If I Had 30 Days to Win My First LinkedIn Client For FREE, Here’s Exactly What I’d Do:

Yesterday, I analysed exactly how I've won every single client since January 2024.

The numbers were clear:

• 47.3% came from proactive outreach (LinkedIn DMs, InMail & a tiny amount of cold email)
• 28.9% came from referrals (most of which came from clients I won through outreach)
• 18.5% came from networking (virtual & in-person)
• Only 5.3% came from LinkedIn inbound

This got me thinking…

If I lost everything and had to start again from scratch, with zero budget, how would I land my first LinkedIn client in just 30 days?

(Quick caveat: If you have a longer sales cycle, you may not close a deal in 30 days - but by following this exact approach, you’ll have a number of high quality leads which have a strong chance of turning into paying clients).

Days 1-2: Optimise My LinkedIn Profile

Your personal profile is your landing page - if it’s not immediately clear who you help and how you solve their problem, people won’t take you seriously:

?? Headline: Clearly state who you help and what you do. (E.g. "Helping [specific industry] get more [specific outcome] without [pain point].")

?? About Section: Make it about them, not you - focus on their challenges and how you help solve them

?? Featured Section: Add proof - case studies, testimonials, client feedback

?? Professional Background Image: Reinforce who you help - whether through a tagline, branding, or a clear visual

?? Call to Action: Tell your audience exactly what to do next - whether that’s messaging you, booking a call, or checking out a resource

The top of your LinkedIn profile is valuable real estate, so make sure it represents YOU!

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Days 3-5: Identify 100 Ideal Clients

These must match the audience you optimised your profile for, otherwise you’re wasting your time.

The key? Find decision-makers who are likely to benefit from your solution.

If you’re not sure how to figure this out, DM me and I’ll help you!

To help make this task easier, sign up for the 4 week free trial of Sales Navigator and use the ‘Posted in the Last 30 Days’ filter to ensure you’re only reaching out to active LinkedIn users who are more likely to respond.

Days 6-12: Engage With Your Prospects (Before Sending Messages)

Before sending a single message, I’d get on their radar first.

Rather than rushing through 100 prospects in a few days, I’d break it down:

? Day 6-8: Engage with 10-15 prospects per day

? Day 9-12: Engage with another 10-15 prospects per day

To do this, I'd:

? Leave one insightful comment per day on their posts - actual value, not just “great post!”

? Wait for them to reply (which they will, if your comment is detailed and engaging)

? By the time I’ve moved the conversation over to a DM, they’ll already be a warm lead, making my first message way more likely to get a response.

Days 13-15: Send 33 (or 33.33* ??) Personalised Connection Requests Per Day

Now that I’ve engaged with my prospects, I’d start sending connection requests.

?? Message template: "Hi [Name], Been really enjoying some of your recent posts. I'd love to connect. Thanks, [Your Name]"

Why this works:

? It’s short, natural, and non-salesy

? It continues the relationship after commenting on their posts

? By the time they accept, they’ll already know who I am

If they accept? Now they’re even warmer.

Day 16: Craft an Outreach Message That Actually Gets Replies

Most outreach fails because it’s:

? Too long (no one reads an essay)

? Too generic (“Hope you’re well, I help businesses like yours blah blah blah”)

? Too salesy (people don’t want a pitch, they want a conversation)

Here’s what I’d do instead:

? Personalised first line – prove I’ve actually looked at their profile or website.

? Short & clear message – no fluff, just a simple, natural opener.

? Blending hyper-personalisation with a clear CTA – no vague “let me know” endings.

Day 17: Use Sales Navigator to Reach the 50 Prospects Who Didn’t Accept

Since we've nurtured these leads before sending the connection requests, I'd expect a 50% connection acceptance rate, give or take.

But wait...

That still leaves 50 high-value prospects who haven’t accepted.

I’d use Sales Navigator’s InMail feature to reach these 50 prospects, using the exact same, hyper-personalised message structure.

That way, even if only half my connection requests get accepted, I still reach all 100 prospects - 50 via direct messages (after connecting) and 50 via InMail.

Days 18-24: Follow-Up Strategy

One message won’t cut it. Most people get busy, forget to reply, or don’t see the message the first time.

I’d space out two follow-ups strategically:

• Follow-up 1 (Day 20): A simple nudge - “Hey [Name], appreciate you're busy, just wondering if you had any thoughts on this?”
• Follow-up 2 (Day 24): A different angle - maybe a quick insight, a relevant case study, or a question about their challenges.

Days 25-30: Closing the Deal & Keeping Momentum

Once a prospect agrees to a discovery call, I’d make sure to:

? Keep the conversation focused on their challenges and needs

? Position my solution as a logical next step, not a hard sell

? Ask the right questions to understand their timelines and decision process

? At the end, book a second call immediately (if needed) - not leave it open-ended

This ensures there’s momentum, and they don’t get sidetracked by other priorities

The results?

100 prospects

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20 responses to outreach messages (20% response rate)

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4 booked calls (20% call booking rate)

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1 closed client (25% close rate)

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Voilà!

And the best bit?

Depending on my offer, my commitment to relationship-building, and my follow-up processes, these numbers could be even higher.

Not to mention the relationships I'd have built during these 30 days.

Many of these 100 prospects may not be ready to buy immediately, but if I stick to this strategy consistently, these connections will turn into warm leads, referrals, and future clients over time.

The Big Takeaway

If I had to start again today, I wouldn’t:

? Waste time tweaking my logo, website, or branding

? Sit back and hope clients find me

? Blast out 100 generic messages and hope for the best

Instead, I’d:

? Optimise my LinkedIn profile to convert views into conversations

? Identify highly targeted prospects who actually need what I offer

? Use Sales Navigator to filter out inactive users, so I’m only reaching out to people who are actually on LinkedIn

? Engage with them before messaging to warm up the connection

? Send short, personalised messages that invite responses, not push for sales

? Follow up strategically, allowing time for decision-makers to align internally

? Book a second call immediately (if needed) to keep momentum high and increase close rates

Friendly Disclaimer

This exercise is designed to show the power of committing to LinkedIn outreach and how sticking to a clear strategy delivers results.

Even if your offer has a longer sales cycle, this approach will guarantee to:

? Generate meaningful conversations with highly relevant prospects

? Create consistent sales opportunities rather than waiting for leads to come to you

? Keep your pipeline full, so deals close faster when the timing is right

If you had 30 days to land a new client for free, what’s the first thing you’d do? ??