Stef Curcio

Growth Marketing Manager

LinkedIn client acquisition in <​15 mins/day | Trusted by the top 1% of LinkedIn’s Creators

“We don't have time to send DMs and create content”

This is the #1 LinkedIn lead generation problem for founders and teams.

- Some companies we’ve worked with have seen revenue boosts of up to 327% in <90 days -

⭐Some people who trust our services:
- Jasmin Alic (290k+ followers)
- Richard Van Der Blom (220k+ followers)
- Okoye Chinelo (150k+ followers)

… and many others.

Most businesses know they should have a DM strategy in place…

But let’s be real...

most people do not have time for this!

(And everyone hates DMs)

But LinkedIn lead generation comes hard for many for mainly 3 reasons:

1) Don’t know how to start a conversation
2) You are used to annoying pitch slaps
3) Have better things to do

We simply do this for you.

**Scale Acqusition**:

A system of AI agents that generates clients on autopilot

*Including*

✅Content Agent
✅Lead validator Agent
✅DMs Generator Agent
✅Appointment setter Agent

🔒**Safe:**
Avoid annoying account restrictions.

👬**Don’t burn through leads:**
Avoid the pray and spray approach.

⏱️**Timeline from start to results:**
Start to see 20%-50% reply rate in 14-21 days.


📈Case studies:

- Trevor Longino, Founder - Crowd Tamers, GTM agency: +$44k in revenue in 30 days
- Gal Agadi, Founder - Gravity, Content agency: +$90k in sales in 40 days
- Beatrice Vladut, Founder - B Branded, Branding: Doubled sales calls in 30 days
- Justin Fowler-Lindner, Founder - The Rose Garden, Lead generation agency: +12 clients in 90 days


✍️How to start:

Copy and paste the URL below to get and learn how to generate clients in <15 minutes a day:

https://bit.ly/15-min-acqusition

Founder

The FREE community for entrepreneurs that want to master Elegant Lead Generation

Join at: 

stefcurcio.com

A lead went quiet after our call 6 months ago.

What I did not do: I did not panic.

I didn't send three follow-ups asking:
"Did you see my message?"

I didn't assume they forgot about me.

Instead, I did something different.

( I use 2 tools for this: Extrovert and Kondo: Superhuman for LinkedIn DMs)

I added them to a nurturing track in Extrovert.

Every other month, I comment on their content.

Nothing pushy.

Just genuine observations.

Then, six months later, I started a reactivation sequence.

(You can do it after 60-90 days)

Four thoughtful comments on their posts.

Then a personalized message referencing something real:

A previous conversation, a commonality, a trigger that made sense.

(Extrovert suggests DMs from previous DM conversations)

The message wasn't about my offer.

It was about them.

Simple. Conversational. Human.

AI-generated, edited by me.

Here's what happened.

They replied.

They said things were going well, but timing still wasn't right.

That honest feedback was worth more than a forced follow-up.

Because I didn't push.

I stayed present.

I added value.

I found natural connection points.

And the relationship developed at its own pace.

Most people chase quiet leads.

They send aggressive follow-ups.

They assume silence means disinterest.

But silence usually means timing, interest level, or something that didn't click.

Not that they forgot you.

So here's my philosophy.

Stay consistent.

Add value.

Find natural connection points.

Let the relationship develop.

That's the conversation you want.

Not a forced yes.

Just honest, direct communication.

Build your follow-up system around respect, not pressure.

I periodically go to Kondo...

And I see who the leads are, I tagged as "Meeting scheduled" that did not convert...

And add them to my reactivation sequence.

That is how I like to reactivate dormant leads without pressure.

P.S. How do you resume conversations with dormant leads?

There is a misconception in outreach.

It's that you can convert ANY lead.

A common question I get in Link Up is:

"How do I get this lead on a call?"

(followed by a screenshot of the convo)

And most of the time, my answer is:

"You can't".

❌Typically, it's because they either:

- Lost the lead at some point in the conversation
- The lead was never interested

You cannot get any leads to become interested...

And get them on a call.

✅But you can:

- Get an interested lead on a call
- Activate dormant interest and get the lead on a call

But at some point during the conversation...

The lead has to show some level of interest.

Outreach is not black magic.

You do not pronounce a secret combination of words...

And people magically buy.

It's about talking to the right people to diagnose a level of interest...

And if it's there, you move the conversation forward.

Otherwise, you move on to the next lead.

