How to sell on LinkedIn and build trust from day 1

Gather 'round for the tale of Tom Soto Schiller, the CEO @ Grundwerk Digital GmbH, a company that offers cold outreach as a service for the DACH region.

Now, Tom's not just any CEO - he's the kind who got a 50% reply rate on LinkedIn. 134 total leads, 20% acceptance rate and that whooping reply rate.

The interesting thing he mentioned was that his initial campaigns flopped at first. Because consulting services are not easy to sell and early campaigns didn’t bring the desired results.

But then he had what I like to call a “brainwave moment”, drawing up this funnel:

His grand scheme? "What if we actually met people... IN PERSON?" Build trust and rapport instead of just fine tuning a cold pitch slap.

The master plan was brilliantly simple:

1. Round up CFOs by organizing an exclusive event
2. Invite them for a face-to-face lunch (wine and dine them 🥯🍷)
3. Deliver value on the event and maximize networking opportunities
4. Only then hit 'em with the soft sell… when the trust is built

Yes, it’s not a usual campaign and it does require some heavy-lifting to execute it, but that's why results ended up being nothing short of outstanding. But what tools did Tom use to execute the campaign?

First, he imported all leads into Clay. He then filtered for leads based in Frankfurt and added their office locations and ZIP codes. This information allowed them to suggest ideal restaurants near each prospect's office as meeting points.

Once the key information was organized, Tom was ready to launch his LinkedIn outreach campaign in HeyReach.

Here's how it looked:

The campaign began with three warming-up steps not visible in the screenshot:

1. View profile
2. Like most recent post
3. Send a connection request

This double notification strategy helps grab attention before sending the connection request. Only after a lead accepts the invitation do the messages begin.

The following message templates were originally in German - my English translation may not capture their full impact:

Message 1:

{OPENING_LINE}

{FIRST_NAME}, thank you for accepting my connection request. I recently came across your profile and wanted to introduce myself and invite you to lunch here in Frankfurt.

Now for the background on this somewhat unusual proposal via LinkedIn.

We're organizing an exclusive CFO Dinner with 12 CFOs from the Frankfurt area in the near future, and I believe you would be a great fit.

However, I'd like to get to know you beforehand.

I'm a bit old-school and prefer personal contact and a firm handshake.

Best regards,
Tom

Message 2:

{OPENING_LINE}

I had my colleagues look for a nice restaurant near you. Will you be in the office in {DISTRICT} next week?

We were thinking of {RESTAURANT}: {GOOGLE_MAPS_LINK}

I'm the location manager at [COMPANY] and have spoken with over 550 decision-makers in [CITY] and surrounding areas over the last 4 years and am well-connected.

You won't have to expect a sales pitch.

Best regards,
Tom

Message 3:

{OPENING_LINE}

Was my selection not to your taste?

Alternatively, I can also offer Papa Enj, which is centrally located, right by the Old Opera House.

This is my favorite restaurant in [CITY].

Here's my personal contact: [PHONE]

Best regards,
Tom

All of that led to this monster result:

So there you have it, folks - Tom's story of turning the cold outreach game into a fine dining experience. Hell of a job and congrats, Tom! Can't wait to see what you're cooking next.