How to Engage and Win Over New Prospects
LinkedIn isn’t just a tool to find prospects—it’s where you build relationships and trust to turn those connections into opportunities. This guide includes a starter set of information you need to know about approaching new prospects and making LinkedIn work for you. It should be used as a follow-on guide to our post on “Finding New Prospects on LinkedIn“.
1. Optimise Your Profile Because Your Shopfront Matters
Your profile is the first thing prospects see, so make it work for you.
- Headline: Make your headline benefit-driven, not just a job title. For example, “Helping businesses streamline their sales process with CRM solutions” or “Enhancing your event with technology at VenuIQ”. Try to showcase multiple areas of your expertise.
- Banner Image: The banner on your profile allows you to express yourself. What represents you? Whether it’s your company or your expertise, this is the largest impact your profile will have on visitors. Make sure to choose or create something that tells a story about you or what you do. Sarah Hart‘s banner image is fun and tells you exactly what she does.

- About Section: This is yet another chance to stand out. Write in the first person, focus on how you help others, and include keywords your prospects might search for. Use the opportunity to tell a story about your career and what you can do for people now. See the profile of Justin Welsh for an example of a well-crafted “about” story.
Be sure to include:- Your professional journey and key moments in your career
- Any key highlights, projects, and achievements
- Define who you help and how
- Make sure there is a clear call to action at the end.
- Media: Add case studies, testimonials, or presentations to highlight your expertise. If you have quality images of you at your work or events then add them here too.
- Professional Headshot: Look approachable and professional, but don’t use AI to place yourself in unusual situations.
- Featured Sections: Add your company’s lead magnets and promotional materials to your featured section so visitors can find out more about your products and services.
2. Create A Content Strategy
Content marketing is a key part of the social selling equation. By sharing valuable content, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and attract ideal clients.
- Why Content is Crucial: Content builds your credibility, educates your audience, and positions you as an expert in your field.
- Content Ideas for Your Audience:
- Industry insights and analysis
- Problem-solving posts
- Case studies and testimonials
- Thought-provoking questions and polls
- Balancing Company Updates with Value: Don’t just push your own products and services. Share content that is useful and relevant to your audience.
- The Value of Different Formats: Mix up your content. Use articles, videos, polls, and images to keep your audience engaged.
- Engage with Comments: Respond to comments on your content to spark conversations and build relationships.
- Use LinkedIn Analytics to see which types of content resonate most with your audience.
In a recent post on the LinkedIn Marketing Blog, they revealed research from LinkedIn and Edelman in the B2B thought leadership impact report. This indicated that 61% of B2B buying decision-makers said they found an organisation’s thought leadership is more effective at demonstrating the potential value of its products than traditional product-oriented marketing.
And what type of content should you definitely include? Video.
Nearly 60% of B2B leaders have named video the leading technique for brand building, and 67% of these leaders indicate that they will be increasing their use of video in the coming year.
And what do put in your video?
Follow these data-informed best practices to help your videos stand out:
- Focus on pain points: 43% of decision-makers expect thought leadership to demonstrate an understanding of their organisation’s major pain points.
- Discuss issues that matter to your audience: 54% of buyers say thought leadership is important for covering topics that matter to their industry but which the media rarely covers.
- Have a human narrator: 67% of buyers prefer thought leadership that prominently features the POV of an identifiable author – not just a brand.
- Some more ideas for your video content:
- Learning moments and failures
- Successful case studies
- Anecdotes from trade events
- How it works videos – take people behind the scenes of your product or service
- Industry trends and predictions
- Contentious point of view – challenge the norm and see what happens
Videos don’t have to be long, cleverly edited, or full of Marvel-level CGI. Keep them short and human and leverage LinkedIn’s new shorts format for extra impact.
Below, Sarah Hart shares a template for goals in 2025. It’s short, direct, very relatable and personable, not full of “shop talk”, and provides her followers with something useful. As you can see, it gets comments and likes and is clearly something her followers find interesting.
Here’s a small example of the type of content you could run on a weekly basis (as revealed in the BotsGoneWild research):
Monday: Loom video sharing insights
Tuesday: Lead magnet teaser
Wednesday: A client case study
Thursday: Knowledge carousel with practical tips
Friday: Industry meme/trend
3. Craft the Perfect Connection Request
Once you’ve got your list of potential prospects together (following our previous post),
Avoid generic invites like “I’d like to add you to my professional network.” Instead:
- Be Personal: Mention something specific, like a recent post or shared connection.
- Keep It Concise: Aim for 2-3 sentences that are easy to read.
- Add Value: Explain why connecting will benefit them, not just you.
Example: “Hi [Name], I noticed we’re both members of the UK Manufacturing Leaders group. I’d love to connect and share insights on how modern CRMs are transforming sales processes in our industry.” - Use InMail: InMail is LinkedIn’s premium-priced contact method and it allows you to directly message another LinkedIn member you’re not connected to.
4. Engage Before You Pitch
Nobody likes being sold to immediately. Take time to build rapport:
- Comment on their posts or share their content with a thoughtful take.
- Send a follow-up message after connecting, referencing a shared interest or relevant topic.
- Offer resources like an article, a tip, or even an introduction to someone in your network.
5. Monitor and Engage with LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups are a goldmine for networking and insights. Here’s how to make the most of them:
- Join Relevant Groups: Look for groups in your target industries or regions. Join 3-5 highly active communities.
- Monitor conversations: Check daily for opportunities to join in.
- Participate Actively: Share insights from your experience, answer questions, and contribute to discussions.
- Avoid Self-Promotion: Focus on building relationships, not selling.
- Connect: Choose to connect with the most active participants outside of the group. Adding them into your connections will potentially increase your reach with the content you share on your profile.
Pro Tip: Use group discussions to identify common pain points and tailor your outreach.

