LinkedIn outreach that doesn't feel like spam

You've probably received messages like this:

"Hi! I see we're both interested in leadership. I help coaches get 10 new clients a month. Would you be open to a quick call?"

Delete. Every time.

So it makes sense that many coaches decide outreach is spammy and they won't do it. The problem is that waiting for people to find you is very slow, especially when you're starting out.

There's a middle way.

What $100M Leads gets right

In $100M Leads, Alex Hormozi explains that there are only a handful of ways to get attention: reach out to people who know you, reach out to people who don't, post useful content, or run ads.

For a solo coach, consultant or fractional leader, the first three are free. And they work much better together than apart.

Content and outreach, working as one

Here's how they feed each other:

• Your posts warm people up. When someone has seen two or three of your useful posts, your name feels familiar.
• Your outreach brings the right people to your posts. You connect with people who fit your ideal client, and some of them start reading.
• Your profile closes the loop. When they click your name, your profile confirms you help people like them.

A message from someone you've seen posting helpful things feels very different from a message from a stranger.

How to write a message people don't hate

Start with them, not you. Mention something specific about their situation. Not "I see we're both interested in leadership".

Don't pitch in the first message. Start a conversation. Ask a real question, or share something useful.

Keep it short. Three or four lines. People read on their phones.

Sound like a person. Write the way you'd talk to someone at a conference coffee break.

Here's an example:

"Hi Sarah, saw you moved into the head of operations role at the start of the year. Congratulations. The first six months in a new leadership seat are usually the hardest. How's it going so far?"

That's it. No pitch, no link. If she replies, you have a conversation. If the conversation shows she has a problem you solve, the sales conversation comes naturally later.

Follow up, but do it properly

Most replies come after a follow-up, not the first message. But a follow-up should add something: a useful article, a thought on their situation, or simply a friendly check-in a week or two later.

Never send "just bumping this up". It tells the person you didn't have anything new to say.

Your account, your voice

One more thing matters a lot. The people you're trying to reach get messages every week from agencies offering to "take over your LinkedIn". Many of them are tired of it.

Outreach works best when it really comes from you, from your own account, in your voice, about things you actually know. That's why our system runs outreach from your own LinkedIn account and writes in your voice, using your positioning. You set it up and approve it. Nobody else logs in as you.

The goal of outreach isn't to send more messages. It's to start more real conversations with the right people.