LinkedIn — connection + DM sequence

LinkedIn is the AAIC primary inbound+outbound channel (the “0→26k followers in 6 months” system). Two motions: content that makes them come to you, and direct DMs. This file is the DM motion; content strategy lives in 06-solution-stack/ and the business plan.

Rule: on outbound, when they book, always ask what made them respond — that tells you exactly what resonated (AAIC 3.2).

Step 1 — Connection request (no pitch)

Hi [First Name] — I work with [CATEGORY] owners here in [REGION]. Came across [Company] and liked [SPECIFIC REAL THING]. Thought I’d connect.

Step 2 — After they accept (Day 0–1) — soft open

Thanks for connecting, [First Name]. Not pitching you — genuinely curious: of everything on your plate right now, what’s the one task you’d most want to never do again? I ask because that’s usually the first thing worth pointing AI at.

(This opens a real conversation and hands you their #1 time-sink for free. Their answer is a written commitment — quote their exact words back in every later message (“you said invoicing was the one you’d kill first”). People stay consistent with what they wrote.)

Step 3a — After they answer — grow the pain, don’t pitch yet

Ha — [THING THEY SAID] comes up a lot. Rough guess: how many hours a week does it actually eat? And if it vanished tomorrow, what would you point that time at?

Step 3b — After they answer that — bridge to the audit

So call it [X hours/week] — that’s [X×50] hours a year on [THING]. That’s exactly what my one-week audit prices out, plus the other 2–3 leaks like it. Want me to run it for [Company]? 30 minutes to scope it — [DAY] at [TIME] or [DAY] at [TIME]?

Step 4 — No reply after 3–4 days — value nudge

No worries if now’s not the time, [First Name]. One idea you can steal regardless: [ONE SPECIFIC TACTIC TIED TO SOMETHING YOU OBSERVED AT THEIR COMPANY — e.g. “an auto-drafted, personalized reply to every inbound form fill within 2 minutes, that you just approve and send”]. If you ever want the full map, one word and I’ll send times. Meanwhile — if you try that [TACTIC] and it works, tell me; if it doesn’t, tell me louder.

Make the tactic specific to something you observed at their company (from category-hooks.md recon), not generic to the category — personalized + unexpected is what triggers reciprocity.

Warm inbound variant (they engaged with your content first)

Appreciated you [commenting on / reacting to] the post on [TOPIC]. Since [PAIN FROM POST] is on your radar — a couple of other [CATEGORY] owners who read that post booked the same thing — want the 30-minute version applied to [Company]? I’ll show you where the leaks are, no pitch. [DAY/TIME]?

Only use the “other owners booked” line when it’s literally true.