LinkedIn is the B2B platform of choice with 1 billion members as of end of 2023. This means it has become very easy to find companies and prospects, map organizations and research buyers or decision makers to engage, meet and build stronger relationships.

Great for sellers but not for everyone.

A large number of executives, entrepreneurs or business owners still prefer to rely on their network and reputation to generate quality meetings rather than using cold outreach and prospecting.

Those tactics are for perfect for those who want to generate more quality meetings through inbound, networking or referrals.

1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Headline to increase searchability and profile visits

Why It Matters: With your photo and your name, your LinkedIn headline is one of the 3 elements of your profile appearing the most on Linkedin.

Your headline is the only one you can customize and it appears in search results, above your posts or comments, alongside connection requests or on the side panel “People you may know” of other people’s profiles.

Basically it is the main text that can define you and influence people to click and visit your profile.

Strategy: Create a compelling, keyword-rich headline that highlights your expertise and unique value.

How to Implement:

1. Convey a unique value or notable achievement.
2. Your role or an industry-specific title.
3. Your company name (ensure your show up when people search your company on Linkedin)
4. One or two relevant keywords to enhance searchability.
5. Keep it concise—ideally under 120 characters.

Headline examples:

• Helping {Your Customers} {Achieve WHAT, & HOW} | {YOUR JOB TITLE} at {Your Company}
• {Company tagline} • {YOUR JOB TITLE} at {Your Company}
• Make your Career a Beautiful Journey • HR Director • Louis Vuitton • ✈️🏝️👜
• 🎯 Accelerating Growth for B2B Businesses with Linkedin | CEO @ Extra Mile & Linkedin Alum

Headline Generator Prompt:

For more tips on profile branding and using Linkedin effectively, check our free guides:

Linkedin Guide for Executives and Owners

Branding profiles on Linkedin

Taking Control of your Linkedin Settings

2. Find British Professionals in the UAE with Targeted LinkedIn Searches

Why It Matters: Connecting with British professionals in the UAE can strengthen networking, ease market entry, and foster business opportunities, especially among expats with similar backgrounds.

🔎

Find all 17 million British professionals on Linkedin in the world and filter to the United Arab Emirates or any other countries.

Click the link to see search results on Linkedin.com with all people who graduated from top schools and universities in France

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linkedin.com/search/results/people

Strategy: Use LinkedIn’s school-based search approach to find UK graduates in the UAE and create high-value connections.

You can use the same approach for finding Brits in Saudi Arabia.

How to Implement:

1. Go to LinkedIn’s advanced search and select “All Filters.”
2. Under the “Schools” filter, add popular UK universities (e.g., Oxford, Cambridge, University of London).
3. Set Location to “United Arab Emirates” (or Saudi Arabia)
4. Apply industry or company filters to refine the results further.
5. Optional: Apply filter to “2nd” degree connections
6. Review profiles and send personalized connection requests or ask for introductions from mutual connections

Example:

“Hi [Name], I noticed we both studied in the UK and are working in [Industry] here in the UAE. I’d love to connect and perhaps discuss our shared experiences. Would you be open to a brief chat?”

By leveraging LinkedIn’s school-based search, you can efficiently identify and connect with UK-educated professionals in the UAE, opening doors to valuable networking and business opportunities.

3. Know how to use Linkedin Advanced Search

Why It Matters: LinkedIn’s advanced search lets you identify potential connections or prospects with backgrounds, past employers, industry or job titles of your choice, enhancing connection acceptance rates.

Strategy: Use complex search filters to pinpoint high-value contacts based on mutual experiences or industries.

How to Implement:

1. Access LinkedIn’s advanced search (click “All filters”).
2. Combine location, education, past company, and industry filters.
3. Bookmark your custom searches for easy access.
4. Optional: Apply filter to “2nd” degree connections
5. Review and select relevant contacts.
6. Personalize requests based on selected filters and mutual connections.

