A strong LinkedIn prospecting sequence is built around subtle, intentional touches. If phone and email are the boxing gloves of prospecting — direct and hard-hitting — LinkedIn is the velvet glove. It softens your approach, builds credibility, and supports your outreach across your sequence. Done correctly, it strengthens the connections you make through calls and emails, making your outreach more effective and recognized.

Take Sonia, a mid-market sales rep. She was skilled on the phone, but her connect rates had plateaued. Rather than sending mass InMails, she leaned into soft LinkedIn touches. Two weeks into her new rhythm, she cold-called a director she had interacted with via LinkedIn. The director answered, recognized her name, and agreed to a conversation. That single “velvet glove” move shows the power of soft touches when integrated strategically into your prospecting sequence.

These touches aren’t tricks. They’re disciplined, intentional moves that support your phone and email outreach. Here are the three foundational soft LinkedIn touches—and how to integrate them into your sequence effectively.

Three Soft LinkedIn Touches That Warm Up Your Calls

Profile Visits

Visiting a prospect’s LinkedIn profile is the simplest yet most powerful signal you can send. It shows you’ve done your homework without spamming them.

• Keep it Quick: It’s not a research deep dive. Take 30–60 seconds to scan their headline, recent activity, and relevant posts.
• Why It Works: The LinkedIn algorithm notifies them of a profile view. Even if they don’t click back, your name shows up. That familiarity lowers the wall when you call.
• How to Use It in Your Cadence: Make profile visits one of your first touches. You don’t need to leave a note; the visit itself does the work.

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Engagement: Liking, Commenting, and Sharing

Once you’ve visited, the next step is to engage. But don’t do it for show. Each interaction must be meaningful.

• Liking: A like is the fastest way to register a signal. It tells the prospect you saw something of value.
• Commenting: Use short, thoughtful comments. Avoid marketing-speak. Instead, ask a clarifying question or offer a brief insight. Example: “Great point on retention. Have you seen similar trends in other orgs?”
• Sharing: Only share when you can genuinely tie the content back to your sphere. When you share, don’t promote yourself too hard. Be helpful.
• Why It Works: When your prospect’s phone rings, they’ve seen your name two or three times and stop automatically assuming you are a spammer.

Tagging Prospects in Your Posts

This is the most advanced soft touch, and when done correctly, it delivers real impact. 

• What to Post: Share a short update about a market observation, a customer story, or a learning you had from working with someone in their role. You don’t need polished long-form content. Your voice matters more than your polish.
• How to Tag: Only mention your prospect if it makes sense. For example: “As someone who leads operations at [Company], I’d love your take on this trend …”
• Why It Works: The prospect receives a notification. Your name becomes associated with relevant content, building familiarity and credibility. You’re seen as someone who understands, not just someone selling.

How to Integrate These Touches Into Your Prospecting Rhythm

Putting these LinkedIn soft touches into a prospecting sequence requires discipline. You can’t deploy them haphazardly. Here’s one example of how to build a routine that actually supports your outbound.

Map Your Sequence

• Touch 1: Phone call + voicemail
• Touch 2: Email
• Touch 3: Profile visit
• Touch 4: Phone call + voicemail
• Touch 5: Email
• Touch 6: Engagement (like or comment)
• Touch 7: Phone call + voicemail
• Touch 8: Create and publish a post, tagging 1–2 prospects
• Continue repeating touches

Timing may vary, but the principle is clear: LinkedIn is not an afterthought. Each touch should serve a purpose and fit into your overall sequence. Be strategic—don’t engage randomly or just to “check a box.” Every profile visit, comment, or tag should move the prospect closer to a real conversation.

Consistency is just as critical. Skipping social touches when things get busy erodes your edge. Block time, plan your touches, and stick to it. Treat LinkedIn as part of your outbound muscle. When you engage regularly and deliberately, your velvet-glove moves build familiarity, credibility, and momentum across your sequence.

Why Sellers Hesitate With LinkedIn Touches

Many reps question whether LinkedIn adds real value, often because they misunderstand how they fit into a prospecting sequence. Understanding these hesitations and why they’re misplaced is key to using LinkedIn effectively as part of your multi-channel prospecting rhythm.

“I don’t have time to do LinkedIn touches.”
Block fifteen minutes at the start or end of your prospecting day. You can do a profile visit, a few likes/comments, or plan a post to tag prospects. That incremental time compounds. 

“Isn’t tagging presumptuous or spammy?”
It is if you do it carelessly. But tagging with purpose and authenticity, such as to start a discussion or to highlight a shared issue, makes it respectful and valuable. Done wrong, yes, it backfires. 

“I don’t write on LinkedIn.”
You don’t need to be a prolific writer. A 100-word post sharing a real observation is enough. What matters is voice, credibility, and insight. Your audience is prospects, not LinkedIn influencers.

Turning Soft Touches Into Real Results

LinkedIn touches are deliberate, strategic moves that give your calls and emails more impact. Done consistently and with intention, they turn routine outreach into conversations prospects actually want to take.

They don’t replace the phone or email—they make them more effective. Every profile visit, comment, or tag builds recognition, credibility, and context. The reps who succeed with LinkedIn aren’t lucky. They follow the sequence, they repeat the actions, and they focus on doing it right. LinkedIn becomes a multiplier, amplifying every interaction in your cadence and giving you a clear edge in your territory.

Soft touches require patience and execution, but the payoff is real. Warmer calls. Stronger relationships. More opportunities. Approach LinkedIn with intention, and you’ll see how the velvet glove works with the boxing gloves of prospecting. Your punches land harder, your calls get answered, and prospects are more ready to engage because you’ve earned credibility and familiarity before you ever pick up the phone.

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