AI Builders: 100 Clients in 21 days for Your B2B SaaS/AI Startup
For the past 12 years, I've been advising startups, and there’s one stubborn challenge that always seems to pop up: “Where do I get my first 100 clients?” The answer might seem elusive, but trust me—it’s simpler than deciphering quantum physics (almost). Today, I’m sharing a step-by-step guide for B2B software, SaaS, and AI startups using our hypothetical brainchild, SocialMe. So grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and let’s dive into this fun (and surprisingly actionable) roadmap.
1. Define Your Product & Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Before you start chasing clients, you need to know exactly what you’re selling and to whom. Enter SocialMe—a SaaS platform designed for content creators, thought leaders, businesses, and influencers. Here’s the elevator pitch:
What It Does:
SocialMe allows users to upload existing content or link their social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, Substack, Medium, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) so that the system can learn their unique voice. It uses a custom Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline and personalized LLM to generate authentic content that mirrors the user's style. Whether it’s a witty tweet, a thoughtful LinkedIn post, or even a video script, SocialMe has got you covered.How It Works Under the Hood:
Under the hood, SocialMe leverages a custom Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline combined with a personalized Large Language Model (LLM) to produce content that feels authentic to the user. RAG is a technique where the AI model references an external knowledge base or data source before generating outputs, allowing it to incorporate up-to-date, relevant information into its responses.In SocialMe, this means the AI can pull in context from external sources (like recent news articles, trending tweets, or newsletter posts) and then generate comments, replies, or new posts that are both contextually informed and written in the user’s own tone. Essentially, SocialMe creates an AI persona for each user – akin to an “LLM twin,” an AI character that learns to write like somebody by incorporating their style and personality into an LLM. Users can then either manually review these AI-generated drafts or let SocialMe auto-post them on their behalf. The platform supports the scheduling of posts via API integrations, so users can plan their content calendar in advance and have SocialMe publish content automatically at optimal times.
2. Build Your Customer Profiles with ChatGPT
Once your product is defined, the next step is to figure out exactly who should be hearing about it. Here’s a quick rundown you can use chatgpt for (goal here is to move fast, not be precise, that can come later). We will use this prompt for example:
create me early customer profile and ideal customer profile for this product description, also, how do I define them and find them on LinkedIn? Please give me exact search terms for LinkedIn and LinkedIn sales navigator as well.
What we will get should be something like this:
Early Customer Profile
Who They Are:
Digital trailblazers, independent content creators, influencers, and solo entrepreneurs—those who live and breathe social media and aren’t afraid to experiment with new tools.Key Traits:
Tech-savvy and experimental
Agile freelancers or tiny teams (1–10 employees)
In dire need of streamlining content production while maintaining an authentic voice
Finding Them on LinkedIn:
Use search terms like “Content Creator,” “Social Media Manager,” “Digital Content Specialist,” or “Influencer.” In Sales Navigator, try this Boolean query:
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("Content Creator" OR "Social Media Manager" OR "Digital Content Specialist" OR "Influencer") AND ("freelance" OR "self-employed" OR "independent")
Ideal Customer Profile
Who They Are:
Established thought leaders and brands—founders, CEOs, CMOs, and VP Marketing—who are serious about scaling content efforts without sacrificing authenticity.Key Traits:
Decision makers with robust online presences
Operating within organizations ranging from 11 to 200+ employees
Eager for cross-platform, scalable content solutions
Finding Them on LinkedIn:
Use search terms like “Founder,” “CEO,” “Chief Marketing Officer,” “VP Marketing,” “Content Strategist,” or “Social Media Director.” In Sales Navigator, try this Boolean query:
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("Founder" OR "CEO" OR "Chief Marketing Officer" OR "VP Marketing" OR "Content Strategist" OR "Social Media Director") AND ("content marketing" OR "personal branding" OR "thought leadership")
By combining these Boolean queries with Sales Navigator’s built-in filters (company size, industry, location, etc.), you can narrow your search precisely to find the right early adopters and ideal customers for SocialMe.
3. Plug Your Queries into Sales Navigator (And Have Fun)
Now that you’ve got your customer profiles, it’s time to unleash the power of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Adjust your filters—company size, industry, and even add “changed jobs” or “posted on LinkedIn” filters—to get a dynamic, evergreen list of prospects. For instance:
Early Adopters Search URL:
Check out this search.
Ideal Customers Search URL:
See this one for high-ticket opportunities.
You might end up with thousands of evergreen results, which is great—just be sure to filter further to target those active online and in your desired market (e.g., US, companies between 10 and 500 employees). Trust me, even unicorns get crowded sometimes, but this is where the fun begins.
4. Extract, Enrich, and Prepare Your Lead List
Once your Sales Navigator search is live, use your favorite scraper (I like Phantombuster—check it out here) to export the list in batches of 500. The key is to maintain a healthy LinkedIn account (warmed up and active) while keeping your list evergreen by filtering out duplicates and refreshing regularly.
