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.

I sucked at Linkedin for years…

I tried everything….courses, YouTube videos, all the templates I could find from google, etc.

Fast forward to now, it’s my most successful platform.

Here are the top 3 questions that helped me go from Spamming to Leading. on LinkedIn.

1. How certain are you that who you are targeting is interested in what you offer right now?

Not certain?

Verified need for your services?

What I found out was that to get an audience that is truly the right fit you must look at more than just what they look like so you can have an audience that currently needs what you offer.

For this, we created an Opportunity Hotspot Finder inside of our Better Client Blueprint that has helped myself and clients get the best possible clients with target market research.

2. How well personalized is your approach to each individual?

Shotgun messaging?

Rolling out the red carpet?

To get people to want to talk to you in conversation, you must create messaging that is truly compelling.

For this we created a Sales Spark Sequence that has helped many of our clients get 50%+ response rates and wake up to an inbox of 600+ replies.

3. How certain are you that your most important message is getting to the right people?

Pitch slapping?

Intrigue stimulating?

To reach the most desirable level of prospect you must have a way of getting your key message to the people you most resonate with.

To accomplish this, I created a Targeted Delivery Sequence to get the right type of responses.

These questions helped me create real real relationships, roll out the red carpet, and become the guide to my ideal prospects making them the hero of the buyer’s journey.

—

Looking to go from Lost to Thriving on LinkedIn? Book a call with me or a member of my team to see if you are a fit. 

 

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.

I’ve been in B2B Client Acquisition for 10 years now.

I went from getting 0 attention, to getting fortune 500 deals.

I’ve seen it all…what to do….and what not to do.

If you’re looking to acquire not just more, but better B2B clients, these are my top 10 tips for acquiring B2B clients.

 

1. Target Market Research

Understanding your market is the foundation of any successful sales strategy(not doing this is the #1 reason businesses fail).

Identify ideal clients that have the top revenue potential, alignment, and are also in-market, what their needs entail, and where they are most active.

2. Embrace Outreach

Content and Ads are great. However with outreach, you can personalize the entire approach to one person, making you more relevant than any ad or post they see.

3. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

Chances are, your ideal clients are on LinkedIn.

Tailor your profile to speak directly to your target audience’s needs and interests from the previous step.

A well-optimized LinkedIn profile doesn’t only attract, but converts ideal clients who are visiting your profile right now.

 

4. Become the Guide, Making them the Hero of the Buyer’s Journey.

Each individual you contact has unique priorities and challenges.

For instance, an employee at a large corporation might prioritize job security over taking risky decisions and needs a different approach.

 

5. Use a Non-salesy, Consultative Approach

Avoid “pitch-slapping”.

Instead, focus on initiating meaningful conversations that align with their current objectives and challenges.

This non-invasive approach helps position you as a helpful advisor rather than just another salesperson.

 

6. Use Multiple Channels to Connect

Diversify your outreach across emails, LinkedIn messages, and even phone calls.

This multi-channel approach increases your visibility and chances of making a successful contact.

 

7. Testing for Predictability

Not every strategy will work for every market segment.

Implement testing mechanisms to see what works best with your target audience.

This structured approach allows for refined strategies that are more likely to succeed.

 

8. Create Content that Creates More Than Just Attention

I see a lot of people creating content that gets attention, but doesn’t help get clients.

Create content that shifts beliefs and drives the buyer’s journey.

 

9. Be Consistent

B2B sales cycles can be lengthy, especially when working with sales cycles of larger organizations.

They have legal, finance departments, etc.

Maintain consistency in any outreach and follow-ups.

Patience and persistence are essential in building trust and credibility over time.

 

10. Start the Right Conversations

I can do much more with the right conversation with the right person than I can with an opt-in, especially in B2B.

B2B is different than B2C. It requires a bit more strategy, patience, and communication.

These are the top 10 tips I have from the last 10 years.

Anything I missed? Let me know.

“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.

Your future clients need your help.

They need your help understanding options, knowing what to look for, what to avoid, and all the other obstacles during their buyer’s journey. 

