Sönke Venjacob's Linkedin Analytics

I was chatting with a friend who runs a small startup. He was frustrated, saying, "I can't afford those fancy lead generation tools the big guys use. How am I supposed to compete?" I smiled and shared a secret that changed his entire perspective on lead generation. "You don't need a massive budget," I told him. "You just need to be smart about your tools and approach." Here's what I revealed: • Test the waters first instead of going all in: Where do your prospects hang out? LinkedIn? Give HeyReach.io a try. Email? Try Instantly.ai. • Be FAST with your replies. If you can reply within less than 4 minutes, Usain Bolt will start to fear you. • Once you have figured that out, got replies, meetings & revenue, you can double down on a channel • No idea where to look for leads, but you have already closed 10 clients? Just clone your best clients using tools like CompanyEnrich or Ocean. My friend was sceptical at first, but decided to give it a try. A month later, he called me, ecstatic. His lead pipeline had doubled. And some of these appear to be viable options. Averaging a deal size of $16K. Not bad. The lesson? Don't let a limited budget hold you back. With the right strategy and tools, you can build a lead generation machine that rivals the big players – without breaking the bank. Do you have any questions about which tools to pick? Ask them below.

The reps who refuse to use AI tools aren’t just inefficient … They're becoming irrelevant. Here’s the truth: Sales is shifting — FAST. And the reps still doing manual lead list building? They won’t make it to Q4. ❌ Too slow ❌ Too distracted ❌ Too burned out Here’s what TOP 1% reps are doing instead: ✅ They let Lusha’s Sales Playlist learn their ICP ✅ They automate lead discovery ✅ They spend 5x more time selling The result? - More convos - Shorter cycles - Happier pipeline You can work like it’s 2015… Or sell like it’s 2025. Sign Up For Lusha's Free Account: https://lnkd.in/dm_TSx-g

The outbound landscape is crumbling before our eyes. Apollo, Seamlesss, La Growth Machine & Evaboot are gone (on LinkedIn) My founder friends, who built their SaaS around LinkedIn, are currently keeping a low profile. Times are very uncertain for them. My advice is to stop fighting the platform. And start building authority. The most sustainable strategy isn't finding new ways to scrape data. It's building genuine influence through content that: 1. Establishes trust before you ever pitch ↳ Your prospects already know, like, and respect you before the first conversation. 2. Scales without technical limitations ↳ No API restrictions. No seat pricing. No constant cat-and-mouse games with platform rules. 3. Transforms your outreach from push to pull ↳ Instead of chasing reluctant prospects, you attract interested ones. "But I'm Not a Content Creator" you might think You don't have to be. Strategic ghostwriting lets you amplify your presence without sacrificing authenticity: 1️⃣ Partner with someone who captures your voice The right writer sounds like your best self, not like generic marketing copy. Always test before committing. 2️⃣ Share your expertise efficiently A 5-minute weekly brain dump via voice notes can fuel multiple pieces of quality content. 3️⃣ Own the review process Your feedback ensures the content remains genuinely yours. 4️⃣ Balance ghostwritten with personal Even a couple truly personal posts monthly maintain authenticity. 5️⃣ Keep engagement 100% you No outsourcing comments or DMs. That's where real relationships form. Done right, this approach multiplies your content output 10x without losing what makes you distinctive. My prediction: Outbound tools on LinkedIn will continue to face increasing restrictions. LinkedIn content influence will continue growing in value. The winners aren't those with the cleverest workarounds. they're the ones building audience-backed authority that overcomes platform changes. Because tools come and go, but your personal brand will stay.

