I Closed a 12K Deal Using LinkedIn DMs (And I Don’t Even Like Sales)

Confession Time: Sales has never been my thing.        

It pulls me away from the creative work I love and takes focus from my clients. But when you run your own business, avoiding sales isn’t an option.

The good news? I’ve figured out a LinkedIn DM campaign that works well for me, I only need to run it 3-4 times a year. My last campaign? $20K in just 2-4 weeks (and yes I did close a 12k deal beginner of the year - I did this without cold pitching or being pushy).

My partner constantly tells me I undervalue myself (guilty), but even I can’t argue with those results.

Most People Get This Wrong

A TTV member once asked me, “String, why aren’t my DMs working?”

She’s a savvy businesswoman. She knows how to talk to people in real life—but in DMs? She went into hyper pitch mode.

No wonder people ghost her.

DMs don’t work like cold calls. They’re not one-and-done transactions. They require multiple touchpoints—just like real conversations.

So if you’ve been blasting messages and getting ghosted, here’s what to do instead.

How I Approach LinkedIn DMs

ONE. Stop sending generic connection requests.Those “just connecting” messages that immediately pivot to selling? They don’t work. Instead, start conversations that actually build trust.

TWO. Spot who’s ready to buy. Not everyone is ready to buy right now. The key is to notice who’s already engaging with you—not waste time on cold leads.

• Who’s commenting on your posts?
• Who’s DMing you with follow-up questions?
• Who’s checking out your profile multiple times?
• Who's downloaded a lead magnet, are they ready for you?

If they’re doing any of these, they’re probably curious—but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy from you yet, so how do you expect to pitch to resonate?

THREE. Track your conversations. If you’re sending DMs but not tracking them, you’re winging it. I keep a running list (fancy sales people call it CRM) of conversations so I know:

• Who’s engaging but not ready yet
• Who’s close to making a decision
• Who needs a little more information

This keeps follow-ups natural, not spammy.

FOUR. Use AI to handle objections. Instead of typing the same responses over and over, I use AI to craft clear, non-pushy replies to common objections like “no budget” or “not now.” This helped me a lot as I'm an overthinker, so using AI is good for non-bias replies and help me close faster.

FIVE. Think of DMs like real conversations. You wouldn’t walk up to someone at an event and immediately ask them to buy your service. So why do it in DMs?

Build rapport first. Be human. And when the time is right, the deal closes itself.

Want a Quick Win? Try This Today

Go to your last four posts and check who’s engaging the most.

• Who’s commenting with thoughtful responses?
• Who’s DMing you with follow-up questions?
• Who’s viewed your profile multiple times recently?

Start a low-pressure conversation with them—no pitching.

DM Openers That Get Replies (Not Ignored)

• Hey [Name], appreciate you engaging with my posts! What are you working on right now?
• Hey [Name], always see you popping up in my comments— want to send my appreciating your way.
• Hey [Name], been meaning to reach out! How’s business/life treating you these days?

What Happens Next?

DMs aren’t a one-and-done move. It’s a process:

1. Start a conversation
2. Keep track of who’s engaging
3. Let the relationship build naturally (sometimes it takes weeks or months).
4. Use your list to track convos

If you do this right, people will ask you how they can work with you.

And when they do? Then you talk business.

But wait—how does this turn into a series of total $20K deal?

I break it all down in my free guide:

?? "The LinkedIn DM Playbook: How to Turn Conversations into Clients (Without Feeling Salesy)"

Low key, I’m running a workshop for The Trusted Voice members next week where we’ll deep dive into this. But if you want the exact framework I use, grab the guide here:

?? [Download the Guide]

– String Nguyen

How I Help Smart Experts Become More Visible Online

?? TTV Emails/Newsletter → Helping you shift your mindset (hello, imposter syndrome), position yourself better, and create content that builds authority—even when you’re time-poor. Sign up here!

?? TTV Membership → My signature program designed to help entrepreneurs and experts show up consistently on LinkedIn. Affordable, actionable, and built for those who want to grow their brand with authentic content (without overthinking it). Details here.

?? 1-on-1 Coaching → I have a few spots left, but I’m selective—I work best with action-takers who want real results.

?? Consulting → Yes, we can talk product, marketing, business. My last business generated about 3.4 Million in sales, and we bootstrapped the business without any investors.