A sales sequence that prints...

As a founder, one thing that frustrates me is filling the sales pipeline.

It has been a problem I’ve worked on for years. After finding a solution, I launched a new company to automate it. However, I’ll share a manual version here:

📈 Step 1: Make a list of prospects that fit your ICP

Connect Claude with Apollo. Then ask for 100 names, emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles of those that best fit your ICP.

If doing manually, ZoomInfo has a Chrome plugin where you can get phone numbers and emails by clicking on a LinkedIn profile.

🚀 Step 2: Cold call them

Cold calling is critical. AI tools are filling inboxes with sales messages. To get past the noise, you need a different approach.

My favorite script is:

“(Prospects Name), this is just (Your First and Last). Claude told me to call you as someone who is having an issue with (the problem you solve). Is this true, or was it just a hallucination?

(If positive response) I’m not even sure we could help. Would you be opposed to discussing later this week?

(If positive) I’ll have some time on (day and time), does that work for you?

(If positive) I’ll send you an invite after this call.”

If you get voice mail, leave this message:

“(Prospects Name), this is just (Your First and Last). No need to return the call. Claude identified your company as having an issue with (the problem you solve). I will send you an email with the details. If it does not resonate, feel free to delete it.”

The point is not to sale anything. It is to filter for those with enough pain to take action now.

Note: leaving a voicemail warms your email message.

Keep it short. Keep it fun. Relax.

😎 Step 3: Make a LinkedIn request

After the cold call or voice mail, send a LinkedIn connection request. Provide a short note about them. Not about your company.

The note must be specific. It proves you’ve taken the time to learn more about them.

By connecting on LinkedIn, you have a secondary communication channel. Sometimes this is needed.

If they don’t agree to a meeting right away, they will still see your posts, comments, etc… Stay focused with content and sharing things with them directly. Just become a resource. That way, when their pain increases, they will reach out.

🔥 Step 4: Provide a demo

The goal is a demo or sales appointment. Make no mistake, this is an opportunity to discover if they have enough pain to take action. It’s not a show and tell.

Ask questions to find the pain. “Who does this affect most?”

Ask questions to understand the pain. “How long has this been going on?”

Ask questions to determine what they’ve tried before. “What have you tried in the past to solve this?”

Then determine how strong the pain is. “What happens if you do nothing?”

🏆 Step 5: Close

If you can close on the demo, do it. Otherwise, schedule a meeting with the other stakeholders on the demo call.

The close is comparing your solution with doing nothing.

Then ask, “What if this works, what does that look like in x months/days/weeks?”

Now explain features in context of a total solution.

“You know what (Prospects Name), I think this will work.”

For each issue mentioned explain, “You know (Prospects Name), when you mentioned having an issue with X… (Product name) includes an X that (how it solves issue). Do you think this would help solve your problem?”

Keep going to address each issue they associated with the pain.

Once complete ask, “Is there anything else with this issue we have not addressed yet?”

If there is, keep going… then ask again until they agree that everything has been covered.

Now finish with something like, “Are you ready to finally solve this?”

That’s the close.