You've worked through your warm network. You're running VIP 100. Now you want consistent, predictable lead flow.

That's what automation does.

Instead of manually sending 10-20 messages per day, you send 100-200 per week while you sleep.

The trade-off?

Your OCR is higher (500:1 vs. 100:1 with VIP 100). But the volume compensates. And once it's set up, it runs in the background while you focus on conversations and closing clients.

John McCarthy sent 5,000 connection requests using automation and signed 10 clients.

That's an OCR of 500:1. Not as good as warm network or VIP 100, but totally scalable.

This page shows you exactly how to set up automated outreach, what to say, how to test, and how to turn interested leads into booked calls.

Why Automated Outreach Works

Let's be clear about two things:

1. You're not getting enough leads because:

• Not enough people know you exist

• The few who do haven't been given a good enough reason to engage

2. Automated outreach solves both problems:

• It puts you in front of hundreds of prospects per week

• It does so consistently, without you manually sending each message

The result: Predictable lead flow that runs in the background.

The Reality: Volume Matters

Here's what most people don't understand:

You're probably just not doing enough.

Alex Hormozi's book launch did $100M in sales. Here's what that took:

• 20,000+ affiliates promoting

• 3,000+ ads created in 6 weeks

• 35,000+ pieces of content

• Campaigns across all major platforms

You don't need to do that much. But you do need to think in hundreds and thousands, not tens.

If you're sending 10 connection requests per week and wondering why you're not getting clients, that's your answer.

You need to send 100-200 per week.

Consistently. For months.

That's what automation enables.

John McCarthy's Results

John sent 5,000 connection requests over 12 months.

Result: 10 clients signed.

OCR: 500:1 (he reached out to 500 people per client)

Why it worked:

• Consistent volume (100+ requests per week)

• Good targeting (law firms he had credibility with)

• Solid messaging (focused on specific pain points)

• Persistent follow-up (didn't give up after one message)

70% of his clients came from LinkedIn automation.

If it works for John, it can work for you.

How Automated Outreach Works

The campaign runs through automation software (like Connector) synced to your LinkedIn account.

Here's the structure:

Activity

Delay

Description

Connection Request

No delay

Personalized message or blank

Message 1

30 mins after connection

Longer message explaining value

Message 2

1 day later

Check-in message

Message 3

2 days later

See if they want to have a conversation

Message 4

4 days later

Ask about a call

Message 5

2 weeks later

Final bit of urgency

As soon as the prospect replies, the campaign STOPS sending to that prospect.

Modern platforms (like the one we use at Business Coach Academy) can even have AI take over and continue the conversation.

The Goal: Get Them Interested (Not Sell Coaching)

Your goal is NOT to sell coaching in the messages.

Your goal is to get them to say: "Tell me more."

Research from Gong.io (who analyzed millions of cold outreach messages) found that the best CTA is interest, not booking a call.

Why?

Because people don't want to commit to a call with a stranger. But they will express interest in learning more.

Once they're interested, THEN you move them to booking a call.

Step 1: Build Your Prospect List

Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to find prospects:

Basic criteria:

• Location: UK, USA, Canada (or your target)

• Company Size: 11-50 or 51-200 employees

• Revenue: £1-£5M or £5-£50M

• Job Title: Owner, Founder, CEO, Managing Director

• Industry: [Your Core Client industry]

This should give you thousands of prospects.

Action: Create a saved search in Sales Navigator with these criteria.

Pro tip: Use "Current Company" name search to narrow further (e.g., if targeting engineering companies, search for companies with "Engineering" in the name).

Step 2: Set Up Your Campaign

You'll need automation software. Options:

1. Connector (recommended by Business Coach Academy)

• Designed specifically for business coaches

• Undetectable by LinkedIn

• AI follow-up included

• Tracks everything automatically

2. Other LinkedIn automation tools

• Dux-Soup, Expandi, Phantombuster, etc.

• Cheaper but less sophisticated

• Higher risk of LinkedIn restrictions

Campaign settings:

• Connection requests per week: 100-200 (LinkedIn's safe limit)

• Messages per day: 20-30

• Delays: Randomized to look human

Action: Set up your automation tool and connect it to LinkedIn.