P.S. I you want to get started with outreach, get my training by clicking here - for free: https://lnkd.in/g75c3ypS

You do not need AI to grow on LinkedIn.

I say this against my "financial" interest.

You can run a very profitable business...

With no AI involved.

And who says the opposite simply:

- Does not know how to grow a biz without AI
- Is trying to get you to buy their products

My business involves AI fairly heavily nowadays.

(I share how to run client acquisition in 15 mins/d here: https://lnkd.in/g75c3ypS)

But I got 47 clients in year one with no AI involved.

(each paying anywhere between €600 to €6k)

Here is where I see AI as the biggest opportunity for LinkedIn:

- Validation of leads
- Getting 24/7 consulting and support
- Saving a bunch of time for various tasks

That you can use when needed.

It's handy to have a bunch of agents and GPTs...

Created by some experts that can help you move forward when you get stuck at 7 pm on a Friday night.

(They do not replace the experts, but can be a good approximation)

Now, my biz proposition is to get client acquisition down to 15 min/d...

But most of my clients do not aim for that.

Although that being possible...

They prefer to automate some tasks...

While running others manually or with the support of AI...

But ultimately, having the ultimate "editing power" themselves.

And that is why in my programs, I accommodate both kinds of customers.

What I ultimately say is this:

If AI sounds like a fun opportunity, dive into it.

If it's not, keep things manual.

Either way, it can work for you as long as it resonates :)

P.S. Unrelated pic of some tonkatsu I had for dinner a couple of nights ago, because why not hehe :)

One thing AI can help ANY creator with:

Expand your network.

It's very simple:

1) Get AI to qualify leads to fit your ICP.
2) Get a list of qualified leads.
3) Send blank connections.

Now, you have 7-12 new connections that fit your ICP.

You can do it with 0 automations on your profile.

P.S. Make the validation process OUTSIDE of your profile, so it's safe.

P.S.S. Yes, I uploaded an unrelated pic of me eating an ice cream at the SPA in Japan, because why not hehe

I have doubts that the current AI will ever reach human intelligence.

I have used AI for 2+ years now.

And prompting agents for 9 months.

- I do not see AI getting closer to human intelligence.

Yes, the general quality of output has increased.

And it understands my instructions a little better...

However, to maximize it, you still need:

- Expertise in the subject
- Prompting skills

And that has not changed since I first used it.

Now, I am an AI user and not an expert.

My legitimate question is:

"What if all the AI will replace humans is another story to scare people into buying into it?"

Now, I have a community...

And I use AI to create tools for my clients.

I give them a virtual team of collaborators that...

They would spend $2-5k+ to hire just 2-3 years back.

And that is amazing.

(And real fun to set up for me 😊)

But I still see soft skills and...

Being a decent human being...

Being extremely valuable in business in the foreseeable future.

P.S. Am I crazy?

I used to spend 2 hours in Canva.

For every workshop. 

Hunt for the right icons.
I'd fiddle with fonts. 
Adjust spacing.

And usually I would go back t editing at least 1-2 times.

Back to Canva. 
More tweaking. 
More time invested.

Then I discovered tools like Gamma.

However, it always "felt like AI".

The reason why I like the Relevance AI slide builder is that it is simple.

"Like I used to make it in Google Slides."

Now, I upload my workshop outline...

Gave it one simple prompt: "Create a slide presentation."

And it built the entire deck in minutes.

Not hours. 

Minutes.

It's good.

And it feels human.

Clean. Professional. Visually coherent.

And if I have edits to make...

I ask AI to make edits directly on the slide I want to change.

"Change the title to LinkedIn DM outreach flow."

"Make it more visual."

Done.

No Canva. No design skills. No full-time designer.

Just my brain + the tool.

And suddenly, I had a beautiful presentation ready to deliver.

Click here to test it for free:
https://lnkd.in/gBntkEAy.

Brand partnership • LinkedIn client acquisition in <​15 mins/day | Trusted by the top 1% of LinkedIn’s Creators

How I create slide decks in <10 min

I strongly dislike DMs.

(Would rather do almost anything else 🤣 )

That is why I focused on building a system that removes me from them.

But let's be honest.

DMs are important.

Both to get results in the short and long term.

And are especially important if you are selling high-ticket products...

($2-5k+)

And do not have strong leverage through your brand.

Or a well-polished offer that sells itself.

You need them to generate trust.

But outreach is a fairly complex game...

That revolves around understanding the needs of the people you are talking with.

And getting started can be tricky.

What to write in the content...

What DM angle to use...