6. Structure Your Outreach Messaging
When it’s time to reach out with an offer, use this formula:
- Personalised Opening: Reference something specific to them.
- Identify a Challenge: Show you understand their pain points.
- Present a Solution: Briefly explain how you can help.
- CTA: End with a low-pressure ask, like a quick call or sharing feedback.
Example:
“Hi [Name], I noticed your [company] is expanding its [department]. Many of my clients in [industry] struggle with [challenge]. Would you be open to a quick chat about how we’ve helped similar teams overcome this?”
7. Follow Up Without Being Pushy
Over 80% of sales require multiple follow-ups. Here’s how to stay on their radar:
- Space messages a few days apart.
- Add value in each follow-up, like a link to an article or a relevant statistic.
- Stop after 4-5 attempts if they’re unresponsive, but keep them in your network for future engagement.
8. Who Should You Follow?
Follow these types of profiles to stay informed and visible:
- Industry thought leaders and influencers.
- Decision-makers in your target companies.
- Competitors, to see what resonates with their audience.
This builds your feed with relevant content and keeps you top of mind with prospects.
9. Be Helpful and Consistent
Inbound leads happen when you’re seen as a reliable, knowledgeable presence.
- Share your own insights or repost valuable industry news weekly.
- Create polls or ask questions to engage your network.
- Respond to comments and messages quickly to keep the momentum going.
10. Track Your Efforts
Keep tabs on what’s working:
- Use LinkedIn’s “Who Viewed Your Profile” feature to see if your activity is driving traffic.
- Track connections and outreach with a CRM (like BuddyCRM) to stay organised and follow up effectively.
11. Integrate LinkedIn Leads with Your CRM
A modern CRM like BuddyCRM is essential for managing and nurturing LinkedIn leads. Here’s why:
- Automate Lead Capture: Save time by automatically importing LinkedIn leads into your CRM.
- Track Interactions: Log calls, emails, and meetings to stay organised.
- Set Follow-Up Reminders: Never miss an opportunity to reconnect with a prospect.
Pro Tip: Use BuddyCRM’s reporting features to measure the ROI of your LinkedIn efforts.
By following these steps, LinkedIn can become more than a prospecting tool—it’ll be your best sales ally. Want to learn how to find prospects before reaching out? Check out our blog post on finding new LinkedIn prospects here.
Part of the Prospecting Series

LinkedIn Social Selling Playbook

Finding New Prospects on LinkedIn
