11 Ways to Sell to Big Corporates on LinkedIn

¶1. Find the Right People

We’re not going to tell you how to create an ICP – there are approximately a bajillion people out there already telling you to niche down, get specific, and build elaborate buyer personas. You’ve heard it. We’ve heard it. The barista at your local coffee shop has probably heard it.

On LinkedIn, you can afford to cast a slightly wider net. But here’s a trick that keeps things focused without feeling restrictive - concentrate on one industry for at least a month. This way, everything you do compounds. Your content speaks directly to that audience, your outreach feels relevant, and your actions all squeeze in the same direction (like a well-organized lime press).

You can find your target people through Sales Navigator, LinkedIn Search, or even external lists you’ve sourced elsewhere (Apollo is our favourite). The key is having a clear group to focus on so you’re not spraying and praying.

¶2. Find the Ones Already in Your Network

Before you go hunting for new connections, take a good look at who’s already in your network. This is low-hanging fruit (pun fully intended).

People who already know you are significantly more responsive when you reach out – whether that’s for partnerships, referrals, or direct sales conversations.

Download your connections list from LinkedIn and manually sort through people (Warning: it does take a long time), or try The Lime One free for 14 days to sort through them efficiently. You might be surprised by who’s already sitting in your network, just waiting for you to say hello.

¶3. Warm Them Up

Here’s where patience becomes your superpower. Some estimates say B2B sales need 8 to 15 touchpoints before someone buys. Others say it’s closer to 25. The exact number depends on what you’re selling and how easily your target audience parts with their budget - but the point is, cold-to-closed rarely happens in one interaction.

Instead of sending seventy-billion ‘just following up’ emails, a commenting strategy helps you get those touchpoints in while adding value and actually building the relationship.

Engage meaningfully with your target clients’ posts. Show up in their notifications. Be the name they keep seeing with something smart or helpful to say. And don’t forget to include potential partners in your commenting rotation too. The Lime One helps you do just that - create a list of connections you want to build a relationship with, quickly and easily add comments to their posts, and then track them so you can see how your relationship’s growing.

One more thing: make sure you’re also following people whose content you actually enjoy reading. If your entire feed becomes a sales mission, LinkedIn starts to feel like a chore, and you’ll fall off the wagon faster than you can say “engagement rate.” Keep it fun and you’ll keep showing up.

¶4. Your Profile Should be Selling For You

If someone has seen your comments, read your posts, or searched for you on LinkedIn and then visited your profile, they’re already interested. That’s a warm prospect standing at your front door. Now, don’t leave them on the doorstep - tell them what to do next.

Your next step could be a downloadable resource, an invitation to DM you, or a link to valuable content on your website. Whatever it is, make sure it’s genuinely useful to them, and that your LinkedIn profile guides them towards i
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At a minimum, make sure you have these covered:

• A professional profile picture (yes, this still matters)
• A keyword-rich headline (what do your clients actually search for?)
• A compelling About section that speaks to your ideal buyer
• Three links in your Featured section that drive the next action

¶6. Send DMs (Yes, Really)

People often get nervous about sending DMs on LinkedIn, which is understandable - nobody wants to be that person asking ‘Curious, what are the issues you face when building technology/creating videos/selling on LinkedIn?’.

But here’s the thing: most people who don’t reply still see your message. They’re not annoyed, they’re just busy. And here’s a juicy bonus: LinkedIn’s algorithm is more likely to show your content to people you’ve messaged. So even a DM that doesn’t get a reply is still doing work behind the scenes.

There are two flavors of DM worth sending:

1. The Friendly DM - something useful, a relevant resource, or just a genuine hello to get the relationship started.
2. The Direct Pitch - a targeted message for highly relevant prospects, tied to a specific problem they have and the solution you offer.