Whom should you DM...

How to position your profile...

Might be easy questions to answer for an expert.

But difficult for a beginner.

P.S. That is why I launched the Positioning and Prospecting Blueprint sessions. Grabs yours here: https://lnkd.in/ggtKqKU6

Most teams fight to hit 10% DM reply.

I consistently average 30-40%+.

Most teams are sending cold DMs to people who've never heard of them.

So the message lands in a sea of noise.

But what if they already knew your name before you hit send?

That changes everything.

Building familiarity. 
I started warming up accounts first. 
Making sure my name was familiar before the ask landed.

The reality: reply rates have dropped across the board.

What worked six months ago rarely moves the needle today.

But one strategy continues to outperform:

Increasing recognition and familiarity before the first message ever lands.

Simple in theory. Difficult to operationalize.

This Thursday, I am going to show the exact playbook live.

This workshop shows the full system behind it.

What we are covering:
The warm-up sequence that turns DMs into conversations
How to build lists of people who actually use LinkedIn
5 messaging frameworks with real examples

Who it is for:

Founders running their own outbound and wanting higher reply rates without sounding sales-driven.

Sales leaders looking for a process their reps will actually use.

Agency owners whose clients’ cold campaigns are underperforming>

SDRs/AEs wanting more replies with less manual effort.

Event details:
📅 Thursday, January 22nd
🕓 4pm CET / 10am EST

Register here: https://luma.com/cfnrire5
If you can’t attend live, register and you’ll receive the recording.

I build B2B GTM (Go-To-Market) Systems on Clay

#1 GTM Engineering Advisor in the world with 900+ students, consulting the fastest growing B2B companies and the highest number of testimonials in the entire GTME ecosystem:

1) Clay Consultant Program: Land a Client in 60 Days Guaranteed
2) Fractional GTM Engineering (mid-market companies)
3) The 80/20 GTME Course (99$)

Author of 'The GTM Engineer', Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGLVG5HL

I am working with companies like: Appcue, Teramind, Vidyard, Procore, HeyReach, Isendu (Exited, now Sendcloud), Single Grain 

What people think about my Clay Consultant Program:

'Through the GTME Training program, we now deliver advanced workflows and measurable results for mid-market and enterprise clients, even securing retainers up to $12,000 per month'.

(Daniel Monteverde Founder @ LeadField)

“A client of mine, a major tech company, was blown away by the results and even asked how I managed to deliver such exceptional outcomes. Not even the most renowned agencies had ever achieved anything close during their years of collaboration.”

(Alessandro Martinengo, Managing Partner @ Chattwin, Early Stage Startup Investor)

“Michael’s Clay Consultant Program helped me land four consulting clients in just 60 days. I started from zero and his process gave me clear structure, systems and lead generation strategies that actually work. No guesswork, no noise, just practical steps and real execution. If you want to get clients fast and know exactly what to focus on Michael is the coach you need.

"(Asher Chua, Founder @ Revenue Journey)

“Since joining, we build campaigns ten times faster and manage 12 clients with a small team. Before, I wasted time and money on tools that didn’t deliver. Now I know that just three or four well-integrated tools are enough to get strong results in most niches.”

(Pablo Beitman, Founder &amp; CEO @ Blumo.io)

You can read all testimonials at clayoperator.com

Michael Saruggia

Dear Angry RevOps Guy,

I'm sorry, but GTME is here to stay:

1. Clay went from $1M to $100M ARR in 1 to 2 years.

Among the top 10 fastest-growing startups globally. "We're the GTM Engineering company." The phenomenon is spreading with over 70 clubs and many solution partners. The vision: one Clay account in every B2B company. The holy grail of consulting.

2. The Klin was acquired. Matteo Fois and David Turewicz merged.

Clay agencies now have enterprise value. Big companies are looking for this expertise and starting to understand the phenomenon. Agencies are merging to grow stronger and validate market demand for GTM Engineering.

3. I get at least 2 DMs per day from companies that need GTME.

Literally. Startups are creating lists of GTME and sending applications through LinkedIn and email. You literally just need to put the right keywords on your profile and I am not joking.

Dear RevOps Guys,

Stop crying 😘

#1 GTM Engineering Advisor in the World | Clay Consultant Program: Land a Client in 60 Days Guaranteed | Get My Free GTME Course👇

This post claims that Clay agencies are dying.