RAG, React, agentic - these buzzwords are simpler than you think. If you use AI tools but feel lost when you hear these terms, you’re not alone. I felt the same way. Every blog and video seemed too technical or too shallow. I wanted to understand what these words mean for people like us - no technical background, but lots of curiosity. Here’s how I learned to make sense of it all: 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 1: 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 (𝗟𝗟𝗠𝘀) → Think of chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini. → You type a question, the AI gives a reply. → But it only knows what it learned during training. It doesn’t know your calendar or company secrets. → LLMs are passive—they wait for you to ask something. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 2: 𝗔𝗜 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 Now, imagine you want the AI to check your calendar before answering. You set up a workflow. → The AI follows a path you build. For example: → Get event info from Google Calendar → Find the weather for that day → Summarize it all → Maybe even read it out loud But here’s the catch: → The AI always follows your plan, step by step. → If you want to change the process (like making the LinkedIn post funnier), you go back and edit the steps yourself. Pro tip: RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) is just a workflow where the AI “looks up” extra info before answering. It sounds fancy, but it’s really simple. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 3: 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 This is where things get interesting: → The AI becomes a decision maker. → It can reason, choose tools, and change steps on its own. → For example: If the AI wants to make a better LinkedIn post, it might have another AI check and suggest edits—no human needed. → This is called ReAct (Reason + Act). AI agents can try, fail, and learn from each try. They get better by themselves. To sum up: → LLMs answer questions. → AI workflows follow your plan. → AI agents make their own plans and improve as they go. Still confused? That's normal.

Your website visitors are not MQLs. Pitching too soon kills the deal. Just because someone visited your site doesn’t mean they’re ready for a sales call. It means they’re curious. So why are we pushing demos instead of starting conversations? Here’s what I see too often: People track visitors → see someone interesting → jump into pitch mode. Here’s what actually works: • Some visitors are just browsing—LinkedIn lurkers or ad clickers. • Some are wrong turns—they landed there by accident. • Some are actual prospects—but not yet convinced. So instead of pitching cold… Start with this: “Hey [First Name], I noticed you stopped by. Most people are either (1) exploring [X], (2) researching [Y], or (3) learning about [Z]. Curious - what were you looking for?” Simple. Human. Helpful. That opens a conversation. Here’s the flow I use for myself and clients: Use tools like: - Albacross - RB2B - Warmly, - or Vector 👻 Sync them into Clay to qualify based on role/company fit Enrich contact data (email, LinkedIn, etc.) Start a low-pressure, helpful conversation. Don’t pitch. Start a conversation. Your best leads aren’t the ones you chase, They’re the ones you talk to the right way.

Spintax is killing your carefully crafted copy. Let me explain why. You spend hours writing the perfect email. You agonize over: - The hook that grabs attention - The story that builds connection - The CTA that drives action Then you decide to "optimize" with spintax. 4 variables per line. Multiple options for each sentence. Endless combinations and permutations. What happens next? The math is brutal: With just 4 variations on 5 lines, you've created 1,024 different versions. The chance of anyone receiving your original, carefully crafted message? Less than 0.1%. The version you approved and loved? Gone. Instead, your prospects receive Frankenstein messages: - Disjointed transitions - Inconsistent tone - Broken narratives I learned this the hard way. After hours perfecting my outreach, I ran it through spintax. When I tested the output, I barely recognized my own writing. "Wait, this sounds nothing like what I wrote." The soul of my message had vanished. Here's what works better: - Write 3-4 complete templates that are genuinely different - A/B test them as complete messages - Optimize based on real performance data Your prospects deserve your best writing, not random combinations of words. Stop spintaxing your carefully crafted copy. Start respecting your writing process again.

I posted on LinkedIn while jet-lagged in Seoul, from airports in Paris, hotel bathrooms in San Diego, and even with a fever in Tokyo. Today: 18,000 followers later, here’s what nobody tells you about LinkedIn growth: My posts generated about €700K pipeline for my agency. Bonus: made business friends, landed projects, and built my copywriting skills. I wish I knew these from day one: 1️⃣ Talk to ONE person Not "the LinkedIn crowd." Not "your industry." Picture one person who needs your message. 2️⃣ Share numbers and screwups My top posts? The ones with real revenue, lost deals, failures. Might get a laugh—or criticism. But real always lands. 3️⃣ Consistency smashes perfection I’ve dropped posts half-asleep, sick, in transit. Most weren’t special. But daily reps win over one "perfect" post a month. 4️⃣ Copy the pros, then build your sound Most people overthink. I borrowed from creators I liked. Found my groove by doing, not "waiting for inspiration." 5️⃣ Respect beats fame Expert street cred >> 100,000 randoms. You want respect as a builder, not internet fame. 6️⃣ Visuals matter - Good design = 3x more eyeballs - People skip big blocks of text - Clean graphics = scroll-stopper Building a brand? Biggest luck hack I know. It changed my life in two years. Got questions on LinkedIn? Drop them below. PS: Deleted 3,000 connections once. Did nothing for the algorithm. Do not recommend.

