Sending 50 cold DMs a week to strangers feels gross. Begging for "15 minutes of your time" for a virtual coffee feels desperate.
If you are a senior expert with 10 years of experience, you should not be begging anyone for a meeting.
But you also can't just sit there and hope the phone rings.
The Old Way: Spray and Pray Most people do outbound wrong. They download a list of 1,000 CEOs. They write one generic message. They blast it out to everyone.
It annoys the CEOs. It makes you look like a spammer. And it gets zero results.
You don't need 1,000 random contacts. You need 50 people who actually need your help right now.
You need to stop "Networking" (chasing people) and start "Signaling" (identifying intent).
I use a system called the S.P.O.T. Protocol to do this. It helps me find high-value leads without feeling slimy.
Here is how to do it.
1. S - Scan (The Search)
Most people go into LinkedIn and search for a job title. For example: "VP of Marketing."
This is useless. A title tells you nothing about what they need. You get a list of 50,000 people, and 99% of them are busy.
The Fix: Don't just scan for titles. Scan for context. Use filters to narrow your search to your specific niche.
Example: Instead of just "CEOs," search for "CEOs in FinTech in London."
2. P - Prioritize (The Signal)
This is the most important step. You need to find "Signals." A Signal is a clue that someone has a problem you can solve.
If you pitch someone who doesn't have a problem, you are annoying. If you help someone who does have a problem, you are a savior.
Look for these Signals on LinkedIn:
The Hiring Signal: Are they hiring for roles you work with? (It means they have budget but lack process).
The New Role Signal: Did they just start a new V-level job in the last 90 days? (They are looking to make changes).
The Active Signal: Have they posted in the last 30 days? (Don't waste time on dead profiles).
3. O - Observe (The Intel)
Before you message them, spend 3 minutes looking at their activity. Read their last 3 posts. What are they complaining about? What are they celebrating?
Don't go in blind. Find a hook.
The Fix: Find one specific thing they said that you agree with or can add value to. This will be the first line of your message.
4. T - Target (The Handshake)
Now it is time to reach out. Do not send a sales pitch. Do not send a Calendly link.
Send a "Handshake."
A handshake is a peer-to-peer note. It is short. It validates their expertise. And it does not ask for anything heavy.
Bad Pitch: "Hi [Name], I help companies scale. Can we grab 15 mins?"
The Handshake: "Hi [Name], saw your post about the struggles with FinTech compliance. I agree, it’s a mess right now. I just wrote a short checklist on how we fixed that for Client X. Happy to send it over if it’s useful. No pressure."
The Takeaway
Stop treating outbound like a numbers game. It is an intelligence game.
If you use S.P.O.T., you stop being a pest. You start showing up as an expert at the exact moment they need one.
Your Homework: Go to LinkedIn right now. Find three people who show a "Signal" (like they are hiring). Do not DM them yet. Just leave a smart comment on their recent post. Start the signal.