Step 3: Write Your Messages

You need 5 messages for the campaign:

1. Connection request

2. First message (value)

3. Second message (check-in)

4. Third message (conversation)

5. Fourth message (call)

6. Fifth message (urgency)

Let's break each one down:

Connection Request

Option 1: Personalized (recommended)

"Hi [Name], I help [industry] companies increase profit without the owner working more hours. Thought it'd be good to connect."

Option 2: Blank

Just send the connection request with no message. Lower acceptance rate but faster to send.

Our recommendation: Start with personalized. Test blank later if needed.

Message 1: Value (30 mins after connection)

This is your most important message. It needs to:

1. Show you understand their world

2. Provide specific proof

3. Make them curious

Template:

"Hi [Name],

Thanks for connecting. I see you run [Company] in [Industry].

Many [industry] owners I work with are [specific pain point]. They're [current situation] but want to [desired outcome].

I ask because [your proof]. For example, [specific result with numbers and timeframe].

Are you looking to [desired outcome]? Happy to share what worked if it's relevant."

Example (Engineering):

"Hi James,

Thanks for connecting. I see you run [Company] in mechanical engineering.

Many engineering MDs I work with are struggling to scale without their profit margins getting squeezed. They're winning more work but working longer hours for less.

I ask because at JCB I used a system to grow the Attachments Business from £150K/yr profit to £9M in 4 years by keeping the team accountable.

Are you looking to increase profit without working more hours?

Happy to share what worked if it's relevant."

Message 2: Check-In (1 day later)

Keep it short and add new value.

"Hi [Name], just following up on my message yesterday. I came across this article on [relevant topic] and thought of you: [link]. Let me know if you'd like to chat about how [industry] companies are tackling [pain point] right now."

Message 3: Conversation (2 days later)

Ask if they want to have a conversation.

"Hi [Name], not sure if you saw my earlier messages. I'm working with a few [industry] companies right now helping them [outcome]. Would it be worth having a quick conversation to see if there's anything relevant to you?"

Message 4: Call (4 days later)

More direct ask for a call.

"Hi [Name], I know you're busy. If you're interested in [outcome], I'd be happy to jump on a quick call to share what's working for other [industry] companies. I'm free Monday or Wednesday morning. Does either work?"

Message 5: Urgency (2 weeks later)

Final message with a bit of urgency.

"Hi [Name], I'm closing my client roster for the next few months soon. If you're still looking to [outcome], let me know in the next week or so and we can chat. Otherwise, I'll follow up again in a few months."

Step 4: Test Different Approaches

Here's the key: You need to test.

Not every message will work. Not every pain point will resonate.

What to test:

• Different pain points (cash flow vs. profit vs. time vs. team)

• Different proof (career vs. client results)

• Different CTAs (interest vs. call vs. resource)

• Different industries (if you target multiple)

How to test:

Campaign A: 300 connection requests with Pain Point 1
Campaign B: 300 connection requests with Pain Point 2

Compare results:

• Connection acceptance rate

• Interest rate (% who reply interested)

• Booking rate (% who book calls)

• Close rate (% who become clients)

Focus on the metrics that matter:

❌ Vanity metric: Connection acceptance rate
✅ Real metric: Interest rate, booking rate, close rate

Example:

Campaign A: 50% acceptance, 1% interest rate
Campaign B: 30% acceptance, 3% interest rate

Campaign B wins even though fewer people accepted the connection, because more people expressed interest.

Step 5: Track Your KPIs

Here are the KPIs you need to hit:

Metric

Target

What It Means

Connection Acceptance

30-50%

% who accept your connection request

Interest Rate

1-2%

% who reply interested

Booking Rate

50%

% of interested who book a call

Show-Up Rate

80%

% who show up to the call

Close Rate

25%

% who become clients

Working backwards from 1 client:

To get 1 client, you need:

• 4 sales calls (at 25% close rate)

• 5 booked calls (at 80% show-up rate)

• 10 interested people (at 50% booking rate)

• 500-1,000 outreaches (at 1-2% interest rate)

Your OCR: 500-1,000:1

To get 5 clients: 2,500-5,000 outreaches

Timeline: If you send 200 per week, that's 12-25 weeks (3-6 months)

Step 6: Follow Up When They Reply

When someone replies with interest, your goal is to book a call.

