LinkedIn has always been my favorite platform for finding clients.

If you’re new to the platform, chances are there are people ready to buy right now that could become your newest client this month. 

You may already have clients you’ve gotten in other ways but haven’t cracked LinkedIn yet.

I’m here to help.

Here are 7 steps I would take if I were trying to get my first client on LinkedIn.

Step 1: Optimize Your Profile for Maximum Engagement

Your profile is the first thing a prospect checks when you reach out to someone, they find your content, etc.

• Profile Picture: Keep it professional, but approachable.
• Headline: Don’t just list your job title. Include a brief value proposition that tells visitors exactly how you can help them.
• Summary: Make it punchy. Highlight your skills, achievements, and how you solve problems. Remember, relevancy drives urgency.

Want more profile optimization tips? Check out my LinkedIn High-Ticket Handbook. It’s full of them.

Step 2: Find Your Ideal Clients – M.A.P.S. Framework

Now, let’s talk about finding those perfect-fit clients who are ready to throw money at you. Enter the Better Client Blueprint.

M.A.P.S. Framework

Here’s how we’re going to navigate the buyer’s journey like a pro:

1. Map: Plot out your buyer’s journey. Where are they hanging out? What are they reading? Who are they listening to?
2. Analyze: Look at every touchpoint. Where are they getting stuck? Where are they losing interest faster than a cat with a laser pointer?
3. Pinpoint: Find those golden opportunities where your competitors are dropping the ball.
4. Strategize: Develop killer content and interventions that make you the obvious choice.

By applying this framework, you’re not just finding clients; you’re positioning yourself as the solution they didn’t even know they needed. For the full blueprint, check out my Better Client Blueprint.

Step 3: Craft Your Outreach Strategy – No More Pitch Slapping

Here’s where most people fumble the ball. But not you. You’re going to nail this harder than a carpenter on espresso.

• Personalize: Generic messages are about as effective as a chocolate teapot. Show them you’ve done your homework.
• Value Proposition: Be crystal clear about how you’re going to solve their problems. Make it so obvious, they’d feel stupid not to work with you.
• Call to Action: End with a simple, clear next step. Make it easier to say yes than to scroll past.

Want to see what a killer message ooks like? Dive into my Prospect Primer. It’s like a cheat code for conversations.

Step 4: Follow-Up Like a Pro 

One message is like one push-up. It’s a good start, but it won’t get you ripped. Here’s your follow-up workout plan:

1. Initial Outreach: Introduce yourself and drop that value bomb.
2. Follow-up: If they’re playing hard to get, circle back. Add more value or hit a pain point they can’t ignore.
3. Engage: Get them talking about their challenges. Be more interested than interesting.

Remember, your goal is to start the right conversations. Get them to open up about their challenges like they’re on a therapist’s couch.

Step 5: Automate (But Don’t Overdo It)

Automation can speed things up, but it shouldn’t be your entire strategy.

• Use automation to handle repetitive tasks, not to replace genuine interaction.
• Keep it personal. Even automated messages should feel tailored to the recipient.

Step 6: Have Real Conversations

This is where the magic happens. When you get a response:

• Ask questions. Get them talking about their challenges.
• Listen more than you talk. The more you understand their needs, the better you can position your services.
• Offer solutions tailored to their specific situation.

Step 7: Don’t Go It Alone – Get Help and Move Fast

Remember, I spent years figuring this stuff out. 

While that was valuable, you don’t have to take the long road. 

Figuring things out on your own can be fun, remember: this is a business, not a hobby. 

Getting the right help can dramatically shorten your learning curve and accelerate your results. 

• Join APEX Assembly: It’s like an assembly line for LinkedIn success, where we fine-tune every aspect of your strategy. 
• Get A Seat At The War Table: Our mastermind group is where iron sharpens iron. Surround yourself with people who make you step up your game.
• Go Full Throttle: Want to skip the learning curve entirely?Let’s talk about our done-for-you services. We’ll handle the heavy lifting while you focus on being awesome.

If you’re looking for help with any of these, Book a call with me.

TLDR

Getting your first client(s) on LinkedIn isn’t about luck.

It’s about strategy, consistency, and using data to optimize. Here’s your battle plan:

1. Optimize your profile to make a first impression that lasts.
2. Use the M.A.P.S. framework to find and understand your ideal clients.
3. Craft outreach messages that are impossible to ignore.
4. Follow up.
5. Automate wisely, but keep it human.
6. Have conversations that uncover needs and build trust.
7. Get help to accelerate.

The Right Conversations > Opt ins

Everything was converting great until it wasn’t.

I took a look at what was going on and noticed something interesting.

Revenue was going up, but opt ins were going down.

Even more interesting, the best clients came from conversations, not so much a free resource or anything like that.

This gave me an idea.

What if I can just spark the right conversation with the right person instead of having to go through all that?

At that point, my testing approach was mostly focused on 2 things:

1. Identifying the “low hanging fruit” within the target market
2. Seeing which resource they need the most based on where they are at in the buyers journey.

With the goal of just sparking the right conversations, I ran some tests in my outreach.

Sure enough, focusing on sparking the right conversations with people in the market blew the opt in focused campaigns out of the water.

After seeing this, I updated my testing approach, the Rapid Refinement Protocol for internal and client use.

You can get a lot of ideas like this from just looking at what works in person and taking those principles to the internet.

What would you prefer?

