Your DMs are full of silence. Your posts get a few likes. But the leads? Nowhere to be found.
The Pain You’re Feeling
If you’re a coach, consultant, or service professional trying to generate leads on LinkedIn, you might be doing everything they told you:
- Sending connection requests to your ideal clients
- Following up with a friendly intro message
- Checking your inbox… only to hear crickets
You’re not alone.
This pain is widespread. You’re investing time and effort but not seeing traction. It feels like LinkedIn is broken, or worse, that you are doing something wrong.
But you’re not broken. The playbook is.
Why Your DMs Are Silent
A few years ago, the connect-and-pitch method did work. People were more open to cold intros, more forgiving of templated messages, and more curious about who you were and what you offered.
But the volume of outreach has exploded. Decision-makers are bombarded with hundreds of cold messages a month. Their default response? Ignore.
What used to work is now white noise. And the more you rely on that outdated approach, the more invisible you become.
The Real Shift on LinkedIn
The algorithm hasn’t ruined your reach. The platform hasn’t stopped working. But buyer behavior has changed.
Today’s clients want to:
- Know who you are before you message them
- See your thinking, not just your pitch
- Feel a sense of trust before they engage
And all of that happens before the DM. It happens through content.
The top of your LinkedIn sales funnel isn’t the inbox. It’s the feed.
What Works Now: Modern Thought Leadership
What draws in leads now is consistent, visible, relevant content:
- Sharing insights that showcase your expertise
- Telling stories that demonstrate your values
- Naming the real struggles your clients face
- Offering clarity, not just calls-to-action
When done right, this builds familiarity and trust. So by the time you do message someone, they already know who you are.
They’re more receptive. Sometimes, they reach out to you first.
A Practical Framework to Start Shifting
Here’s a simple model to move away from cold-pitching and toward content-driven attraction:
1. Define Your Message: Clarify your ideal client, the pain they feel, and your unique solution. Be specific.
2. Create Visibility Content: Share 2–3 posts per week that reflect your point of view, tell relevant stories, or challenge outdated thinking.
3. Engage with Intention: Comment meaningfully on others’ posts. This increases your visibility and builds goodwill.
4. Warm Your Connections: When someone connects, don’t pitch. Thank them. Mention something about their content or bio. Build a human relationship.
5. Invite the Right Conversations: As your content builds trust, you’ll start seeing likes, comments, and DMs. These are warm signals. Follow up from a place of service, not scarcity.
Case Studies or Common Pitfalls
Client Story: Poll to Profit One of my clients recently followed my strategy exactly:
He started with a poll, simple, relevant, and crafted to uncover what his audience was truly struggling with. Not only did the poll give him valuable market research, but it also created engagement that extended his reach and visibility.
From there, he messaged the people who voted, using my warm outreach approach, no hard pitch, just authentic conversation.
One of those voters replied, saying,
“I’ve been meaning to reach out, I think I need your help.”
That conversation led to a discovery call. The discovery call led to a five-figure sale.
Common Pitfall: Mistaking Noise for Strategy.
Many service pros take advice from growth hackers who promise leads but ignore long-term brand trust. Spray-and-pray messages might get you replies. But they rarely build a sustainable business.
LinkedIn still works. But only if you change how you show up.
Replace cold DMs with warm content. Replace the script with your story. Replace quantity with quality.
If your DMs are quiet, the answer isn’t to message more. It matters more.
Want to start creating LinkedIn content that converts into clients?
Then click HERE to get a copy of our “High Impact Post For LinkedIn Templates”.
What was your biggest takeaway from this week’s newsletter?
Let me know in the comments below…
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