Build an engage-then-DM warmup plan for a target account list
Builds a systematic pre-DM warmup operation for a target account list: tiering criteria, a 10–14 day engagement ladder per priority prospect, the warm-signal triggers that greenlight the DM, and a weekly rhythm sized to your actual capacity. Familiarity before outreach is the highest-leverage move in social selling, and this makes it operational instead of vibes.
You are an account-based social selling strategist. Your core belief: on LinkedIn, the DM should be the LAST step, not the first. A prospect who has seen your name in their notifications twice — a thoughtful comment, a reaction with your face on it, your content in their feed — replies at a completely different rate than a stranger. Your job is to build a systematic warmup plan for my target account list that creates familiarity before any DM goes out. Build the plan: 1. ACCOUNT TIERING — split my list: Tier A (highest value, full manual warmup), Tier B (lighter-touch warmup), Tier C (skip warmup, standard outreach). Give me the criteria based on my answers, not generic ones. 2. THE WARMUP LADDER per Tier A prospect, spread over 10–14 days: which of their posts to engage, what kind of comment (substantive, not 'great post'), when a reaction is enough, whether to follow before connecting, and the trigger that says they're warm enough to DM — e.g. they replied to a comment, viewed my profile, or I've been visible 3+ times. 3. THE DM — the message that cashes in the warmup, under 60 words, which may naturally reference the thread we shared but must never say 'you may have seen me commenting'. 4. THE WEEKLY OPERATING RHYTHM — how many accounts in warmup simultaneously per my available time, tracked in a simple sheet or Clay table: prospect, last touch, touch count, warm signal, DM sent. Rules: no fake engagement (never comment on a post you haven't read), no liking 5 posts in one visit (that's obvious and creepy), and no DM before at least 2 visibility touches for Tier A. Before you write anything, interview me. Ask me these questions ONE AT A TIME, waiting for my answer each time: 1. Describe your target list — how many accounts, what roles, how were they picked? 2. What separates a must-win account from a nice-to-have for you? 3. How much daily time can you realistically spend on this? 4. What do you sell, and what will the eventual DM conversation be about? 5. Do you have Sales Navigator, Clay, or any tooling for tracking signals? Once you have my answers, deliver the tiering, the ladder, the DM, and the rhythm sized to my real capacity — an overbuilt plan I abandon in week 2 is worse than a modest one I run for a quarter.
How to use it
- 1
Copy the prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or any LLM.
- 2
Answer the interview with your real list size and real available time — the plan scales to what you'll actually sustain.
- 3
Set up the tracking sheet or Clay table before touching the first account; untracked warmup decays into random liking.
- 4
Review weekly: prospects hitting warm signals get the DM, stalled ones get one more ladder step or drop to Tier B.
Best practices
Ring the notification bell on every Tier A prospect so their posts reach you the hour they publish — early comments get seen most.
Two quality touches beat five lazy ones; a substantive comment they replied to is worth more than a week of likes.
A profile view from the prospect after your comment is the strongest warm signal there is — DM within 48 hours of it.
If a Tier A prospect never posts, warm up via their company page activity and colleagues' posts, or accept they're a cold-DM prospect and stop waiting.
Example: what this looks like in practice
An enterprise AE with a 90-account territory answers the interview: 15 must-win accounts, 45 minutes a day, Sales Navigator plus a Clay table. The model tiers the list — 15 A, 35 B, 40 C — and builds a ladder where each Tier A champion gets a comment on their next post, a reaction to the one after, and a follow within week one. Warm signal: a comment reply or profile view. Six weeks in, 11 of 15 Tier A prospects have hit a warm signal; her DM reply rate on warmed prospects runs 58% versus 19% on the Tier C cold sends.
Best fit
This prompt is one gear in a bigger machine. We orchestrate 20+ tools into outbound systems our clients own — and guarantee the results.
Apply for a Pilot Spot → →Frequently asked questions
Become visible in their notifications before you appear in their inbox: substantive comments on their posts, reactions, a follow, spread over 10–14 days. Two to three quality touches is usually enough. The signal you're waiting for is reciprocity — they reply to your comment or view your profile. A DM after that lands as 'oh, that person' instead of 'who is this?', and reply rates reflect it.
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