Stop trying to close prospects like you're speed dating in a Vegas nightclub.
I'm serious. You've got 90 seconds to pitch yourself, you're sweating under the lights, and you're spitting out every accomplishment like you're reading from a resume. And guess what? Nobody's buying. Nobody's interested. You're getting blocked faster than a spam email.
Here's the brutal truth most folks don't want to hear: your "thirsty" DMs are killing your business.
The Thirst is Real (And It's Costing You)
You know the messages I'm talking about. Hell, you've probably sent a few yourself.
"Hey [First Name], I noticed you're a [Job Title] at [Company]. I'd love to grab 15 minutes to discuss how our [Generic Solution] can help you [Vague Benefit]. When are you free?"
Delete. Block. Forget.
Listen, I get it. You're trying to make moves. You're hustling. You want that deal closed and that check signed. But desperation stinks worse than week-old gym socks, and people can smell it through their screens.
Generic DMs tell your prospect one thing loud and clear: "You're just another name on my list. I didn't do my homework. I'm spray-and-praying."
And nobody, I mean nobody, wants to feel like they're getting a copy-paste message that went to 200 other people that morning.
Why Your Inbox Game is Broken
Let's break down why these thirsty DMs are wrecking your business:
❌ Zero Authenticity
You didn't research. You didn't care. You just wanted to hit your outreach quota for the day. That's not strategy; that's lazy.
❌ Wrong Platform Vibes
LinkedIn isn't Tinder. Sliding into DMs with a sales pitch on the first message is like proposing on a first date. Read the room.
❌ Bad Timing, Worse Strategy
You don't know what they're working on. You don't know their pain points. You're basically walking up to a stranger and asking them to marry you. Weird, right?
❌ You Look Desperate
And desperation doesn't close deals. Confidence does. Value does. Trust does.
If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense. And thirsty DMs don't make dollars, they make enemies.
The Dream 100 is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Here's where most people mess up: they treat their Dream 100 like a smash-and-grab heist.
Find the prospect. Send the message. Ask for the meeting. Get blocked. Move to the next one.
That's not a strategy. That's a way to burn through your best leads in 48 hours.
The Dream 100 isn't about speed. It's about staying power. It's about building relationships with the folks who can actually move the needle in your business. These are the big fish, the clients who sign the checks that change your year, not just your week.
And big fish don't bite on desperation. They bite on trust, value, and consistency.
You want to land a whale? You don't throw a single hook in the water and pray. You chum the water. You show up every day. You make yourself impossible to ignore.
Consistency Beats Intensity Every Damn Time
I learned this the hard way, so let me save you the headache.
When I was building my eCommerce empire, I had this list of dream partners, brands, influencers, retailers who could 10x my business overnight. I tried the "spray and pray" method first. Sent 100 cold emails in a week. Got maybe 3 replies. Zero meetings. Crickets.
Then I switched gears.
I picked my top 20. Not 100. Twenty.
And I showed up for them consistently for six months.
✅ Commented on their LinkedIn posts with actual insights (not "Great post!")
✅ Shared their content and tagged them when relevant
✅ Sent value-packed emails, resources, intros, tools, without asking for a thing
✅ Engaged with their community, their launches, their milestones
By the time I actually asked for a meeting? They already knew who I was. It wasn't a cold call, it was a warm hello.
That's the long game.
The Consistency Playbook: How to Actually Do This
Alright, enough theory. Let's get tactical. Here's how you play the long game without losing your mind or your calendar:
Step 1: Pick Your Top 20 (Not 200)
Stop trying to romance everyone. Focus on the prospects who are actually worth your time. The ones who can write checks that matter. Quality over quantity, every single time.
Step 2: Map Out a 90-Day Engagement Plan
You're not asking for anything in the first 60 days. Period. Your only job is to provide value and stay visible.
🔥 Week 1-4: Engage with their content. Comment thoughtfully. Share their posts with your network.
🔥 Week 5-8: Send value-first emails. A helpful resource. A relevant connection. A quick insight about their industry.
🔥 Week 9-12: Keep showing up. Consistency is your competitive advantage.
Step 3: Give Before You Get
This is where most folks lose the plot. They think "engagement" means liking a post. Wrong.
Real engagement looks like this:
💡 Sending a 2-minute video breakdown of something they're working on
💡 Tagging them in a relevant article or resource
💡 Making an intro to someone in your network who can help them
💡 Dropping a thoughtful comment that actually adds to the conversation
You're not asking. You're delivering.
Step 4: Track, Don't Stalk
You're not creeping on their LinkedIn at 2 AM. You're being strategic. Use a CRM or a simple spreadsheet to track your touchpoints. Set reminders. Make this systematic, not obsessive.
Step 5: When You Finally Ask, Make it Easy
After 60-90 days of consistent value, you've earned the right to ask. But don't blow it by going back to the "15-minute call" garbage.
Instead, try this:
"Hey [Name], I've been following your work on [specific project] and I put together a quick breakdown of [specific value]. No strings attached: just thought it might be helpful. If it's useful and you want to chat, I'm around. If not, no worries."
That's it. You're giving them an out. You're not being pushy. You're staying cool.
What This Actually Looks Like in Practice
Let me give you a real example.
Last year, I had a prospect on my Dream 100 list: CEO of a mid-sized SaaS company. Big target. Big potential contract.
I didn't send a cold pitch. Instead, I:
✅ Commented on 15 of his LinkedIn posts over 8 weeks
✅ Sent him a custom AI prompt I built that solved a problem he mentioned in a podcast
✅ Introduced him to a fractional CFO in my network when he posted about hiring challenges
✅ Shared his company's product launch announcement with my audience
After 10 weeks, he reached out to me.
We had a 30-minute call that turned into a six-figure consulting contract. No pitch deck. No desperate DM. Just consistent, strategic engagement.
That's money. Ka-ching! 💸
The Truth About Big Checks
Here's the reality nobody tells you: the biggest checks take the longest time to sign.
If you're trying to close million-dollar deals in 48 hours, you're playing the wrong game. You're chasing quick wins and leaving long-term money on the table.
The long game isn't glamorous. It's not fast. But it's what separates the folks who build real businesses from the folks who burn out chasing every shiny object.
You want to land the big fish? You gotta stop acting like a hungry seagull fighting for scraps.
Be the eagle. Patient. Strategic. Focused. Deadly when the moment is right.
Your Move
Stop being the guy screaming at the party. Be the guy everyone already knows.
Stop sending thirsty DMs that get you blocked. Start building relationships that get you paid.
The Dream 100 isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. And marathons are won by the folks who pace themselves, stay consistent, and don't quit when it gets hard.
So here's what you're gonna do today:
🔥 Pick your top 20 Dream 100 prospects
🔥 Map out a 90-day engagement plan
🔥 Provide value without asking for a damn thing
And then? You stay in the race. You keep showing up. You build trust. And when the time is right, you close the deal.
The biggest checks take the most time to sign. But when they do? They're worth every second of the wait.
Now get to it, get it done, and move on. That's money! 💰🧊
Want to learn how to build a systematic approach to landing your Dream 100? Check out the courses at John Lawson Academy and stop guessing, start executing.