My flexing: 0 lambos 0 rolexes 0 gucci Just the freedom to travel the world, and stay in places like these. PS: Working from a Zataku in Japan hits different

I studied and would never do it again. Honestly, I didn't want to admit it to myself for a long time. But my studies were a complete waste of time. It set my career back five years instead of advancing it. For five years, I dutifully listened to lectures on comparative theories about marketing and other stuff, only to realize in the end that all that knowledge didn't benefit me at all. Through countless continuing education courses, books, presentations, and especially practical experience, I learned more in just a few months than in all my years of university. And no, this isn't just because of my field of study "Marketing," but also because there are simply many more efficient ways of learning. So, there it is: My studies were a waste of time. And I'm firmly convinced that we should pay far less attention to degrees for exactly this reason. Titles say nothing about your abilities (except doctors, lawyers imo)

Outbound gives you control. Content gives you scale. We analyzed both to help you choose the right one for lead generation. Here is what the numbers show: Outbound includes cold emails, cold calls, and DMs. You choose exactly who to reach. That gives you more control, but fewer leads overall. Reply rates: Cold email: 1–4%. LinkedIn DM: around 33%. Cold call: 15–25%. Meeting rates: Cold email: under 1%. LinkedIn DM: 3–5%. Cold call: around 8%. This works well when your ICP is very specific. Best for high fit, targeted conversations. Now let’s look at LinkedIn content. You post and the audience finds you. You get less control over who sees it, but much more volume. Average post reach: 1,000 to 3,000 views. Average leads per post: 5 to 10. Qualified rate: around 5%. This works well when your market is broad. Best for awareness and reach. In short: Outbound is precise. Content is scalable. You don’t have to pick one. The best teams use both. But it starts with defining your ICP. That’s what decides what works best. PS: give a follow to Noam for more social selling tips.

Your cold emails are dying in spam folders (if they even get there) And most warmup tools can't save them. Here's why your current warmup is probably not working: - Traditional tools max out at 30 warmup emails per day. - They use backend IMAP actions. - Gmail and Outlook recognize these patterns instantly. - Your emails get flagged before they're even sent. I discovered something that changed everything: Maildoso's AI Warmup doesn't just send more warmup emails. It sends them like a human would. Up to 100 warmup emails per day. In-browser AI agents that actually behave naturally: Opens, replies, and unspams like real people. Doesn't count toward your cold email limits. The math is simple: - Instantly + Smartlead = ~30 warmups/day  - Add Maildoso Basic = 55/day total  - Add Maildoso Premium = 130/day total More warmups = stronger inbox placement. It's that simple. The results? - 98%+ deliverability (even to Outlook)  - Faster domain recovery when things go wrong  - More cold emails sent without destroying sender reputation Here's the kicker: - It works alongside your existing warmup tools. - No switching required. - Just stack it on top. Cost? $2/month per mailbox. Compare that to buying new domains every few months. Your outreach is only as good as your deliverability. Stop letting your best emails die in spam.

after meeting many amazing founders all around asia in the last few months, i'll be heading west in autumn. very excited about this.

𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 + 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 = 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄. Identify Content engagement → send to Clay → Launch personalized outreach sequences (all automated). Imagine this: You're (finally) posting LinkedIn content targeting your dream clients. Decision-makers are engaging with your content. Clicking, watching, interacting. Now, with this automation you're able to: - Identify who engages with your content. - Automatically send that data to Clay for enrichment & qualification. - Launch a personalized outreach sequence to increase your reply rates and book more meetings. Timely, relevant, and completely automated. This is the exact workflow I built for Platinum Agency, and also for other clients. Tools needed: Clay, HeyReach.io, a LinkedIn Scraper Would you try this in your GTM strategy?