Response examples:

If they say "Tell me more":

"Great! Rather than go back and forth via message, would a quick 20-minute call work? I can walk you through exactly how we helped [similar company] and see if it's relevant to you. I'm free Monday at 10am or Wednesday at 2pm. Which works better?"

If they say "Send me more info":

"Sure, I'll send over a quick case study. But honestly, a 20-minute call would be way more valuable because I can tailor it to your specific situation. Does Monday or Wednesday work?"

If they say "Not right now":

"No problem at all. Can I check in with you in a few months? And if you know anyone else who might benefit, happy to have a chat with them too."

If they ask about price:

"Thanks for asking. My top coaching clients invest up to £50,000 a year, but you can start for under £2,000/mo. It depends on your situation and what makes sense. I could do a call on Monday or Wednesday to look at what makes sense for you. Which day works best?"

Key: Always push for the call. Don't try to sell via message.

Step 7: Use AI Follow-Up (Optional)

Modern automation platforms (like Connector) have AI that can continue the conversation after they reply.

How it works:

1. Prospect replies with interest

2. AI takes over and continues the conversation

3. AI asks qualifying questions

4. AI books the call automatically

This saves you hours of back-and-forth messaging.

Action: If your platform has AI follow-up, turn it on and train it with your responses.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Sending Too Few Connection Requests

100-200 per week is the minimum. If you're sending 20-30, you won't see results.

Mistake 2: Giving Up Too Early

You need to send 500-1,000 requests to get 1 client. Don't give up after 100.

Mistake 3: Not Testing

If your first campaign doesn't work, test a different pain point or messaging angle. Don't assume automation doesn't work.

Mistake 4: Focusing on Vanity Metrics

Connection acceptance rate doesn't matter. Interest rate and booking rate matter.

Mistake 5: Not Following Up

Most people won't respond to the first message. The follow-ups are where the magic happens.

Mistake 6: Trying to Sell in Messages

Your goal is to get them interested and book a call. Don't try to close deals via LinkedIn message.

Harriet's Story: How Messaging Quality Matters

Harriet used the same automation strategy as John.

She sent 200 connection requests and got 2 clients.

Her OCR: 100:1 (5x better than John's initial 500:1)

What made the difference?

• Better messaging (focused on value, not selling)

• Better targeting (right industry, right pain points)

• Better sales process (used Value Sessions approach on calls)

The lesson: Your OCR improves as you improve your skills.

John started at 500:1. With practice and better messaging, you could get down to 100:1 or better using the same automation strategy.

Your Automated Outreach Action Plan

Week 1:

• Build your prospect list in Sales Navigator (target: 1,000+ prospects)

• Set up automation tool (Connector or alternative)

• Write your 5 messages (connection + 4 follow-ups)

Week 2:

• Launch Campaign A (300 requests with Pain Point 1)

• Launch Campaign B (300 requests with Pain Point 2)

• Track connection acceptance rate

Week 3-4:

• Continue sending (100-200 per week)

• Track interest rate

• Respond to anyone who replies

Week 5-6:

• Analyze results (which campaign performed better?)

• Double down on winner

• Adjust messaging based on feedback

Week 7-12:

• Continue consistent outreach (100-200 per week)

• Book calls with interested prospects

• Sign your first clients from automation

Goal: 1-2 clients signed from automation in 3-6 months

Combining All Three Strategies

Here's the secret: You don't pick one strategy. You do all three.

Warm Network: Sign your first 1-2 clients fast (weeks 1-6)

VIP 100: Target your absolute best prospects (ongoing)

Automation: Generate consistent lead flow at scale (ongoing)

The result:

• Month 1-2: 1-2 clients from warm network

• Month 3-4: 1-2 clients from VIP 100

• Month 5-6: 1-2 clients from automation

• Total: 3-6 clients in 6 months

By month 6, all three strategies are running simultaneously, giving you a full pipeline.

What Happens Next?

You've learned all three lead generation strategies:

• Warm Network (fastest, highest conversion)

• VIP 100 (quality over quantity)

• Automation (consistent, scalable)

Now you need to learn how to close those leads.

Ready to learn how to turn conversations into clients? Continue to "Closing Clients" and discover the Value Session approach that converts at 25%+.