Example 1: Alumni with Target Backgrounds

Criteria:

• School: Your university

• Location: UAE

• Industry: Your target industry

Connection request: “Hello [Name], I noticed we’re both alumni of [University] working in [Industry] here in Dubai. I’d love to connect and perhaps exchange insights about our journeys from [University City] to Dubai.”

Example 2: Former Colleagues in Relevant Roles

Criteria:

• Past company: Your previous employer

• Location: UAE

• Target positions: Relevant roles

Connection request: “Hi [Name], I see we both worked at [Previous Company]. I’m now in [Current Role/Industry] and would love to reconnect. Up for sharing our experiences since [Previous Company]?”

4. Connect Mindfully to Unlock Opportunities

Why It Matters: Strategic connections open doors to meaningful conversations and business opportunities.

Strategy: Send personalized, thoughtful connection requests that offer value and lay the foundation for genuine engagement.

How to Implement:

1. Research your prospective connection’s profile and recent activity.

2. Customize your message by mentioning a shared interest or recent post.

3. Offer a useful insight or resource relevant to their work.

4. Suggest a low-pressure way to continue the conversation.

5. Follow up a week later with added value after they accept.

Example 1:

“Hi [Name], I noticed your recent post about AI in marketing. I’ve just published a case study on how AI improved lead generation by 150% for a SaaS client. Would you be interested in taking a look? I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

Example 2:

“Hi [Name], we recently connected, and I just came across an article on [relevant topic] that I thought might be interesting for you. It dives into some new insights around [specific aspect or benefit related to their work]. Hope it helps!

Example 3:

“Hi [Name], it’s been a while since we connected here on LinkedIn, and I hope all is well! I’d love the opportunity to meet in person over coffee or lunch sometime to get to know each other better. It’d be great to learn more about your work and explore any mutual interests, connections or opportunities. Let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in!”

5. Use Content Searches to Amplify Your Visibility

Why It Matters: Engaging with popular industry content enhances your credibility and exposes you to broader audiences.

Strategy: Use LinkedIn’s content search feature to find relevant discussions and share insights that highlight your expertise.

How to Implement:

1. Set up saved searches for trending topics in your field.

2. Regularly review these searches for high-engagement posts.

3. Find a unique perspective to add to the discussion.

4. Leave a thoughtful, value-adding comment.

5. Follow up with the author or commenters to build relationships.

Example of posts searches:

1. Posts with words “ai AND marketing AND (dubai OR uae)”
2. Posts with words “sustainability OR energy OR renewable” from employees of DEWA, ADNOC, PWC, with director, chief, partner or VP in their job titles”
3. Posts mentioning “Extra Mile or Guillaume Larronde” (change to your CEO, yourself, your company or competitors)
4. Image posts with words “Infographic AND chatgpt”
5. Posts from 1st degree connections working in Telco and Tech industries

Click on links, customized filters and bookmark at will.

Example 1: AI and Marketing in Dubai or UAE

“Great insights, [Name]! AI’s role in marketing is evolving rapidly, especially here in the UAE. On the same topic, I came across an article that explores how [article aligned insights]. Thought it might resonate with your insights! [Insert Article Link]”

Example 2: Sustainability, Energy, or Renewable Energy from DEWA, ADNOC, PwC

“Insightful post, [Name]! Sustainability and renewable energy are indeed crucial topics for the future. On a related note, I recently read an article discussing [article’s finding in less than 10 words]. Here is the article: [Insert Article Link]”

ChatGPT Prompt to find relevant article to add to comment

Make sure to use ChatGPT with web browsing ON:

Find 5 recent articles related to AI and marketing covering the topic about marketing and AI in the UAE and for each of them, summarize findings in less than 10 words

6. Generate More Referrals with LinkedIn

Why It Matters: Referrals from trusted acquaintances can significantly improve your chances of securing meetings with prospective clients or partners. By proactively leveraging LinkedIn’s network visibility and search filters, you can efficiently find relevant people and facilitate introductions through mutual connections.

