LS #52: LinkedIn Strategy for Booking High-Value Demos
Smart founders are booking 15-20 high-value demos per month using LinkedIn as their primary sales channel.
Hi there,
I break down viral LinkedIn posts to help you create content that clicks.
In this issue, you'll find:
The 3 high-performing LinkedIn posts this week
LinkedIn strategy for booking high-value demos
The 3 high-performing posts this week
1. We’ve built a $10M ARR SaaS.
Why this post?
This post went viral, receiving 1.2k likes in a day. It received 10-20 more engagement and views than Glenn's previous posts this week.
BREAKDOWN
Opens with impressive achievement: "We've built a $10M ARR SaaS"
Immediately contrasts with location: "But we're from Netherlands, not San Francisco"
Challenges the myth that you need to be in Silicon Valley to build a successful company
Uses a fun photo of him and his co-founder wearing cowboy hats at a conference
Admits to feeling like an outsider in the typical startup world
Lists specific ways their approach is different from Silicon Valley companies
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN POST:
Start with an impressive achievement that gets attention
Immediately contrast your location or background with the expected norm
Admit to sometimes feeling like you don't fit the typical mold
List specific ways your approach differs from what everyone else is doing
Be honest about the real challenges of being different or outside the mainstream
POST IDEAS FOLLOWING THIS TEMPLATE:
"I'm a 45-year-old mom who started coding last year. Now I run a profitable tech company."
"We're bootstrapping our startup from Detroit, not raising VC money in SF. This is our reality."
"Built a million-dollar business as a college dropout from a small town. No MBA required."
"We're running a remote company from the middle of nowhere. Turns out you don't need fancy offices."
"Started my business at 60 when everyone said I was too old. Age is just a number."
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2. RB2B is about to do something no $5M+ ARR SaaS has ever attempted: All 3 FTEs will disappear for a week and AI will run the entire company.
Why this post?
Another post that went viral this week—it got 1.3k likes in 3 days and performed 5-10 times better than Adam’s other posts this week.
BREAKDOWN:
Opens with a shocking claim: "something no $5M+ ARR SaaS has ever attempted"
Creates immediate curiosity by saying all employees will disappear and AI will run everything
Poses a dramatic question: "Can AI employees replace all of us?"
Sets a specific date (August 23rd) to create urgency and anticipation
Uses dramatic language like "completely off-grid" and "zero contact, no cell signal"
Creates high stakes: either AI runs the business perfectly or they "come back to chaos"
Offers value to readers by promising to share the AI training process
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN POST:
Announce an experiment that's never been tried before in your industry
Set specific, dramatic conditions that create high stakes
Explain the challenge, stakes, and what readers get out of it
Create real consequences for both success and failure
Offer to document and share the entire process with your audience
3. Unpopular opinion: Don’t be authentic.
Why this post?
This post performed 2-6 times better than Chelsea's other posts this week.
BREAKDOWN:
Opens with a bold, controversial opinion: "Don't be authentic"
Makes a shocking claim: "People don't want the real you"
References Seth Godin (a famous expert) to add credibility to her argument
Explains what people actually want from personal brands in three simple points
Shares a deeply personal story about being a struggling single mom
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN POST:
Start with "Unpopular opinion:" followed by advice that goes against common wisdom
Make a claim that will surprise or shock your audience
Reference a well-known expert who supports your contrarian view
Share a personal example where following popular advice would have hurt you
Show the conflict between what feels right and what works in business
POST IDEAS FOLLOWING THIS TEMPLATE:
"Unpopular opinion: Don't follow your passion. Follow the money instead, then passion will come."
"Hot take: Stop networking. Most networking events are a waste of time and fake relationships don't help."
"Controversial: Don't work hard. Work smart and let other people work hard for you."
"Unpopular opinion: Don't help everyone. Being selective about who you help makes you more valuable."
"Hot take: Don't be grateful. Gratitude can make you settle for less than you deserve."
LinkedIn Playbook
LinkedIn Strategy for Booking High-Value Demos
Most B2B founders treat LinkedIn like a billboard.
They post about their product, share generic industry insights, and wonder why their calendar stays empty.
Meanwhile, smart founders are booking 15-20 high-value demos per month using LinkedIn as their primary sales channel.
Here's the difference: They've turned LinkedIn into a demo-booking machine.
