LinkedIn Outreach Guide
Practical playbook for Microsoft Partners, IT Providers, and Software Resellers
Who this is for
Teams selling IT services or software to other businesses.
Sales-Bot handles targeting and invites. You engage in real conversations with the right people after they connect.
Principle
Be upfront and human. Never lead with a pitch. Always lead with value and let them know what's in it for them.
Keep messages to 2–4 short lines. If it doesn't feel appropriate, don't send it.
Say it out loud — does it sound natural and human?
How our system works (quick recap)
We run targeting, invites, and thank-you. You learn about new connections and have real conversations.
What we handle
- •ICP & list build, signals, invites, connection notes.
- •Thank-you message & suggested icebreakers tied to your activities.
- •Signal detection and notes inside Microsoft Teams.
What you focus on
- •Understand your UVP: Unique Value Proposition – what makes you unique from other partners or who you are as a company etc.
- •Understand your go to market offers and how to target them to your audience and new connections.
- •After someone connects: open LinkedIn, read a bit about them, engage naturally.
- •Offer small, useful resources only when relevant. No pitch.
- •You are establishing yourself as a trusted resource so avoid selling in your posts and initial messaging.
Profile Optimization
Build credibility before outreach - improve your connection and message reply rates with an optimized profile.
Your profile is the first conversion point. Make it obvious who you help and how in 30 seconds.
1. Banner — Own the First Five Seconds
Treat the banner like a billboard: answer "Why should my ICP pay attention to me?"
- •Use clean visuals, your company logo, and a concise value promise.
- •Say who you help + the outcome (short).
- •Clean visual; large type; optional subtle CTA (intake link/QR).
Copy example:
"We help Microsoft Partners grow Azure & Dynamics 365 revenue through AI-powered outreach."
Add a simple CTA in the design, such as "Let's connect" or "Chat with us about scaling partner revenue."
2. Profile Photo — Trust at a Glance
- •Professional, shoulders-up photo with natural light and friendly posture.
- •Dress to match your audience (tech executive or partner-ecosystem professional).
- •Avoid over-formal corporate shots — authenticity wins credibility.
3. Headline — Beyond Job Titles
Replace "Founder at X" with a results-oriented headline.
Formula: Role + Audience + Outcome
"Helping Microsoft Partners generate qualified leads through LinkedIn & AI-driven outreach."
This makes your profile immediately relevant to tech buyers and partners.
Example:
"Founder @ Bane Consulting | Helping CSPs/MSPs book more meetings with IT decision-makers via signal-based prospecting."
Include 1–2 keywords buyers actually search (Azure, Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365).
4. About Section — 80% Them, 20% You
Open with the pain or problem your ICP faces: "Tech partners struggle to scale outbound without spamming their network."
Then your credibility: short paragraph about your experience (Microsoft background, sales leadership, partner ecosystem expertise).
Follow with your framework — e.g., "Our SalesBot system combines AI personalization with proven LinkedIn outreach sequences that convert."
Hook a real pain/KPI → 2–3 lines of credibility → short approach (plain words) → quick proof bullets → soft CTA.
Close with a soft CTA such as: "If you're a Microsoft Partner looking to scale your outreach, let's connect."
5. Featured Section — Show, Don't Tell
- •Pin your top proof assets — e.g., short demo video of Sales-Bot, client case study PDF, or a LinkedIn post that performed well.
- •Include your booking link in the featured content.
6. Experience & Proof Points
Use outcome-driven bullets instead of duties. This is not about finding work. It's about growing your network now.
- •Pin a proof asset (short video, case summary, 1-pager).
- •Hint: Use the slider on Premium and add a few assets to your profile.
- •Rewrite bullets to outcomes; add 2–3 recommendations.
Example:
"Grew Canada division to $1M ARR in 12 months through outbound campaigns."
Understanding Your Target Audience
You sell IT services or software to buyers and users—not to other partners. Build messaging that resonates with your buyers.
Hint: Never lead with your services or offers. Lead with value and relevance first.
What Value-First Messaging Gets You
When you lead with value instead of a pitch, you get responses like this:
Click to enlarge
We build lists of similar clients and target based on the vertical and industries you have experience with. Your job is to cascade that experience to your connections and network.
Common Buyer Roles
At smaller orgs, we can target anyone as everyone is a stakeholder. At larger orgs, it's better to be targeted depending on the workload and offer.
IT Leadership
CIO, VP/Director of IT, Head of Infrastructure/Cloud
Security
CISO, Security Manager, M365 Security/Compliance Lead
Apps & Data
Head of Business Applications, D365 Lead, Analytics/BI Manager
Ops & Finance (ERP/CRM)
COO, Controller, RevOps
Signals We Surface
You'll see these in our notes to help you start relevant conversations:
- 1Role change (≤90 days) — New in role, open to new solutions
- 2Hiring in your service area — Growing team, potential need
- 3Initiative announced — Copilot pilot, Azure migration, security baseline
- 4Product launch/upgrade — Touches your stack
- 5Compliance/incident pressure — Urgency to act
- 6Industry event/webinar participation — Engaged and learning
Example: Connection Insights We Provide
Here's an example of the suggested messaging and insights we surface when someone connects:
Click to enlarge
Buyer Awareness Stages
The companies that understand that LinkedIn is more about account and prospect intelligence than advertising are winning. They book more meetings and drive more revenue with less spam.