Some do this already, but sadly, this journey-driven leadership is fading in a world increasingly driven by superficial tactics.

I see a lot of coaches and consultants trying to get attention, hoping people buy from them.

Unfortunately, this leaves buyers “stuck” in the journey. 

Your audience also needs help answering their internal questions.

And if you can’t answer them, they will go find some influencer to help them at which point you aren’t the thought leader anymore. 

I am on a mission to catalyze the way coaches and consultants help their ideal clients navigate the buyer’s journey. 

Afterall, coaching and consulting is needed before the sale.

Over the course of my 10 year career in the high-ticket space, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing people and businesses. 

All of my work has a nucleus that is this: Understand,map out, and help the underserved buyers in the market by being their guide, making them the hero of their own journey.

Imagine this scenario: you stumble upon a LinkedIn profile that piques your interest after liking a post. 

Excitedly, you click on it, hoping to learn more about the person behind the profile. 

But to your disappointment, all you find is content solely focused on what they sell, nasically reading a brochure. 

Now, let’s be honest, if you’re still in the early stages of your buyer’s journey, this profile won’t resonate with you. 

And that’s the issue.

Here are a few internal questions that your audience needs to answer before they can start working with you:

• What do I need? Identifying personal or business goals, challenges, and what success looks like.
• Is coaching or consulting right for me? Assessing if this approach fits their learning style, business needs, or personal growth plans.
• Can I afford it? Evaluating budget, potential ROI, and exploring pricing or package options.
• Who is the right coach or consultant for me? Researching qualifications, experience, and compatibility.
• What results have they achieved with others? Looking for testimonials, case studies, and success stories.
• How do they work? Understanding the coach or consultant’s methodology, tools, and communication style.
• What commitment is required? Considering the time, energy, and changes needed to make the most out of the engagement.
• What are the alternatives? Exploring other methods, coaches, or solutions to achieve the same goals.
• How do I get started? Figuring out the process for initiating services, scheduling, and payment.
• What should I prepare? Preparing personal or business information, goals, and questions to maximize initial meetings or sessions.

As coaches and consultants, our goal is to guide individuals on their unique journey. 

Compete not just on positioning, but PROXIMITY to where they are at within the buyer’s journey.

To do that successfully, we need to be relevant to them at each stage. 

By solely focusing on the end result and skipping the buyer’s journey, we miss out on the opportunity to demonstrate our value and expertise.

Don’t miss the opportunity to give your market a taste of how you work by leading them through the buyer’s journey. 

Unless you don’t want to be a leader 😉

I believe in you. 

P.S. Want to see how to find the low-hanging fruit in your market on LinkedIn and be the most relevant option they come across? Book a time with me and I’ll show you the process.

“Am I good enough?”

“Did I get lucky?”

You’re not alone.

It’s common for high-performers to feel self-doubt, or “Imposter Syndrome”.

That gnawing feeling of unworthiness.

A constant internal questioning – did I just get lucky? Am I REALLY good enough?

This feeling is a sign that you’re pushing the boundaries.

But don’t let these feelings stop you.

Here are 9 ways to help you navigate it:

Acknowledge It:

Become aware of your feelings.

Understand it’s common among high-performers to experience this.

Express Your Feelings:

Recognize and name the feeling.

You’re encountering “Imposter Syndrome”, a totally normal experience shared by many high-achievers.

Mindful Awareness and Rewiring Neural Pathways:

I made a discovery last week.

Often, imposter syndrome is rooted in deep-seated conditioning from our past.

To combat this, practice mindful awareness in the moment.

When you notice self-doubting thoughts, pause and objectively analyze them rather than immediately identifying with them.

This mindful check allows you to become un-identified with these thoughts, breaking from the “schema” and it’s choke-hold on you.

Doing this consistently creates new neural pathways, gradually replacing the old patterns of self-doubt with more empowering beliefs.

This technique not only helps in the immediate moment but also contributes to long-term mental resilience and self-assurance.

