Introduction

Sick of sending LinkedIn messages into the void? Or worse—getting ghosted right after someone accepts your request? Yeah, we’ve felt that sting too. LinkedIn prospecting can feel like speed dating with decision makers—except everyone’s busy, skeptical, and drowning in DMs.

At LeadsFinder, we’ve run hundreds of B2B LinkedIn campaigns—for clients and ourselves. We’ve A/B tested every message format, follow-up sequence, and targeting filter you can think of. And what we’ve found is simple: the old playbook doesn’t work anymore.

In this post, we’re getting real. No fluff. Just straight-up tactics you can steal today—from message scripts to follow-up sequences that actually get replies. Sound good? Let’s dive in.

Why LinkedIn Prospecting Works (When Done Right)

If your clients hang out anywhere online, it’s LinkedIn. Over 1 billion LinkedIn users. Nearly 65 million decision makers. That’s a goldmine—if you know how to mine it.

But here’s the deal: spamming connection requests and copying the same pitch into every DM isn’t prospecting—it’s just noise.

The formula? Nail your targeting. Write like a human. Follow up like a professional.

Let’s break that down.

Step 1 – Find the Right People with Advanced Search

Don’t Spray and Pray—Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator Like a Pro

Prospecting starts with focus. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is your best friend here.

Here’s how we use it:

Dial in your search filters: industry, company size, title, location
Use Boolean operators (“marketing AND SaaS”) to get laser-specific
Save leads and accounts to stay organized

Pro Tip: Export your list to leadsfinder.tools to enrich contacts and launch smarter campaigns.

Mistake to Avoid: Going Too Broad

Trying to connect with “anyone in tech” is like shouting into a stadium. You might reach someone—but it won’t be the right someone.

Step 2 – Make That First Touch Count

Connection Requests That Don’t Suck

First impressions matter. And on LinkedIn, your connection request is that first impression.

Here’s what we’ve seen work:

“Hey {First Name}, noticed we’re both in {industry}. Thought it’d be great to connect with folks in {shared niche}.”

Short. Warm. Relevant. That’s it.

Common Pitfalls:

Pitching in the request (too soon, my friend)
Going generic: “Let’s connect!” adds zero value
Writing a novel (nobody reads those)

Step 3 – Follow-Up Like a Real Person (Not a Bot)

Why Most Sales Reps Drop the Ball

Most sales reps send one message… then ghost the lead when they don’t reply. But 80% of conversions? They happen after the third follow-up.

Here’s our 4-touch sequence over 14 days:

Day	Message Type
Day - 1	Personal intro
Day - 3	Value add (e.g. short insight)
Day - 7	Soft bump/check-in
Day - 14	Last chance/exit message

Tools like Expandi or Lemlist help you automate—but always edit your copy first. There’s nothing worse than “Hi {first_name}…” showing up in someone’s inbox.

When we ran this for a FinTech brand, replies tripled. Yes, tripled.

Pro Tip: Use leadsfinder.tools to see who’s hot and who’s not—so you can jump in manually at the right time.

Mistake to Avoid: Over-Automating

Look, nobody wants to talk to a robot. Automate the process, not the personality.

Step 4 – Lead with Value, Not Just a Pitch

You’re not cold calling. You’re social selling. And that means showing up with something worth replying to.

What actually works:

Commenting on their latest post before outreach
Sharing a quick stat or insight related to their industry
Offering to help before asking for time

Example Message:

“Saw your post about onboarding—totally get the pain. We helped a startup cut ramp time by 30%. Happy to share what worked.”

Not pushy. Just helpful. From what we’ve seen, this soft approach gets more replies and builds long-term trust.

Conclusion

Let’s face it—LinkedIn prospecting is hard. But it works if you put in the reps and stay human in your approach.

Build real relationships. Lead with relevance. Automate smartly. That’s the formula we live by.

Want help finding and reaching your perfect-fit B2B leads? Give leadsfinder.tools a spin. We make prospecting easier, faster, and a whole lot smarter.

Bonus: Pro Tips from 100+ Campaigns

Humor works—just don’t force it
Thursday afternoons = highest reply rates
Don’t follow up more than 4 times—it gets awkward
Use job changes as triggers—they’re gold

FAQs

Q1: How many follow-ups should I send on LinkedIn?

3–4 total. Spread them out over 10–14 days. Any more, and you risk turning warm leads cold.

Q2: Is LinkedIn automation safe in 2025?

Yep—as long as you’re not blasting 100 people with the same message. Tools like Expandi or Waalaxy work great when used with a human-first strategy.

Q3: What’s better—InMail or direct messages?

Direct messages after connecting. They feel more personal and get better engagement than cold InMails.