A DM sequence that doesn't read like a bot

A DM sequence that doesn't read like a bot

Everyone says: "Connect, then pitch in the follow-up. That's the funnel."

That funnel has a 2% reply rate because everyone runs it. Here's a sequence that survives the eye-roll:

— Connection note: reference one specific thing they posted. Not the company, the post. Skip the note entirely before you write "I love your content."
— First message: zero ask. A genuine reaction or a useful link. Earn a reply before you spend one.
— Second message, days later: ask a question only they can answer. Now you're a conversation, not a campaign.
— Pitch only if they ask what you do. If they never ask, the fit wasn't there.

The pitch isn't the problem. It's that you pitched before you were a person.