Here's the DARK TRUTH:

(Disclaimer: the post comes from a not very successful Clay competitor looking for attention)

🤡 Post:

> Clay agencies are dying
> The market is getting more competitive
> Clay has become so complex that even power users are struggling

🐉 Truth:

> I’ve never seen so many multiple 7-figure Clay agencies

Some are friends of mine who are genuinely happy with what they’re building.

Some are 1-on-1 students I still coach monthly.

> Every market gets more competitive, but the TAM is huge

Almost every B2B company in the world with over $1M in revenue needs Clay.

Sometimes it’s a nice-to-have, but many times it solves an acute problem.

The market demand for GTME is only growing.

> Clay has actually gotten easier, LOL

People want to build complicated things.

Simple stuff is what moves the needle.

My entire line of digital products and consulting is based on the 80/20 principle.

I promise I only do this once a year.

But this is my #1 B2B Tech Stack for 2026:

1. CRM: HubSpot or Salesforce.

If you're a mid-market company trying to grow, I don’t see any alternatives.

2. Sales Ops: Clay

There’s truly no alternative.

B2B data enrichment, CRM enrichment, data providers.
At the same time: lead scoring, outbound list management, HR.

The highest ROI pieces in every company stack.

3. Outbound

Let’s divide it into 1-1 and 1-many.

1-1 outbound: Outreach

1-many outbound: there isn’t a tool that is good across more than one channel.

Outbound is tough in 2026. I want a company with R&D focused on one channel:

> Smartlead for cold emails

Vaibhav Namburi is the best operator in cold emails

> HeyReach.io for LinkedIn

Nick Velkovski is always three steps ahead in the game

> Salesfinity for parallel dialing

When Mavlonbek Muratov showed me everything, my jaw dropped

4. Inbound & Ads

Typeform + Calendly (+ Clay)

Any person I know spending 30K+ in ads per month tell me the same:

'The lowest cost per call comes from Typeform + Calendly'

And I can see why.

P.S. Graphic from my friend Matteo Fois

-

I am not really in love with anything else

What else would you add?

(That REALLY changed how you work)

Email isn't working
Calls aren't working
LinkedIn isn't working

It looks like ANY lead generation strategy just doesn’t work anymore.

But when you take a closer look, you realize:

> The copy is garbage, written by AI
> The offer doesn’t resonate with the audience.
> The lead magnet is a guide full of AI buzzwords
> The message isn't optimised for a cold audience
> The list is worthless, pulled from Apollo in two clicks

The reason you’re not getting results is simple: you’re LAZY.

Everything is just 1 click away.

1 prompt away.

TECH barriers to entry are ZERO.

It used to be enough to send emails because it was tough and technical. 

Now, you have to actually be GOOD.

You have to filter out the B.S. from what move the needle.

(Or at least follow someone who already did it)

That’s the reality in 2026

People love to publicly trash LinkedIn.

Honestly? It changed my life: for the past 3 years, I have been:

> Posting every week-day
> Sending 20 DMs per week-day
> Commenting 10 times per week-day

3 years.

I almost never stopped. Check my feed as proof.

I was doing the math with a friend a few days ago, and I closed over 1M in deals.

Just from LinkedIn.

So dear friend,

Instead of blaming the algorithm..
The influencers' selfies..
And the dying reach..

Maybe try to find a way to make it work for you and build a better offer.

It is still one of the most undervalued places in 2026 to get people's attention and sell your offer (if you audience is there).

Spoke with a GTME last Tuesday who's making $500K per year with a couple of contractors, booking 600+ meetings per month for his clients. Here's what he's doing differently:

1. He's selling in a non-English-speaking market. Many complain that outbound doesn't work outside the US, but often it's actually an opportunity. For example, deliverability is much easier.

2. He's focused on the right clients: big TAMs, especially selling to local businesses. For example, agencies selling to restaurants or SaaS companies selling to gyms. Once properly onboarded, these are strong accounts.

3. He has a pay-for-performance offer.

4. He has a strong Sales background and often meets people offline. If you live in a tier A city, using outbound to set up a coffee meeting and talk about {problem X} is a powerful strategy.

5. He divided outbound operations into parts: Strategy, List, Messaging, Inbox Management. Then he built procedures around each. He creates the general strategy (sometimes the list) and the contractors handle the rest.

Hope this inspires you with what's possible in 2026.

-

What other tips helped you?

You can download 97+ of my GTME trainings here:

clayoperator.com/trainings

If you feel stuck in your B2B marketing career. 

Read on...

I started my career doing biz dev t for an Italian startup.

It was one of the hardest things to sell. I was drained.