The Demo-Booking Reality Check
The Problem: Founders are doing LinkedIn outreach wrong.
Cold pitching in the first message
Focusing on features instead of outcomes
Treating prospects like numbers instead of humans
No follow-up system beyond "just checking in"
The Solution: 5-stage demo booking system
Stage 1: The Ideal Demo Profile (IDP)
Before I touch LinkedIn, I define my perfect demo candidate:
Firmographic Criteria:
Company size: 50-500 employees
Industry: SaaS, E-commerce, Professional Services
Revenue: $5M-$50M ARR
Tech stack: Uses Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar
Behavioral Signals:
Posted about scaling challenges in the last 30 days
Shared content about operational efficiency
Engaged with posts about your problem space
Recently hired in relevant departments
Decision-Making Power:
VP level or above
Budget authority
Direct impact from my solution
Stage 2: The Content-First Approach
Stop selling. Start teaching.
Your LinkedIn content makes prospects think: "This person gets our problems."
The PEAR Content Framework:
Problem: Identify the pain point
Educate: Explain why it matters
Approach: Share your unique method
Result: Show the outcome
3 Hook Examples That Work:
"Why our sales team's productivity dropped 30% (and how we fixed it)"
"How we reduced our client's churn from 15% to 3% in 90 days"
"The $50K mistake that taught us everything about customer retention"
The 2-1-1-1 Weekly Content Mix:
2 educational posts (problems, solutions, insights)
1 behind-the-scenes post (case studies, lessons learned)
1 engagement post (polls, questions)
1 soft pitch post (customer story with subtle CTA)
You can use Posthero to create weekly content using viral templates in just 30 minutes.
Stage 3: The Relationship-Building Sequence
The 21-Day Warm-Up Process:
Days 1-7: The Observer Phase
Like their last 3 posts
Leave thoughtful comments (not generic "great post!")
Share their content with your network
Note their pain points and interests
Days 8-14: The Contributor Phase
Send connection request with personalized note
Share valuable resources related to their challenges
Tag them in relevant conversations
Invite them to industry events or webinars
Days 15-21: The Collaborator Phase
Ask thoughtful questions about their business
Offer introductions to relevant contacts
Invite them to contribute to your content
Position yourself as a peer, not a vendor
Stage 4: The Demo Request System
The 3-Message Demo Booking Sequence:
Message 1: The Problem Identifier
"Hi [Name], saw your post on scaling at [Company] - the quality challenge really resonated. Curious, what’s been your biggest ops bottleneck growing from [previous size] to [current size]?"
Message 2: The Insight Provider
"That makes total sense - [reference their specific challenge].
I actually just worked with [similar company] on the exact same issue. They were struggling with [their challenge] and I helped them [specific outcome] in [timeframe].
My approach was pretty unique - instead of [common approach], I [my unique method].
Would you be open to a 15-minute call to share how I tackled it?"
Message 3: The Specific Ask
"No stress if things are hectic—I know how wild [their industry/role] gets.
If you’re up for it, here’s my calendar: [link]
Saved a few spots for [their industry] folks tackling [their challenge].
Either way, I’ll keep sharing stuff that might help with [their situation]."
Stage 5: The Follow-Up System
The 7-touch follow-up sequence:
Touch 1 (Same day): Demo summary and next steps
Touch 2 (Day 3): Relevant case study or resource
Touch 3 (Day 7): ROI calculator or assessment
Touch 4 (Day 14): Industry report or insight
Touch 5 (Day 21): Soft check-in with new angle
Touch 6 (Day 35): Final value-add resource
Touch 7 (Day 60): "Should I close your file?" message
Common Demo Booking Mistakes
1. The Spray and Pray Approach
Sending 100 generic connection requests instead of 20 personalized ones.
2. The Feature Dump Demo
Showing everything instead of focusing on their specific problem.
3. The One-Touch Wonder
Giving up after one "no" instead of nurturing the relationship.
4. The Pushy Closer
Trying to close on the first demo instead of building trust.
The Demo Booking Success Formula
Targeted Prospects (quality over quantity) + Value-First Content (teach before you pitch) + Relationship Building (humans buy from humans) + Systematic Follow-Up (persistence pays) = Consistent demo bookings
That's a wrap for today.
See you next week! If you want more LinkedIn tips, be sure to follow me on LinkedIn (link).
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Your compadre,
Anton "LinkedIn growth strategies" Cherkasov