Strategy: Before asking for introductions in business communities, networks or Whatsapp groups, you can strategically identify contacts or mutual connections using Linkedin and approach the most relevant people among your network. This ensures that requests are intentional, rooted in mutual connections and more effective and successful.

How to Implement:

Approach 1: Find referrals for contacts within Companies of Interest

1. Identify a company of interest and go to its LinkedIn Company page.
2. Click on the employee range next to followers count to switch to a people search listing all employees.
3. In the menu bar, click “All filters” and scroll down to the Keywords section at the bottom of the side panel.
4. In the field “title”, enter keywords like “(Marketing OR Communication) AND (Director OR VP)“
5. Select other filters at will (industry, past company, location, etc)
6. Select “2nd” degree connections to zoom into contacts with mutual conncetions
7. Review profiles and mutual connections
8. Reach out to your mutual connection to confirm if they know the contact well.
9. If they do, politely request an introduction, explaining the reason and how it may benefit both parties.

Example:

“Hi [Mutual Connection’s Name], I noticed you’re connected with [Contact’s Name] from [Target Company]. I’m exploring potential synergies and would love to connect with them. Would you be open to introducing us by email? I’ll follow up with a message to outline the potential value of a quick chat.”

Approach 2: Exploring the Connections of your 1st degree Contacts

1. Choose a contact in your network who is likely well-connected in your target industry.
2. Visit their profile and click on “500+ connections” (if it’s blue and clickable, their connections are public).
3. Use advanced search filters at will (industry, past company, location, etc)
4. In the field “title”, enter keywords like “(Marketing OR Communication) AND (Director OR VP)“
5. Review the results and select three most relevant individuals.
6. When you next speak with your contact, mention the three people of interest, confirm if they know them well, and ask if they’d be comfortable making an introduction.

Example:

“Hi [Contact’s Name], I was exploring some potential connections in your network, and I noticed you’re connected with [Relevant Person 1] and [Relevant Person 2]. If you know them well, would you feel comfortable introducing us? I’d love to discuss [reason for connecting] with them.”

By applying these referral techniques, you maximize the chance of securing high-quality, warm introductions. This proactive LinkedIn approach saves time and leads to more meaningful conversations with targeted prospects, opening doors through trusted referrals within your network.

7. Engage Profile Viewers to Build Strategic Connections

Why It Matters: Your profile viewers have found you and checked your profile. Connecting can transform that curiosity into collaboration.

Strategy: Leverage LinkedIn’s “Who’s viewed your profile” feature to identify and connect with potential leads.

How to Implement:

1. Regularly review your profile views (weekly).

• If you use Linkedin for free, you can only see the last 10 profile viewers
• If you have Linkedin premium or Sales Navigator, you can see all viewers from the last 90 days

2. Identify viewers aligned with your target audience or industry.

3. Study their profile for common ground or shared interests.

4. Send a personalized connection request acknowledging their visit.

5. Propose a valuable follow-up or continued discussion.

Example: “Hello [Name], I noticed you viewed my profile recently. It made me look at yours too. Given your role in [industry/company], It would be great to connect. Hope it is OK. Best, [your name]”

Wrap up

The seven strategies outlined provide a powerful framework for generating business opportunities on LinkedIn without hard selling. Consistent implementation and authentic engagement are key.

LinkedIn success is built over time, not with quick wins, but with genuine connections and valuable interactions.

Customize and Make it happen!

If you’re ready to dive deeper, Extra Mile offers a comprehensive full-day Linkedin training program on November 26th at DOSC, tailored for entrepreneurs and business owners. This workshop covers four essential modules:

1. Align your Brand & Presence on Linkedin with your goals and audience:Transform your LinkedIn profile and company page into lead-generation tools.
2. Inbound tactics: using content to build visibility and attract leads: Create engaging content that attracts inbound leads and boosts brand visibility.
3. Outbound tactics: Prospecting, Referrals & Email outreach: Leverage LinkedIn’s search features for precise prospecting and referrals.
4. Linkedin Ads: Learn Linkedin Ads best practices and create a campaign you can save and use when needed.