Skip to content
LinkedIn outreach for agencies is not really about “sending messages.” It is about creating more of the right conversations with the right people, then turning those conversations into referrals, partnerships, and new business.
In this Mastermind session, Jesse Walter of Hummingbird Software joined That! Company to share how agency owners can use LinkedIn more intentionally. His message was practical and refreshingly grounded: activity turns into business. Not random activity. Not spam. Not “connect and pitch” chaos. The kind of activity that gets agency owners into real networking conversations with potential clients and referral partners.
Why LinkedIn Outreach For Agencies Should Start With Networking
One of Jesse’s strongest points was that LinkedIn should not be treated as a magic lead machine. It should be treated as a scalable networking tool.
Traditional networking works because it creates trust. You meet someone, learn about their business, understand who they serve, and look for ways to help. Over time, those relationships turn into introductions, referrals, and clients.
LinkedIn gives agency owners a way to create more of those conversations without needing to drive across town, pay for lunch, or hope the right person happens to be at the same event.
As Jesse explained, the goal is simple: get into more conversations with less friction.
That mindset changes everything. Instead of asking, “How do I sell this person immediately?” the better question is:
“Is this someone worth having a conversation with?”
That approach is much more aligned with how strong agency relationships are built. It is also how That! Company approaches partnership: steady, relationship-first, and focused on helping agencies create sustainable growth, not quick wins that disappear by Friday.
Referrals Still Beat Most Lead Sources
Jesse shared that across his career in digital marketing and advertising, referrals have consistently produced his best leads and customers. He has tried the usual channels: cold email, cold calling, website forms, LinkedIn, and other outreach methods. But referral-driven relationships have been the most valuable.
That is an important reminder for agency owners.
A cold prospect may need a lot of convincing before they trust you. A referred prospect starts with borrowed trust. Someone they already know has opened the door for you.
That makes the conversation easier, warmer, and often much more productive.
Jesse also emphasized consistency. In networking settings, he repeated the same simple explanation of who he helped and who he served best. Over time, people began to associate him with specific types of businesses.
That is the goal. You want your network to think of you when they meet your ideal client.
Use LinkedIn To Create More Referral Conversations
LinkedIn outreach for agencies works best when it is not limited to direct prospects.
For example, if your agency serves plumbers, roofers, med spas, property managers, or other niche businesses, your ideal outreach list may include more than those businesses directly.
You can also reach out to centers of influence.
These are people or companies that already serve your target audience and may be able to refer multiple clients over time. Examples include:
- Software providers
- Consultants and coaches
- Payment processing companies
- Financing companies
- Equipment suppliers
- Industry trainers
- Professional service providers
- Trade association leaders
This is where LinkedIn becomes especially powerful.
Instead of trying to sell one plumber at a time, you may be able to build a relationship with someone who knows dozens of plumbing business owners. That is a much better use of outreach energy.
And let’s be honest: agency owners only get so many hours in a week. Spending them wisely is kind of the whole game.
How Sales Navigator Helps Agencies Find Better Prospects
Jesse recommended LinkedIn Sales Navigator as a useful tool for finding ideal prospects. He noted that it allows users to filter leads in ways that standard LinkedIn does not.
Some of the targeting filters discussed included:
- Company headcount
- Geography
- Industry
- Seniority level
- Job title
- Company type
- Keywords
- Second-degree connections
Jesse’s personal preference is to connect with owners, partners, co-founders, and founders because those conversations often lead directly to business or referrals.
He also recommended narrowing lists down instead of working from huge pools of prospects. A list of 160,000 people is not a strategy. It is a haystack with a Wi-Fi connection.
A better approach is to build focused lists of roughly 1,000 to 2,000 prospects at a time, then test messaging and targeting from there.
Local Outreach Can Increase Connection Rates
One useful insight from the session was the value of local targeting.
Jesse shared that he has tested national, state, and local outreach. In his experience, local outreach often performs especially well because people are more likely to connect when they see a shared geography.
That local connection gives you a natural reason to reach out:
“Looks like we’re both local.”
That is simple, human, and far better than opening with a pitch deck disguised as a message.
Local outreach can also lead to in-person meetings, coffee chats, and stronger referral relationships. Even if your agency serves clients nationally, local connections can still become valuable referral partners.
The Messaging Framework: Soft, Simple, And Human
Jesse’s messaging strategy was intentionally simple.
He recommended avoiding overly aggressive sales pitches and instead using messages that feel like a normal networking conversation.
His sample connection request was along these lines:
“Hi [First Name], I see we have connections in common and you’re also local. Would love to connect.”
That is it.
No long pitch. No “revolutionary solution.” No 14-paragraph autobiography.
