I am disappointed that the search wasn't “Internet Badass,” “Startup Jesus" or “Bitchin’ CEO Coach”. In fact, when asked, Steve wouldn't tell me.
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There's a lot of talk about how LinkedIn is saturated as a medium for reaching potential customers.
That's a load of crap.
LinkedIn is still the best platform for starting conversations with B2B customers.
It doesn't work for most people because they lead with lies and inauthenticity. In fact, when I asked Steve what he searched for, his response was "Haha, fair enough, Eric, sounds like you've got your audience and message dialed in already."
Man, that's some weak sauce.
An effective LinkedIn outreach messages is authentic and promises real value for the recipient.
"Would you give me some of your precious time to let me sell you something that I can't differentiate my competitors" is a lousy request.
Especially when compared to:
"I've got a boatload of experience in X and I'm looking to speak with similar people to see if I could be helpful. Would you like to hear about Y insight?"
For f*ck's sake, my kingdom for a horse, or maybe just one lead generation guru who reaches out with "Most lead generation fails for X reason. I'd love to show you how to do it properly." (Wait, the call is coming from inside the house!)
If you are struggling with LinkedIn outreach, go have a glass of wine, disconnect from work a little bit, then go back and read your LinkedIn prospecting messages.
Ask yourself: "If I received this message, would I respond positively?"