Someone walking up with a resource? Or an expert asking the right questions?

Personally, I’d go with the right conversation with the right person.

“What’s the best way to get my LinkedIn connections onto my email list?”

This is a question I get a lot, and I completely understand why.

As you continue to expand your network on LinkedIn, you may find yourself wondering how to engage with these connections outside of the platform.

Perhaps you want to add them to your newsletter, your email list, or simply have a more direct means of communication because they aren’t opening your LinkedIn messages.

Whatever your goal, having your LinkedIn connections on your email list can increase the results you get from your LinkedIn efforts.

BENEFITS

1. Direct Communication -If your connections are on your email list, you no longer have to rely solely on LinkedIn’s messaging system.

Emails allow for more robust communication and enable you to deliver richer content that LinkedIn messaging may not be capable of.

2. Increased Reach – Not everyone checks their LinkedIn messages regularly.

Platform limitations such as sending limits can restrict your communication as well.

Having them on your email list is like having an insurance policy to ensure you can reach more of the connections you worked hard to get, maximizing your overall marketing effectiveness.

3. Analytics – Email marketing platforms like ActiveCampaign, Hubspot, High Level, etc. provide detailed analytics that help you track the performance of your campaigns.

You can easily monitor metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, providing data and insights into the effectiveness of your email campaign and allowing you to optimize and refine your strategies accordingly.

However, there are some challenges with converting your LinkedIn connections into subscribers…

CHALLENGES

1. Permission – Just because someone is connected with you on LinkedIn does not automatically mean they want to be on your email list.

Ideally, get their permission before moving them to an email list.

2. Avoiding Spam – Taking the wrong approach can result in your emails being perceived as spam, which could potentially burn the relationship.

It’s critical to be mindful of how you approach your connections so that your emails offer value and relevance to their interests and needs.

3. Email Deliverability – Cold emailing your list can impact your deliverability and may impact wether your current clients, etc. Get the emails you want them to get.

Tip: Use a different domain than your main one to keep the integrity separate

WHAT I’VE SEEN WORK

Based on my experience, this is the most effective strategy for converting connections to engaged email subscribers:

1. Create compelling lead magnets or offer exclusive content that has your audience wants to subscribe to. These opt ins can be on your profile, in your content/posts, and in targeted messaging campaigns.

Unlike just adding them to a cold email sequence, opting-in gets them looking for your emails vs hoping they see them.

2. For those who do not opt-in after some time, you could consider a cold email sequence that gently introduces them to the benefits of joining your list.

The key is to use relevancy to drive urgency by providing value, trying to get them to opt in first, and then reach out if they are not active. Being relevant by using Focused Targeting and Irresistable Personalization will lead to higher engagement and effectiveness.

If you’d like me to take a look at your setup and get an idea what I would do, grab a free 20 minute audit.

I have been in the high-ticket digital marketing space for over 10 years.

Throughout my career, my outbound campaigns on LinkedIn have achieved a remarkable 90% response rate.

Earlier in my career, I not only doubled the conversion rates for numerous big-ticket(auto, rv, real estate) websites but was also honored with the “Conversion Club Award” for crafting landing pages with a conversion rate exceeding 78%.

If you can’t tell, I am obsessed with the high-ticket buyer’s journey 🙂

But do you want to know a secret?

I use the same 4 step framework every time.

Enter the “M.A.P.S.” Framework.

This is a framework I made to identify what will magnetize buyers along their journey.

This allows me to find and guide perfect-fit clients for myself and clients 🚀

It also allows me to compete on not only my positioning, but proximity to where they are at in the buyers journey.

In high-ticket, this is critical.

Here’s how it works:

1. M – Map the Journey:

Awareness: Identify how customers first learn about your product or service.

Consideration: Determine how they evaluate their options.

Decision: Understand what influences their final purchasing decision.

2. A – Analyze Pain Points:

Feedback Channels: Review content, comments, reviews, and direct feedback to grasp challenges or needs your audience faces.

Trending Discussions: Monitor discussions on platforms your audience frequents to identify recurring concerns or interests.

3. P – Pinpoint Underserved Areas:

Content Gaps: Identify topics or formats not being extensively covered by you or others in your niche.

Audience Segments: Recognize any sub-segments within your audience that may have unique needs or interests not yet addressed.

Engagement Opportunities: Find areas where there’s potential for deeper engagement, be it through interactive content, community building, or collaborations.

4. S – Strategize Solutions:

Content Strategy: Devise content that resonates with your audience’s interests, fills the identified gaps, and addresses their pain points.

Engagement Plan: Create a blueprint for how you’ll proactively engage with your audience, leveraging the insights gained about their preferences and behaviors.

Prioritize these based on potential impact and feasibility.

>>> ✅ Click Here to Get the M.A.P.S. Checklist for Free ✅ <<<

Application:

1. Begin by plotting out the entire Map of your buyer’s journey. Use available data, interviews, and observations.
2. Analyze every touchpoint, every interaction, every source of information or influence to understand where pain points or disconnects occur.
3. With this analysis, you can Pinpoint areas where the needs and desires of the buyers aren’t fully met, thus recognizing the underserved spots.
4. Finally, Strategize by developing interventions, new content, or changes in the process to address these underserved areas and improve the overall buyer’s journey.

By continually iterating through the M.A.P.S. framework, I’m confident you will have significantly hae higher conversions as you refine your understanding of perfect-fit clients, enhance their journey, and acquire them..