression. Here’s what matters most for salespeople, based on insights from Chris Cozzolino:

Profile picture

This is the first thing people see when they check your profile, posts, or comments.

⇢ Use a clear, professional headshot.

⇢ Avoid group photos or distant shots—make it easy for people to recognize you.

Headline

Your headline isn’t a pitch. Overly salesy lines like “I help X people do Y” often backfire.

⇢ Instead, format it like this:

Job Title @ Company Name | Something Professional About You | Something Personal About You

Custom button

If you’re using LinkedIn premium services (like Sales Navigator), set up a custom button under your profile.

⇢ It shows up on every post or message you send.

⇢ Add a clear call-to-action like "Visit my Website" to drive traffic.

Featured section

Your featured section is prime real estate to showcase your best work.

⇢ Include these 3 things:

(a) A top-performing LinkedIn post.

(b) A link to your website.

(c) A newsletter or lead magnet opt-in.

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