I worked 80 hours a week with no social life.

The founder promised me equity, success, and fame, but I got nothing in return.

But I learned one hard lesson:

"Sell things that people already want."

And market your own offers.

I found Clay.

I niched down on it.

I forgot about my unique "fractional whatever marketing that nobody buys"

And started implementing the hottest B2B tech in the world.

The result?

BILLION-DOLLAR companies started knocking at my door.

Did I suddenly become a genius?

No.

I'm just selling something that’s already hot.

That people already want.

Hope this helps someone like me 3 years, struggling in the trenches.

-

btw instead of 3 years..

It can take < 60 days, close a Clay Consulting client or money back, since it worked for 120+ people

clayoperator.com/program

1 year ago, this GTM Engineer never sent a cold email

But today?

Alessandro Martinengo V. crossed 500K in revenue with his Clay Agency:

• Millions of emails
• Employees and 1 co-founder
• Now scaling to 1M in revenue
• Worked with VC backed companies and tech giants

And more.

Now, Alessandro has become one of the best lead generation providers in the EU with 500+ meetings generated in December only.

I've been mentoring him weekly inside my Clay Consultant Program

And could not be more proud of the work he produces.

And the best part?

Right now GTME is the best way to get started and re-position your own career

You can become a consultant and land a client in 60 days

(or 100% money back - since it worked for 120+ people like you)

Start here: clayoperator.com/program

GTM Engineering saved me too.

I love this Omesiri Kabaide 🧲 post.

I was stuck in an SDR job, and I knew in my heart there was a better way. 

Since I love strategic thinking and automation, I COULD NOT STAND sending one more manual email.

I wanted to work on something that sparks my creativity.

I wanted to work on something that stimulates me intellectually.

Clay gave me that opportunity.

3 years later, it's my reality.

It took me lots of trials and errors. 

You can get there in 60 days.

It worked for over 120 people, so I added a money-back guarantee.

clayoperator.com/program

People think AI apps 10X productivity (B.S.)

These hacks have no AI, but truly changed my life:

1. Airbnb

I’ve been living in the same Airbnb for 2 years and I don’t care. No contracts, no problems, no bills, no headaches. One WhatsApp message and things get fixed for free. I just add my credit card and book 12 months in advance.

2. Uber

I don't own a car. I hate driving. No problems, no mechanics, no parking, no maintenance, no washing, nothing.

3. Outsource cooking and cleaning

Cleaning 2X per week. For cooking, you can hire a chef for 5 hours every 2 weeks and get 20 to 50 meals prepped. Tasty and healthy. No supermarket, no cooking, no washing. And no restaurants, since quality is bad / too heavy.

4. Living in a big city

Everything is one click away with Amazon. You get amenities in your building like a gym, sauna, or pool, so no commute. It’s also hard to meet ambitious people outside cities.

5. Living below your means

This is probably the biggest one. If you can live on less than 4% of what you have, you're free. For example, you have $2M liquid, you spend less than $80K per year. Your ETFs generate more than you spend, and you grow wealthier without working. Stress drops a lot. You think long term.

The result?

Your calendar is empty.

You have time to focus on work and then leisure.

-

What other hack would you add?

I'm genuinely curious.

Most people use Clay for AI Outbound.

Here’s how a CRM Data Cleaning Project works.

PROBLEMS

> Data quality is poor
> AEs have to cherry-pick leads (most are not a fit)
> Missing variables slow down AEs (for example, missing mobile numbers)

SOLUTION #1

Create a routine where, whenever a lead or contact is created in SFDC, Clay pulls the data and enriches the missing variables. If leads are imported manually or in bulk, a set of values is mandatory. From that set, Clay enriches all other missing data. With a LinkedIn URL, you can enrich almost any other B2B data point, from mobile numbers to the ads library.

SOLUTION #2

Enrich the existing database of leads and contacts in SFDC. The previous project would give us an idea of the cost to enrich variables, so we can calculate it at scale. For example, if we have 200K leads in SFDC, an extra $0.10 per lead can make a big difference in the budget.

SOLUTION #3

Generate a scoring system, and when the score is high enough, push those leads into outbound email campaigns. In the CRM there are 5 different industries, and five campaigns are actively contacting all prospects based on their industry.

Conclusions:

> Clean CRMs do exist
> Efficient AEs do exist (and have time to golf 3X week ⛳ )
> Email is becoming more and more like a display ad channel

What else would you add?

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Michael Saruggia

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The Battle

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