Warm Outbound on LinkedIn: A 3-Step Pre-Sell Playbook

Cold DMs still work, but warm DMs win. The best outbound teams create familiarity before the first message. This is the playbook we use when we want consistent replies without feeling pushy.

Step 1. Prime the profile

Before you reach out, make sure your profile answers these questions in five seconds:

• Who do you help?
• What outcome do you deliver?
• Why should they trust you?

A clean headline, a short banner message, and a tight About section are enough. You don’t need a perfect profile, just a clear one.

Step 2. Trigger light familiarity

For 3 to 5 days, engage with the prospect list:

• Like 1 to 2 posts per person
• Leave a short, relevant comment on 1 post
• View their profile once (do not overdo it)

This creates repeated micro touches so your name feels familiar in notifications. It also gives you context to reference later.

Step 3. Send a context-first DM

Your first message should reference the thread or topic you engaged with. Keep it short and specific:

"Loved your post on pipeline quality. We are seeing the same shift in our client data. Curious if you are testing anything new this quarter?"

No pitch. No link. Start a conversation.

Why this works

LinkedIn rewards relationship signals. When you interact first, your DM is less likely to be ignored and more likely to feel welcome.

If you want to scale this without losing personalization, Talos Growth helps automate pre‑sell engagement while keeping your outreach human.