How to sell in the DMs (using the AAA system)

Ok, you’re on my list…

So you’ve probably already heard me preach about the Holy Grail of predictable deal flow: outreach.

But in case you’re new here—welcome to the party. Let me drop some wisdom on you:

If your calendar isn’t jam-packed with sales calls, you’re likely skipping the most cost-effective, no-brainer way to fix it…

Social media outreach.

- It’s cheaper than ads

- Easier than cold emails

- And—shocker—it actually works

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love cold emails. I send a bunch myself.

But if you’re starting from scratch, sliding into DMs on the platforms you’re already on is like fishing in a barrel full of tuna.

But not everyone gets success from it…

Why? Well, there’s a right way and a “set-your-reputation-on-fire” way.

Let me paint a picture for you:

“Hey Jennifer, I design websites. Hire me?”

STOP.

That’s not social outreach. That’s digital door-to-door sales… and nobody likes that.

What happens next? You get ghosted harder than your high school crush signing off MSN without saying goodbye.

Let me paint a different picture:

You’re in line at Starbucks. The person in front of you is wearing a cool watch. What do you say?

“Hey, I sell watches. Wanna buy one?”

No!

You’d say something like:

“Hey, nice watch — what kind of watch is that?”

Boom. Conversation started.

That’s the trick to selling in the DMs. Treat it like an in-person conversation, slowly driving it in the direction you'd like.

Ok, so you spark up a conversation with someone who looks like your perfect client… What’s next?

Here’s the secret formula to keep the magic alive - The 3 A’s:

1. Acknowledge – Show them you actually read what they said

2. Add – Throw in a little nugget of value or insight

3. Ask – Drop a simple follow-up question to keep it rolling

Rinse and repeat until you uncover a pain point you can help with.

Then (AND ONLY THEN) do you offer them help.

But this is an art, and in the beginning, you’ll suck…

You’re gonna mess up. You’ll ask dumb questions. You’ll misread signals.

The good news? If you follow this framework, booking more calls will be a matter of “when,” not “if.”

Want to scale up this process? Automate your prospecting? Heck yeah, go for it.

But for the love of all things holy… don’t make your first DM a sales pitch.

Automating prospecting is very different than full-on mass sales pitching. One starts conversations, the other burns through leads.

Start human. Stay human. Follow the 3 As. And watch the leads roll in.

See you all next Thursday 👋

PS. Whenever you're ready... Here are three ways I can help you become more replaceable:

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