Click to view full size
Stop trying to manufacture demand in a single interaction.
You have time and a captive audience.
Cold Email
Cold email is a broadcast medium. You're trying to get attention, get a response, start a conversation. Volume matters. Response rate matters.
LinkedIn is Different
It's a research platform disguised as a social network. It's not just about the messages you send. It's about their positioning, timing, and intelligence.
Why Timing and Context Matter
If someone's already moved their infrastructure to Azure 2 years ago, your "migrate to cloud" message isn't relevant. You should be telling them how to get more visibility into their Azure billing.
If they just completed a security audit and everything's compliant, your "cyber risk" angle falls flat.
If they signed with a new MSP 6 months ago, your managed services pitch is 6 months too late.
The sophistication required on LinkedIn isn't about clever copywriting.
It's about understanding buyer awareness stages:
After They Connect — What You Do (No Pitch)
Be clear, useful, and human. Tie your message to something true: their role, a signal we surfaced, or a recent post or comment.
Initial messaging should be offering something of value and ideally tied into why you connected with them. So industry or role and upcoming events like a webinar or workshop they would see value in.
We craft intro messages for you and share them and can add them to automation to ensure consistency in your outreach.
Take time with new connections to check out their profile and company pages. Connections will see that you viewed their profile and appreciate you aren't just spamming them with offers that are not relevant.
Sample Intros from Live Campaigns that Convert
"Given your focus on quality improvement at ABC Health Care, I thought you might be interested in our upcoming workshop on healthcare process automation using Power Automate - it's helping organizations streamline their quality management workflows. I would be happy to send over the invite if you or anyone on the team might be interested."
"Given XYZ's presence in both real estate and healthcare, I thought you might be interested in an upcoming Microsoft 365 Copilot session we're hosting that shows how AI is streamlining legal operations and document workflows. I would be happy to send over the invite if you or anyone on the team might be interested."
10-Minute Deep-Dive (Per New Connection)
Their LinkedIn
- •Headline
- •Recent posts/comments
- •About section
Company Site
- •Careers (hiring)
- •News
- •Trust/Security
Our Notes
- •Fresh signals
- •Industry insights
- •Connection context
What's Your Go-To-Market Offer?
If you do not have one, are you leading with something of value?
- •Webinar/workshop
- •Checklists for Azure Migrations
- •Co Pilot Readiness Assessments
Key Takeaway
Do not push for a meeting initially. Your first goal is to identify if they fit your ICP and whether we have surfaced any signals that would indicate now is a good time to discuss it.
If not, there is no need to go in for a sale or pitch. They have accepted your connection and are now part of your network. So your content should take over now.
Follow-Up Messaging
Ask yourself: "Why would a short chat help them?" and "What's in it for them?"
Tone Checklist (before you hit send)
Would you say this out loud? Try it. Say it out loud and see how it feels. Does it feel like a human would say this and does it make sense. AI is great at crafting nonsense speak.
Is it 2–4 short lines with one clear point?
Are you offering something small and useful (not a pitch)?
Would this feel okay to receive if you were busy?
Focus on Outcomes, Not Services
How do you help similar companies and what are the outcomes you can focus on?
Increased Efficiency
Cost Savings
Improved Security
New Stack Features
Plain-English Conversation Starters
Pick what fits your situation:
Azure migration / cost:
"We have a short after-migration checklist that's helped teams find easy cost wins. If you think this may be useful, I'd be happy to send it over—it's based on real-world use cases."
M365 / Copilot:
"We put together a simple Copilot starter list (permissions, data scope, small task list). If you think this may be useful, I'd be happy to send it over—it's based on real-world use cases."
M365 security:
"We have a week-one security quick-wins checklist for M365. If you think this may be useful, I'd be happy to send it over—it's based on real-world use cases."
D365 / RevOps:
"We have a one-page guide for moving deals forward (clear stage rules). If you think this may be useful, I'd be happy to send it over—it's based on real-world use cases."
No Pressure Approach
No hard questions. No pressure. Offer something small and useful. Let them drive the next step.
Azure cost: "Three easy cost leaks often show up right after cutover. If you're mid-migration, sanity-check these first. (from an Azure ops discussion)"
Copilot readiness: "Pilots stick better when you start with a tiny task list and clear scope. If you're testing Copilot, try this. (from a Microsoft 365 practitioners thread)"
M365 security: "Week-one wins matter—five checks teams run first to harden M365 without slowing work. (shared by security practitioners)"
D365 forecast: "Stuck deals improve when each stage has clear 'done' rules. Here's what to confirm at each step. (from a Dynamics community discussion)"
Light Check-ins (every few weeks/months)
"We updated our after-migration checklist with a quick license check that reduces costs. If you think this may be useful, I would be happy to send it over. It's based on real-world use cases."
