LinkedIn Outreach Not Converting?

People get spammed all day on LinkedIn.

With AI and automation, it’s getting especially bad.

There’s no way anyone responds to that crap.

If you've spent any time on LinkedIn you've probably already experienced it. You accept a connection request, and within minutes you're getting hit with: "Sign up for my thing. Do this. Check out my program." No context, no relationship, no reason to care. That's what I call a pitch slap.

AI and automation have made it worse.

What used to require manual effort can now be blasted at thousands of people at once, which means inboxes are flooded and trust is at an all-time low.

That's the reality of the environment you're doing outreach in right now. You can be putting in serious effort connecting, messaging, and showing up consistently, yet still hear nothing back.

Here are three other outreach mistakes that kill the opportunity before it even gets started.

#1: Staying on the periphery of your network

Most people reach out to the same small circle of people they already know well.

It feels comfortable.

You know what they're going to say.

You trust them.

That's exactly the problem. You seek out the people you feel the most comfortable with because they are the least likely to challenge your assumptions. They’re also unlikely to open new doors for you.

They'll validate whatever you already believe, which keeps you exactly where you are.

Not everybody who’s closest to you right now will be the source of your next opportunity.

You need to aim two or three degrees away from your circle. Go wider. Look at connections like former colleagues you haven't spoken to in a few years.

People you've crossed paths with professionally but never really built a relationship with are perfect for this.

It’s where real conversations start, where challenges and opportunities arise.

#2: You’re making it about you

This is the one that kills more deals than anything else.

Often, someone reaches out to you and within two messages they're talking about what they do, what they offer, and why you should work with them. It feels efficient, but it's actually the fastest way to get ignored. It's the kind of message that we often receive, and it doesn't work.

Really effective outreach is about the person who receives the message.

It's, “Hey, I saw this on your page.”

Or, “Hey, I read your About section. I really agree with you on xyz.”

You let that person know you took the time to learn something about them.

People can feel the difference between a genuine message and a template. When someone picks out a specific detail from your profile, a post you wrote, or something personal you shared, they notice.

If you send a message like that, now they know you actually read it.

Once you've started a real conversation, lead into market research, not a pitch. Ask them for their views on a problem you're working on. Then ask what they'd want to see fixed.

Listen more than you talk.

It does take time, and many people don't want to make the effort, but it’s what makes you stand out.

#3: You’re letting your title do the heavy lifting

This one catches almost everyone who comes from corporate.

You've spent 20 years being introduced by your title.

VP of this.

Director of that.

In corporate, the title carries weight before you've said a word. On LinkedIn, when you’re building something of your own, it’s not important anymore.

You're letting your title do the heavy lifting, and honestly? Nobody cares about it.

Think how many SVPs there are on LinkedIn, how many CEOs. It means nothing.

What people actually look at is your About section and what you post. They want to know how you think and what you believe.

What problems do you understand at a level most people don't?

Become a thought leader in your posts.

Focus on showing up differently and expressing your own views. Share your thoughts on topics in your industry.

The corporate title got you a long way.

Your unique perspective is what gets you to the next conversation.

If you're a Director or VP who's ready to stop operating like an overworked employee, I built a 10-week program for you.

I made it for those who are ready to launch a six-figure advisory practice without leaving corporate.

You can check it out here.

Melina