LinkedIn has become one of the most powerful platforms for B2B professionals, offering a unique space for networking, lead generation, and meaningful engagement. However, many sales and marketing professionals misuse the platform, relying on cold, impersonal tactics that alienate potential connections. In this guide, we’ll break down a transformative approach to building a LinkedIn outreach funnel that not only converts but also builds authentic relationships.
Informed by Christopher Tompkins’ insights, this article focuses on how to ditch the "spray-and-pray" messaging approach and instead create a more personal, effective method for engaging leads on LinkedIn. Whether you’re a sales professional, marketer, or business owner, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies to enhance your outreach.
Why LinkedIn Outreach Deserves a Fresh Perspective
LinkedIn is unlike any other social media platform. While platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or X cater to entertainment and general networking, LinkedIn is inherently professional. As Christopher Tompkins points out, one of the key challenges with LinkedIn outreach is that many users treat it like a digital cold-calling tool. This aggressive approach often results in poor engagement and tarnished reputations.
Instead of seeing LinkedIn as a sales pipeline, think of it as a professional networking event. You wouldn’t walk into a room, hand out business cards to strangers, and launch into a sales pitch, would you? Similarly, you shouldn’t do that on LinkedIn. The key is to engage authentically by building relationships, fostering trust, and gradually warming up prospects.
The Basics of a LinkedIn Outreach Funnel
At its core, a LinkedIn outreach funnel involves guiding potential leads through stages of engagement until they become an active participant in your network. Here’s a breakdown of the funnel:
1. Top of the Funnel: Initial Connection Requests
This is where your outreach begins. Your goal is to find potential prospects (those in your target audience) and send them a connection request. This step requires precision:
- Target the Right Audience: Use LinkedIn’s advanced search or Sales Navigator to identify prospects based on their industry, role, geographic location, or other criteria.
- Keep the Request Simple: Avoid pitching in your connection request. A simple note like, "Hi [First Name], I came across your profile and thought it would be great to connect", is often enough.
- Track Responses: Monitor how many requests are accepted to assess the effectiveness of your targeting.
2. Mid-Funnel: Early Engagement
Once a prospect has accepted your connection request, the key is to engage without being overly salesy. Personalize your follow-up message and focus on starting a genuine conversation. For example:
- Say Thank You: "Hi [Name], thanks for accepting my connection request! I noticed we share an interest in [topic/industry]. Looking forward to learning from each other."
- Avoid Immediate Sales Pitches: Prioritize building rapport. Show interest in their expertise or recent achievements rather than steering the conversation toward your agenda.
- Test Engagement: Track which messages elicit responses and refine your approach based on feedback.
3. Bottom of the Funnel: Building Relationships
This stage focuses on nurturing the relationship and staying top of mind without overwhelming your connections with sales messages.
- Provide Value: Share relevant articles, insights, or industry trends tailored to your audience’s needs.
- Find Common Ground: Interact with their content, comment on their posts, or bring up shared experiences.
- Ask for Opinions: Position them as an expert by seeking their insights. For instance, "I saw your post about [topic] – what’s your take on [specific issue]?"
The goal here is to organically steer the conversation toward a point where they express an interest in your services, reducing the need for hard selling.
The Human Element: Why Authenticity Matters
One of Christopher Tompkins’ central arguments is the importance of authenticity. Professionals on LinkedIn aren’t there to shop – they’re there to network, learn, and build relationships. By treating LinkedIn as a professional networking event, you create opportunities for meaningful conversations.
Key Tips for Humanizing Your Outreach
- Personalization Is Non-Negotiable: Avoid templates that feel robotic. Reference specific details in their profile or recent posts to show genuine interest.
- Balance Professionalism and Personality: While LinkedIn is professional, don’t be afraid to show a bit of personality – share relatable anecdotes or celebrate small wins like getting a new pet.
- Provide Value First: Instead of pushing a sales pitch, offer something useful, such as industry insights or tailored advice.
By focusing on adding value rather than extracting it, you position yourself as a trusted partner rather than a pushy salesperson.
Avoiding Common LinkedIn Outreach Mistakes
LinkedIn outreach is fraught with pitfalls, but most can be avoided with a thoughtful strategy. Here are some mistakes to steer clear of:
- Overloading Initial Messages: A lengthy pitch in your first connection request or follow-up message is a surefire way to get ignored. Keep it short and to the point.
- Relying Solely on Automation: While automation tools can scale your efforts, they often strip away the personal touch. Test your approach manually first to understand what resonates.
- Focusing Only on Sales: If every message you send includes a sales pitch, you’ll quickly lose credibility. Diversify your content with non-sales-related engagement.
- Targeting the Wrong Audience: Ensure your outreach list is clean and aligned with your ideal customer profile to avoid wasted efforts.
LinkedIn Outreach: Playing the Long Game
One important insight from Christopher’s discussion is that LinkedIn outreach isn’t a quick fix. Depending on your sales cycle, it may take weeks or months to convert a lead into a client. Patience and consistency are essential.
To keep your funnel warm:
- Regularly engage with your connections’ content.
- Share updates and insights that align with their interests.
- Revisit cold leads after an appropriate amount of time with fresh messaging.
Key Takeaways
Here are some actionable insights to implement today:
- Think of LinkedIn as a Networking Event: Approach outreach with the goal of building relationships, not making immediate sales.
- Personalize Everything: Avoid generic templates and reference specific details to make your outreach feel authentic.
- Focus on Value: Share content, insights, or advice tailored to your audience’s needs.
- Don’t Pitch Too Early: Start conversations without pushing for a sale – build trust first.
- Segment Your Leads: Organize connections into categories (e.g., engaged, re-engage, cold) and tailor your messaging to each group.
- Test and Refine: Experiment with different messaging styles, track engagement, and iterate based on what works.
- Be Patient: Lead nurturing on LinkedIn takes time. Align your outreach timeline with your typical sales cycle.
- Avoid Over-Automating: Maintain a human touch even when scaling your efforts with tools.
Conclusion
Building a LinkedIn outreach funnel that converts isn’t about spamming as many people as possible with sales pitches. It’s about fostering genuine connections, adding value, and nurturing leads over time. By treating LinkedIn as a space for professional relationship-building, you position yourself as a trusted expert rather than just another salesperson.
Elevate your LinkedIn strategy by focusing on what matters most: authentic engagement, strategic targeting, and a commitment to providing value. When done right, your outreach efforts will lead to not just conversions but meaningful professional relationships.
Source: "Episode 10: LinkedIn Outreach Mastery: From Cold Leads to Meaningful Engagement" – The Go! Agency, YouTube, Aug 15, 2025 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvpjmYEYeHs
Use: Embedded for reference. Brief quotes used for commentary/review.