Share Your Feelings:

Talk to a mentor, colleague, or friend.

Entrepreneurs specifically, don’t share enough of this, in my opinion.

You might be surprised to find others feel the same way, and sharing can be liberating.

Reframe Your Thinking:

Switch your mindset.

View challenges as growth opportunities rather than proof of your inadequacy.

Build Confidence By Looking at Wins:

Keep a record of your wins, big or small.

Reflecting on them can remind you of your abilities.

Seek Feedback:

Don’t be your own harshest critic.

Ask others for their perspective on your value in the marketplace.

Or get help. If you are looking for help with LinkedIn, book a call with me and I will personally give you feedback and what I would do differently.

Set Goals That Bring Confidence:

Just like when you were a kid and you used a magnifying glass to burn leaves.

If the focus is too broad, you’ll never burn that leaf.

However, if the magnifying glass focuses the sun, you will be confident it will burn.

This is how we feel about our focus.

Understand Perfection is a Myth:

Embrace the human experience.

Making mistakes and having room to grow doesn’t mean you’re a fraud, it means you’re growing..

Visualize Success:

Focus on what success means to you in extreme detail.

Visualization can shift your fears into action.

A Parting Note

Dealing with imposter syndrome is a journey, not a destination.

Remember, it’s not about eradicating these feelings, they will come again I promise you that.

It’s about learning how to navigate them as you continue to grow and reach new levels..

You’ve got this.

Was talking to  a friend the other day. 

“Would you consider your company to be a marketing or sales company?”

It’s a great question. 

I replied to him with this.

“I actually sit at the crossroads of both, combining them into my own strategy.

Instead of focusing on just the buyers journey(marketing), or the sales process, we actually align the two and focus on driving results. 

Next I showed him our journey mapping tool, where we literally align the sales process and buyers journey. 

My M.A.P.S. Framework is broken down into key stages, each designed to seamlessly integrate sales and marketing efforts.

Here are some of those stages with some examples.

 

CONNECT: The First Encounter

Sales Process: This is about making the initial contact with the prospect.

Marketing Content Example: Share an insightful article or post on LinkedIn that addresses industry trends or pain points, inviting discussion and interaction.

ENGAGE: The Conversation Starter

Sales Process: Here, you’re actively engaging in a dialogue, showing that you’re paying attention.

Marketing Content Example: Create polls or thought-provoking questions related to your industry to stimulate engagement and show genuine interest in your connections’ opinions.

UNCOVER: The Insightful Inquiry

Sales Process: This stage involves digging deeper into the prospects’ needs and challenges.

Marketing Content Example: Post case studies or customer testimonials on LinkedIn that subtly show how your services have solved similar challenges.

DISCOVER: The Value Proposition

Sales Process: You’re identifying and discussing solutions that can help the prospect.

Marketing Content Example: Share short videos or infographics that clearly demonstrate the unique value proposition of your offerings.

CONSIDER: The Reflection Point

Sales Process: Prospects are contemplating your solutions and how they fit into their 

requirements.

Marketing Content Example: Write articles or posts that detail success stories, focusing on the benefits and outcomes of your service or product.

ALIGN: The Strategic Partnership

Sales Process: It’s time to align your offerings with the prospect’s goals and demonstrate how you can achieve them together.

Marketing Content Example: Use LinkedIn Live to host a Q&A session, discussing industry challenges and showcasing your expertise in providing solutions.

COMMIT: The Closing Phase

Sales Process: You’re finalizing the deal and establishing the terms of the partnership.

Marketing Content Example: Personalized direct messages that recap the value discussed and the next steps, reinforcing the benefits of the partnership.

Not only did we make things easier for him in his sales and marketing efforts, but he was now confident because we plugged any holes or sticking points in the buyers journey.

This is only a small piece of what we go over inside the “M.A.P.S. Framework” inside the Better Client Blueprint.

Not only do we show how to align your sales journey to their buyer’s journey, but it shows how to find the best clients on LinkedIn, which Kevin used to get a record month.

Click here to learn more about the Better Client Blueprint.