As we said, it should be evergreen (on LN based on those criteria of changed jobs and posted, it will change all the time) so we should select here them as well (we might later plug it in into AI/Automation to run without human intervention), that’s done through remove duplicate profiles between different searches and watcher mode:) And we will do them in batches of 500 to not overload our LinkedIn account...which by the way should be well used and warmed:) Then just set in on repeat every other day and you have fresher lead list every two days ;)
and yes, first 500 results are here:
Now of course is the time to check them out (if you did not do that in previous step when filtering them out on sales navigator. Do they resemble your ideal customers? Can you imagine them buying and using your solution? If you have done all somehow dutifully so far, they will. If not, go back to step one:)
Enrichment
Next, enrich your list using a tool like DropContact. This handy service will pull email addresses for your contacts—on average, you might get around 50% conversion from contact to email. And in about 5 minutes, we have the result! :) And sorted on the email address (that’s what we are after now anyway).....it is sweet 338 emails out of the first 500 contacts! :) Not bad. We now have direct contact through LinkedIn and email to our ICP’s. Running on auto watch and refresh with new contacts every day ;)
Of course, instead of cold outreach and sequencing, we can go and build inbound machines around that (where do they hang out, find their other social media, control their feeds through multiple agents, build account-based marketing activities, all is possible. But it is outside of the scope of this article now;))
5. Launch Your Outreach Campaign
With your lead list ready, it’s time to reach out. Sure, you can start by connecting on LinkedIn and sending personalized messages, but cold emailing can be more efficient—especially when your inbox is the command center for your inbound machine.
Here's a brief recap of our 7-email outreach sequence (crafted using the AIDA framework by ChatGPT of course) to drive trial sign-ups or call bookings via Calendly:
Below is a 7-email outreach sequence using the AIDA framework to engage your ideal customer profiles. Each email is short, concise, and drives toward trying a trial or scheduling a call via Calendly.
Email 1 – Subject: "Elevate Your Authentic Voice with AI"
Hi [Name],
I’ve been impressed by your leadership in content marketing. At SocialMe, we’ve developed an AI twin that learns your unique writing style to generate authentic, on-brand posts across platforms.
Curious to see it in action?
Start Your Free Trial or Schedule a Quick Call.Best regards,
[Your Name]
Email 2 – Subject: "Transform Your Content Strategy – Here’s How"
Hi [Name],
Imagine having an AI that crafts engaging posts, comments, and articles exactly as you would. SocialMe streamlines content creation so you can focus on strategy and growth.
Ready to experience the difference?
Try a Free Trial or Book a 15-Minute Demo.Cheers,
[Your Name]
Email 3 – Subject: "Real Results: Personalized AI for Thought Leaders"
Hi [Name],
Top industry influencers are already using SocialMe to maintain consistency and boost engagement. Our AI personalizes content that mirrors your voice – effortlessly.
See the results for yourself.
Start Your Free Trial or Schedule a Call.Best,
[Your Name]
Email 4 – Subject: "Keep Your Authenticity – Amplify Your Impact"
Hi [Name],
Your unique voice is your brand. SocialMe ensures every AI-generated post reflects your style, with seamless integration to your favorite platforms.
Experience authenticity in automation.
Try a Free Trial or Let's Chat – Book Here.Warm regards,
[Your Name]
Email 5 – Subject: "Streamline Content Creation – Don’t Miss Out!"
Hi [Name],
Many leaders are simplifying their content process with SocialMe, freeing up time while enhancing audience engagement. I’m confident you’ll love the results.
Kickstart your transformation today.
Start Your Free Trial or Schedule a Quick Call.Best wishes,
[Your Name]
Email 6 – Subject: "Quick Reminder: Amplify Your Content with SocialMe"
Hi [Name],
I just wanted to check if you had a chance to look at SocialMe. Our platform is built to help thought leaders like you maintain authenticity and drive results effortlessly.
Explore your free trial now or Book a Call to learn more.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Email 7 – Subject: "Last Chance: Unlock Your AI Content Twin"
Hi [Name],
I’m reaching out one final time to invite you to experience SocialMe. Transform your content strategy with AI that truly speaks your language.
Don’t miss this opportunity –
Start Your Free Trial or Schedule a Call Today.Looking forward to connecting,
[Your Name]
Customize your messaging and schedule these emails using a tool like Outreach or a CRM integrated with an automated drip campaign to maintain domain reputation and ensure deliverability.
6. Bring It All Together with Automation and CRM
But I usually take this a little bit further. Using some enrichment CRM and outbound machines simultaneously, like https://www.attio.com, we can get the most out of this. While also capturing potential clients in a meaningful way:)
So the first part is to delete from that sorted csv all contacts without email addresses that serve as unique identifiers for us in the CRMs of selection:) Then ,mark them with some custom column identification, like in this case, column outreach for me with the value of “SocialMe”.
And creating an outreach sequence that we will add the contacts to (henceforth the custom column identification so I can run recognize different sequence targets easily:)) Attio handles the send meaningfully every 5 minutes during those defined hours (don’t overload the sequence with more than 300-500 contacts added or your mail with more sequences from the same account), so it keeps your domain score intact and your mail warmed up correctly.
