Stepping back in time to when LinkedIn lead generation was about genuine connections feels like revisiting a simpler, more personal era.
Before automation, intent data, and AI-SDRs dominated the landscape, lead generation was about people connecting with people—a principle that still holds value today.
The cost for this LinkedIn lead generation effort came in at less than $40/lead and this doesn’t capture a lot of added value, such as online and in-person event attendance.
In 2018, my friend Rajendran reached out after noticing I was launching a lead generation service. He was helping a friend promote a customer success SaaS platform and needed marketing support.
During a Zoom call, Rajendran walked me through their setup.
Their marketing strategy revolved around a massive content library: case studies, infographics, and whitepapers on Customer Success. However, when I asked about engagement, he admitted they weren’t distributing any of the content effectively and weren’t tracking it.
They also had hired a small sales team, but progress was minimal.Strikedeck is a Customer Success SaaS.
Before working with StrikeDeck, I didn’t even know Customer Success was a thing.
My curiosity led me to LinkedIn, where I found over 20,000 Directors of Customer Success. Rajendran confirmed these roles were ideal targets, especially within the SaaS 1000.
We decided to launch LinkedIn campaigns focused on relationship-building.
Back in 2018, LinkedIn allowed up to 150 daily connection requests without restrictions.
We set up a small outreach team in the Philippines to support the sales reps.
Importantly, we avoided pushy sales pitches, opting instead for genuine, personalized messages and rotating Customer Success templates to
test engagement.
Despite getting thousands of new LinkedIn connections, the sales team wasn’t following up effectively. Months later, Rajendran reached out, frustrated by the lack of pipeline growth.
He had forgotten we were running LinkedIn outreach! When I mentioned we’d built 5,000+ LinkedIn connections, he was stunned.
We brainstormed and decided to repurpose a previously unsuccessful email survey campaign, refitting it for LinkedIn with a focus on Customer Success career insights—a topic that resonated strongly.
This simple message approach got Strikedeck acquired within 90-days of starting.
The results were immediate and extraordinary. Pipeline activity surged, meetings flooded in, and the sales team was nearly overwhelmed.
Customer Success leaders agreed to survey meetings, often followed by demos and quote requests.
Within 90 days, StrikeDeck was acquired by Medallia.
Our team worked hard to gather this data on the front end, so the sales reps were armed with a lot of data going into their calls.
Post-acquisition, we expanded LinkedIn engagement by:
We didn’t stop there.
We coordinated regularly with the Marketing Team to support integrated campaigns across platforms, building an ecosystem of engagement that persisted into numerous Virtual Events during COVID.
Unfortunately, after Thoma Bravo acquired Medallia in October of 2021, Strikedeck was left in a kind of limbo, as most of the team left or moved to other roles or left.
Despite the productivity of our work, there was no one around to care, and we ended the campaigns.
Long term success in B2B Outbound comes from building and sustaining real connections.
Relationships matter more than perfect pitches or aggressive sales tactics.
Adaptability, continuous engagement, and human-centered strategies are essential, especially in the face of changing corporate landscapes. When lead generation stays personal, long-term success follows.
Moreover, companies must resist the temptation to chase immediate returns with AI and automation at the expense of relationship-driven marketing. A balance between data-driven outreach with genuine human interaction ensures sustainable growth, even in an increasingly automated world.