If you scroll through Reddit, you'll see countless solo founders sharing the same struggle: Loneliness. After months of grinding alone, I had to admit it: I was struggling too. The money was good as a solo founder. Really good. But something was missing. I stopped waking up excited. I wanted to feel that energy again. The energy of knowing other people are building something meaningful alongside you. So I tried finding co-founders. Failed. Worked with freelancers on projects. Still felt hollow inside. Then Alex Vacca and I kept talking more. I'd always told him: "ColdIQ is the only company I'd work full-time for." Since joining the team? I'm operating on a completely different frequency. The energy of collaboration is intoxicating. Here's my lesson: Just because you start solo doesn't mean you finish solo. Sometimes the smartest business decision is admitting you need people. Money motivates. But shared purpose with the right team? That's priceless. Plot twist: Exactly one year ago, I met Michel Lieben Lieben on a sales call when I bought their coaching program. Never saw this coming.

5 years ago I sold my bed and started to sleep on the floor. Over the past years, I got rid of most of my stuff. To some degree, I know what makes me happy. I spend my money on 3 things: - Travel - Coffee - Air BnBs I don't have: - A car - A house - A coffee machine It's one reason why I can afford to travel around the world. I don't worry about money. If everything broke down, I'd get a tiny room in Asia. And I would start from scratch. While still being happy. Do you know what makes you happy?

my favorite perk of remote work: i can pursue my passion for photography all around the world and take photos like these in HongKong

Sales is evolving faster than ever. Here's where I see it heading in 2025: In the past 5 years I've been watching closely, and here's what's coming for SDRs: 1️⃣ The Go-to-Market Engineer emerges. This hybrid role will master email infrastructure, automation, data enrichment, lead scoring, and copywriting. One person with this skill set could replace multiple traditional SDRs. It might become one of the highest-paying careers in tech sales. 2️⃣ AI becomes your copilot, not your replacement. Tools like Clay, Instantly.ai, and n8n will be essential. But they'll augment human skills, not replace them. The SDRs who learn to leverage these tools effectively will outperform everyone else. 3️⃣ Content creation becomes non-negotiable. Building your personal brand on LinkedIn isn't optional anymore. SDRs who consistently share insights generate inbound leads while they sleep. Your content opens doors your outreach never could. 4️⃣ The full-stack AE makes a comeback. As AI streamlines prospecting, we may see AEs handling the entire sales process again. Finding talent who can manage both tech and closing? That's the real challenge. And it's where the biggest opportunities lie. 5️⃣ Personalization at scale becomes the standard Generic outreach is already dead. Tomorrow's GTM Engineers will blend AI-powered data with human creativity. The result? Hyper-relevant outreach that actually gets responses. The winners in 2025 won't just be tech-savvy or people-oriented. They'll be both. What skills are you developing to stay ahead of this curve?

Got blocked on LinkedIn for the most ridiculous reason... A person I barely knew sent me a 47-second voice message. We'd exchanged maybe 7 messages before. Nothing deep. Just casual chat. Then radio silence for months. Until this random voice note landed in my inbox. Here's the thing: I don't do voice notes. I find them intrusive and time-consuming. So I politely asked: "Could you send a written message instead?" What happened next shocked me. He went ballistic. Called me rude. Ungrateful. Entitled. Acting like a child because I didn't listen to his voice note. Then came the cherry on top: "Byeee" followed by an instant block. I wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh. Here's what every founder and salesperson needs to understand: Your prospect owes you NOTHING. They don't owe you a reply. They don't owe you their attention. They don't owe you 15 minutes of their precious time. And they definitely don't owe you a listen to your random voice note. The moment you forget this, you become the problem. Not the solution. Respect boundaries. Accept rejection gracefully. Your ego is not your prospect's responsibility.

The joy of remote work. No commute. No bustling office noises. Instead: Waking up to views like this. Are you also a digital nomad? Drop me a message. Would love to connect with you!

LinkedIn is dead. (But I took it seriously for 18 months) Here’s everything that happened: → Made it to the TOP 1% earners in Germany → Offered several permanent manager roles → 17.000+ people care about what I say → Mentored by the Top 1% creators → Built my own all-bound agency → Travelled all around the world (still do) → 3 podcast invites → 3x’d my income But it wasn’t easy. It meant: → Showing up when I didn’t want to → Overcoming fear of judgement → Getting told this was ‘cringe’ → Constant self-education → Being made fun of → Facing rejection → Killing my ego I had a million reasons to quit. Only one to keep going. I never quit.