5 Steps to Effective Follow-Up on LinkedIn Without Being Pushy

"She keeps showing up like a bad rash!"

A CMO told us about a sales person who just would not stop pestering him, even after he clearly told her he was not interested in her offer and was not going to schedule time to meet. 

“She just keeps showing up like a bad rash,” he told us.

Ugghh! What a terrible brand impression she made!

Badgering prospects to try and get a meeting is not going to win their business. It’s just going to result in them permanently blocking you. 

There is a way forward that is respectful, yet effective for a LinkedIn connection request follow-up. 

Scenario:

You sent your prospect a LinkedIn connection request. They accepted, and you've sent a DM to try and start a conversation, using a human-to-human approach. However, your prospect isn’t responding. 

Now what?

How to follow up on LinkedIn without becoming a pest (or a bad rash)? Here are 5 helpful tips:

Stay Organized

It's beneficial to keep track of all outreach efforts. Whether using LinkedIn's Sales Navigator, a CRM, or a simple spreadsheet, it helps avoid double messaging or missing any contact.

Check In Monthly via LinkedIn DM

If there's no response, reaching out about once a month is a good strategy. It's a reasonable frequency that avoids the risk of seeming annoying or overly persistent.

But instead of pitch-slapping, try asking a question about their recent post or comment. If their company has been in the news lately, ask about that. In essence, find a nugget you can use to start a conversation.

Engage Authentically on LinkedIn

Interacting with the contact's posts and comments can significantly increase visibility and show genuine interest. It's a subtle yet effective way to stay on their radar. But don’t just drop a comment saying something like, “great post!” Instead, contribute thoughtfully to the conversation. 

If your contact isn’t posting, take a look at posts they’ve recently reacted to, and comment on those. That should trigger a notification for your prospect to let them know that you commented on a post that they engaged with.

Mix It Up Between LinkedIn and Email

If they’re not responding on LinkedIn, try sending an email. But again, don’t pitch-slap. Use the same nugget approach I mentioned above for starting a conversation.

Alternating between LinkedIn and email allows for more frequent touch points without overwhelming the contact in one single platform.

Be Patient, Yet Persistent

Timing is crucial. While following up is important, knowing when to pause and try a different tactic later is also key to effective communication.

Persistence is important, but it's essential to avoid coming off as pushy or damaging the potential relationship. So, let's be careful out there.

About the Author: Candyce Edelen is founder of PropelGrowth, where she teaches B2B entrepreneurs and sales professionals to build authentic, human-to-human relationships on LinkedIn. Her strategies have helped clients shift from spammy automation to genuine outreach, resulting in higher-quality leads and increased sales. Candyce is passionate about helping professionals build trust and create a reliable, predictable sales pipeline. She's also a firm believer that you can't automate a relationship.