¶Tips for Friendly DMs:

• Keep it short and sweet
• Add a dash of personalization (a sentence about them goes a long way)
• Make sure what you’re sending is actually useful – not just useful-adjacent

¶Tips for Direct Pitch DMs:

• Still keep it short and sweet (sensing a theme?)
• Mention a specific problem they have, or reference their job title or type of company so they know this isn’t a copy-paste job
• Tease the solution so they’re intrigued enough to respond
• Include a deadline to create gentle urgency
• Send a few follow-ups - persistence pays, as long as it’s polite

¶7. Write LinkedIn Posts (Your Secret Sales Weapon)

Never underestimate the power of simply showing up in someone’s feed. When a corporate buyer sees your name regularly, two things happen: they remember you when they need what you sell (especially if you say it clearly in your headline), and they start to see you as an expert.

Here are the three types of posts you need in your rotation:

• Personal posts – so people can get to know, like, and trust you. These don’t have to be soul-baring confessionals. Something about your working style, a lesson learned, or a day-in-the-life moment works perfectly.
• Informational posts - these prove you know your stuff. Break industry news, answer common questions, or turn a real client problem into a solution (with a subtle one-liner promoting your services underneath).
• Sales posts - not many people will see these (LinkedIn doesn’t reward them), and that’s fine. You only need a couple of the right people to notice. Something like: “I’m looking for Marketing Managers who need help with X. I have 5 slots left this month. DM me if you’d like to chat.” One of these every month or so is plenty.
• If you find the direct sales posts icky, don’t sleep on case studies. Frame them as stories or lessons learned rather than “look what we did.” Tag the company (with permission) to extend your reach into similar organizations.

One more squeeze of advice: don’t be afraid to share opinions. Corporate buyers want partners who challenge their thinking, not vendors who nod along to everything. A little zest goes a long way.

¶8. Make the Most of Mutual Connections

This is one of LinkedIn’s most underrated features, and it’s absolutely brilliant for reaching specific people at big corporations. Head to the profile of someone you want to connect with, click on Mutual Connections, and see who you already know well enough to ask for an introduction.

The key here is to make the ask easy. Don’t just name-drop - ask your mutual connection for a warm introduction and give them a specific, low-friction reason for the conversation.

Something like “I’d love a quick intro – I think I can help their team with [specific thing]” works much better than a vague “Would love to connect.”

¶9. Try Voice Notes and Video Messages

Want to stand out in a sea of text-based DMs? Send a voice note or a quick video message. It’s a fantastic way to build immediate trust and rapport with busy decision-makers who receive dozens of LinkedIn messages a day.

There’s something about hearing a real human voice (or seeing a real human face) that text just can’t replicate. It takes the same amount of time to record as it does to type, but it lands completely differently. Think of it as adding a personal garnish to your outreach - small effort, big impact.

¶10. Think Account-Based

When you’re selling to big corporates, you’re rarely selling to just one person. These organizations have complex buying processes with multiple stakeholders. So why limit yourself to one connection?

Connect with multiple people across the target organization. When your name starts popping up in their internal conversations - “Oh, I’ve seen them too” - you’re no longer a cold stranger. You’re becoming a familiar presence, which makes the eventual sales conversation feel a whole lot warmer.

This approach also protects you if your main contact leaves or the buying process gets rerouted. Multiple touchpoints across the business mean you’re not putting all your limes in one basket.

¶11. Get Your Team Visible

If you’re selling to enterprise-level corporates, having multiple people from your company active and credible on LinkedIn sends a powerful signal. It says: we’re not a one-person show - we have depth, expertise, and a team that knows what they’re talking about.

Having a few team members active on LinkedIn means more chances for buyers to see your brand, and it reduces the reliance on the founder to sell or sell ideas into the business.

Enterprise buyers are assessing risk when they choose a vendor. A strong team presence on LinkedIn helps them feel confident that your organization can deliver.

¶The Squeeze: How To Sell to Big Companies on LinkedIn

Selling to big corporates on LinkedIn isn’t about quick hacks or slick automation. It’s about showing up consistently, building real relationships, and making it easy for the right people to find you, trust you, and buy from you.

It takes time. It takes strategy. And yes, it takes a fair bit of effort. But when you do it right, LinkedIn becomes the most powerful tool in your B2B sales toolkit - no artificial flavors required.

Need help making your LinkedIn strategy bear fruit? That’s kind of our whole thing. Find me on LinkedIn and let’s get squeezing.