"A short Copilot starter list helped a few teams get moving without hiccups. If you think this may be useful, I would be happy to send that over. It's based on real-world use cases."
"Two new first-week security checks were added—simple, quick wins. If you think this may be useful, I would be happy to send them over. They're based on real-world use cases."
"We tightened a one-page guide for moving deals forward; teams reported fewer stalls. If you think this may be useful, I would be happy to send it over. It's based on real-world use cases."
Messaging Frameworks That Actually Work
Here's a hard truth after working with dozens of technology companies:
Their outreach messaging needs to change.
Why?
- They focus on the seller, not the recipient
- They all open with a "value proposition"
Here is how a typical "highly converting" sequence looks like:
Line 1: "We help [industry] companies..."
Line 2: "Our clients typically see..."
Line 3: "I'd love to show you how we can..."
It can get you a 6-8% response rate but the problem is that these replies aren't conversations. They're polite rejections:
"Thanks, but not interested right now."
"Let's reconnect next quarter."
"Not a priority."
Long story short, from what I've seen, this type of messaging will get you replies but not the meetings you actually want.
Frameworks that actually work
Framework: The Feedback Request
Angle: Position them as the expert. Ask for their opinion.
Template you can use:
"I'm currently refining a [service/solution/product] designed to help [position] from the [industry] tackle challenges such as [specific challenges].
Your background makes you ideal to provide honest feedback.
Could I shoot you over a quick loom on our process?"
✨ Why it works: Zero sales pressure. You're consulting them, not pitching them.
Framework: The Pain Point Trigger
Angle: Ask for their perspective on a challenge they face.
Template you can try:
"When I talk to other [their position] from the [their industry], they often share concerns such as [common challenges that align with what you offer].
I'm curious if any of this resonates with you? Or maybe you've already cracked the code, and there's absolutely nothing that could be improved, and I'm completely off base here?"
Always be sure to drive a business conversation and focus on their challenges and pain points. Do not start conversations that waste their time. Your targets are busy. They don't have time to "chat" on LinkedIn.
✨ Why it works: You're demonstrating awareness of the recipient's challenges can spark genuine interest or conversation.
If I had to summarise everything above in one sentence, it would be this:
"Never try to sell in writing. Ever."
Selling happens in conversation 🙏
Content Strategy — Stay Relevant Without Writing From Scratch
Content delivered right into your Teams Channels to support your efforts. Focus on the topics that align with your services and offerings. Stay topical by pulling the latest posts and conversations right from Reddit.
Click to expand — Our Reddit content automation workflow
How It Works
We integrate with Reddit to pull the top trending posts from subreddit(s) you choose and repurpose the best five into LinkedIn drafts. Stay timely and relevant without writing from scratch.
Your Role
- •Pick up to two subreddits matching your ICP (e.g., r/AZURE, r/sysadmin, r/Microsoft365, r/cybersecurity, r/dynamics365)
- •Lightly personalize one–two lines
- •Post only when you can reply for ~60 minutes
What Good Content Looks Like — Real Results
Click to expand — 50K+ impressions, 104 profile views, 12 new followers from a single post
Repurposing Framework (Shape of Each LinkedIn Post)
Paste-Ready Intro Lines
Azure Cost
"A r/AZURE thread flagged 3 easy cost leaks after cutover. If you're mid-migration, sanity-check these first:"
Copilot Readiness
"From r/Microsoft365: pilots with a tiny task list first see better stickiness. If you're testing Copilot, try this:"
M365 Security
"r/cybersecurity reminder: week-one wins matter. Five checks we see teams run first:"
D365 Forecast
"From r/dynamics365: stuck deals improve when stages have clear rules. What 'done' means for each stage:"
Content Guidelines — General
- ✗Does it sound like an ad? If so, don't post it to your feed. Save it for the company page.
- ✗Do not just list off certifications and awards in your posts — these are better suited for C-Suite and the company page.
- ✓Your posts should be focused on teaching and providing real value. How do you help clients? What are some quick tips you can give to your ICP that would help them?
Cadence
Build consistency and grow your network
Set your schedule and build a routine so you can create consistency and grow your network and community.
Daily
Check your Teams channel for new connections and review your new connections
Run a deep dive and review the notes for each new contact
Reply within a few hours to any messages
LinkedIn is a social platform — when you send a message and someone replies, they expect you to be present. The faster you reply, the more likely you will get a response back.
Take 10-15 minutes to review your feed and engage with any posts or comments you find relevant
Review any new posts from your new connections and engage where appropriate
Keep your replies and comments short wherever possible
Check the impressions on your comments and find what works for your network
Weekly
Post 1-2 times a week minimum to grow your engagement
Commenting and engaging on other people's posts will also help your own posts and will help improve your connection rates
Tone Guardrails
- •No salesy language. No forced comments.
- •If it doesn't feel appropriate, skip it.
- •Write like you talk; 2-4 short lines max.
Tips for Developing This Skill
Anchor each week or month around a topic. Try to tie these to your upcoming webinars and workshops.
Regular formats like "Tip Tuesday" build rhythm, but occasional polls or open discussions keeps energy high and members engaged.
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