After someone accepts, Jesse suggested sending a soft second message about 23 hours later. His example was focused on networking, not selling:
“Thanks for connecting. If you think we’d be a good fit for networking, let’s have a call in the next couple of weeks. My professional network is mostly business owners and marketing professionals.”
This kind of message works because it lowers pressure. The ask is not “buy from me.” The ask is “should we know each other?”
That is a much easier yes.
Why The Second Message Matters
Jesse noted that many people send blank connection requests or stop after the connection is accepted. That leaves opportunity on the table.
The second message is where conversations often begin.
He shared that results were strong enough from the second message alone to generate appointments, especially when the message was soft, clear, and networking-oriented.
For agency owners, this is an important lesson.
A connection is not the finish line. It is the start of the relationship.
Your process should include:
- Sending a relevant connection request
- Following up after the connection is accepted
- Inviting the person into a simple networking conversation
- Learning about their business
- Clearly explaining who you help
- Looking for referral opportunities in both directions
That is how LinkedIn activity becomes business activity.
Say What You Do So People Can Refer You
One of the most practical takeaways from Jesse’s session was the importance of having a simple, repeatable explanation of what you do.
When someone asks about your agency, you should not ramble. You should make it easy for them to remember who you help.
Jesse gave an example for someone serving home service businesses:
“I help businesses grow faster. A lot of businesses are struggling to figure out where to start with marketing. If you happen to know any service businesses like plumbers, roofers, or electricians, we really knock it out of the park for them.”
That kind of clarity helps people refer you.
The goal is not to explain every service, platform, deliverable, and reporting dashboard your agency offers. The goal is to plant a clear memory.
Who do you help?
What problem do you solve?
Who should they introduce you to?
If your answer is easy to remember, your network is more likely to act on it.
Personal Profiles Usually Beat Business Pages
A participant asked whether they should launch outreach from a personal LinkedIn profile with around 8,000 followers or a business page with about 40 followers.
Jesse’s answer was clear: use the personal profile.
His reasoning was simple. People book meetings with people, not company pages. A business page has value, but relationship-driven outreach usually works better when it comes from an actual person.
For agency owners, this is especially relevant.
Your agency brand matters. But in outreach, your personal credibility often opens the door.
That means your LinkedIn profile should clearly communicate:
- Who you help
- What you specialize in
- Why someone should connect with you
- What kind of network you bring to the table
Every post, comment, like, and connection request gives people a chance to see who you are. That is free visibility, so make sure your profile supports the conversations you want to create.
Manual Outreach vs. Automation
Jesse also discussed Hummingbird Software, a LinkedIn automation and outreach platform. But he made it clear that the core strategy can be done manually.
The software can help streamline connection requests, messaging, tracking, and follow-up. However, the foundation still matters most:
- Good targeting
- Clear messaging
- Consistent follow-up
- A networking-first mindset
- A profile that supports trust
Jesse also discussed account safety and compliance, noting that careless automation can create problems. That is an important warning. Automation should support a thoughtful strategy, not replace one.
The tool does not fix bad messaging. It just sends it faster. And nobody needs bad outreach at scale. The internet has suffered enough.
The Real Goal: More Conversations With The Right People
The biggest theme of the session was activity.
Jesse repeated the idea that activity creates conversations, conversations create referrals, and referrals create business.
That does not mean agency owners should chase random activity. It means they should build a repeatable process that puts them in front of the right people consistently.
LinkedIn outreach for agencies should help you:
- Start more networking conversations
- Build more referral relationships
- Reach centers of influence
- Stay visible with potential partners
- Create more opportunities for warm introductions
- Turn consistency into pipeline
That is also why white-label support can be so valuable for growing agencies. When your outreach starts working, you need delivery capacity, sales support, and client communication that does not pull you deeper into fulfillment. That is where a partner like That! Company can help agencies keep momentum while staying focused on growth.
Key Takeaways From Jesse Walter’s LinkedIn Outreach Session
LinkedIn is not just a place to post content and hope someone notices. Used well, it can become a practical networking engine for agency growth.
The biggest takeaways from Jesse’s session were:
- Treat LinkedIn as scalable networking, not a spam machine.
- Referrals are often stronger than cold leads because they come with trust.
- Use Sales Navigator to find better-fit prospects and referral partners.
- Local targeting can improve connection rates and create warmer conversations.
- Keep messaging simple, soft, and human.
- Use your personal profile for outreach when possible.
- Be consistent about explaining who you help and who you want to meet.
- Focus on activity that leads to real conversations.
For agency owners, the opportunity is straightforward: build the habit, refine the message, and keep showing up.
And when those conversations start turning into opportunities, having the right fulfillment partner matters. If your agency wants to grow without getting buried in delivery, explore our White Label Digital Marketing support and see how That! Company helps agencies scale under their own brand.