So remember:
Integrate your enriched lead list into your CRM (think Attio, for example) to manage follow-ups, track engagement, and ensure every prospect gets the right touch at the right time.
Clean Your List: Remove contacts without email addresses since these serve as your unique identifiers.
Tag and Segment: Use custom columns (e.g., “SocialMe Outreach”) to filter and run different sequences for various target groups easily.
Automate the Process: Use automation tools like Make.com to run regular checks and refresh your lead list, ensuring you always have fresh contacts to engage with.
The integration has one additional bonus, auto enrichment of the data and tracking of connection strength with such a company, which is much more useful in account-based marketing/sales activities later on and in vertical enlargement of your cooperation with farming sales;)
Of course, you can connect it all through automation like at https://www.make.com, or plugin a custom AI agent of yours with product knowledge to handle all conversations, but this is kind of beyond the scope of this simple article:)
7. Celebrate Your First 100 Clients (Then Aim for 10,000)
With your drip campaigns in place and a steady stream of qualified leads coming in, you should see a healthy response rate—around 10% of contacts engaging, or even 15-20% when you combine LinkedIn and email outreach. And just like that, your first 100 clients will be on board. Getting from 100 to 10,000? That’s where the real growth challenge begins—but you’ve already proven you know how to chase unicorns!
In conclusion, launching your B2B SaaS/AI startup might seem daunting, but with a concrete step-by-step approach and a pinch of humor, you’re well on your way to securing those critical early clients. Whether you're a startup founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, these strategies will help you refine your product, build the perfect ICP, and execute a smart, automated outreach that gets results. Now go out there and start turning those prospects into raving fans!
Happy hunting,
JF.
BTW: There is a little bit of promo on this; none of us do it for pretty smiles only. Even though that helps for sure ;)
Traditional B2B sales methods are riddled with inefficiencies that stall growth. Did you know sales reps spend roughly 70% of their time on non-selling tasks? That means precious hours lost to admin work instead of closing deals. If you're still chasing leads manually through spreadsheets and sticky notes, you're likely missing opportunities and bleeding revenue. It's time to ditch the old grind – the future of sales is automation and AI, and it's here now.
Challenges in Lead Conversion & Pipeline Management
Sound familiar? Startup founders and B2B sales teams face common hurdles:
Leads Falling Through the Cracks: Without automation, follow-ups get missed and hot prospects go cold. Keeping track manually is tough, and missed follow-ups = lost deals.
Inefficient Lead Qualification: Identifying quality leads by hand is slow and error-prone. Reps waste time on lukewarm prospects while true gems are overlooked.
Time-Consuming Admin Work: From data entry to scheduling meetings, repetitive tasks burn out your team and leave less time for actual selling.
Unpredictable Pipeline: A patchy sales process means unreliable revenue and constant stress. It’s hard to forecast growth when your pipeline isn’t streamlined.
These challenges can suffocate your sales momentum. But it doesn’t have to be this way – automation and AI can solve these issues. For example, AI tools can analyze your prospect data to instantly pinpoint high-potential leads, and automated workflows handle routine follow-ups so no opportunity slips through the cracks. Instead of juggling every task yourself, you get a semi-automated pipeline that works smarter and lets your team focus on what really matters: building relationships and closing deals.
Unlock Predictable, Scalable Growth with AI
Imagine a sales pipeline that runs like a well-oiled machine, filling itself with qualified leads and guiding them to conversion. By implementing AI-driven automation, you can achieve:
Predictable Revenue: No more guesswork or feast-and-famine quarters. A well-optimized pipeline means consistent deals and confident sales forecasts month after month.
Higher Conversion Rates: Focus on the right leads at the right time and watch more prospects turn into paying customers – teams using AI have seen conversion rates jump by up to 21%.
Reduced Manual Effort: Let AI handle the drudge work. From data entry to sending follow-up emails, automation frees your reps from busy work, giving them back hours to sell (remember that 70% lost time? Now it's productive).
Scalability: As your business grows, your AI-driven process scales with it. Whether you have 100 leads or 1,000, nothing falls through the cracks – automation keeps every interaction on track without needing a proportional increase in headcount.
Proven Tactics & Expertise: This isn’t untested theory. Our coach has battle-tested these methods in the field, building high-performing sales pipelines for real companies. You’ll learn strategies refined through real B2B sales battles, so you can skip the trial-and-error and start seeing results faster.
These benefits mean one thing: a faster, smarter, and more reliable sales engine for your business. By adopting AI-driven pipeline techniques, you'll transform sales from a bottleneck into a growth catalyst.
Action: Transform Your Sales – Sign Up Now
Don’t let outdated sales practices hold your startup or sales team back. Now is the time to supercharge your B2B sales pipeline with automation and AI. If you’re ready to turn more leads into customers and drive predictable revenue, join our coaching sessions. You'll get hands-on guidance to build a semi-automated, AI-powered sales process that scales your success.
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