Common-Ground DM Funnel
Turn relevant strangers into engaged connections through value-led message sequences
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 98%
The common-ground DM funnel begins before a message is written. The sender identifies people through a context that demonstrates likely interest: engagement with a relevant creator, membership in the same professional field, or a matching job title. That discovery source becomes the opening common ground. The first message names the shared interest, offers a relevant benefit, and invites connection without immediately forcing a sale. If the recipient responds, the sender supplies the promised value and then advances through proportionate requests, such as listening to an episode, attending a webinar, leaving a review, or considering an offer. Hala connects this progression to likability: people respond more readily to shared identities, interests, communities, language, and sincere compliments. The output is not merely a click. A good sequence converts a relevant stranger into a connection who has exchanged messages, received value, and entered the creator's ecosystem.
Origin
Hala Taha illustrates the method with outreach to people who engage with an entrepreneurship influencer and to social-media managers who might value a free webinar.
Core principles
- 01Source selection should supply an authentic reason to connect
- 02Lead with shared interests, communities, or professional identity
- 03Offer value before requesting a commercial or promotional action
- 04Use compliments and common language honestly to increase likability
- 05Advance the relationship through a sequence rather than a single pitch
How to run it
- 1
Define the conversion path
Choose the audience, the value you can offer, and the eventual action you hope the recipient will take.
Pro tip Use a short progression with one clear action per message.
Watch out Do not conceal a hard pitch behind irrelevant small talk.
- 2
Source people through relevance
Find candidates through engagement with a relevant creator, participation in a shared community, or a matching professional title.
Pro tip Prioritize people who already take meaningful LinkedIn actions.
Watch out A broad scraped list removes the contextual signal needed for genuine common ground.
- 3
Open with common ground
Explain truthfully how you found the person and why the connection appears relevant. Use a shared interest, identity, or community as the bridge.
Pro tip A sincere, specific compliment can supplement the common ground.
Watch out Fabricated familiarity will make the message feel more deceptive, not more personal.
- 4
Deliver value
Offer and provide something useful, such as a relevant episode, webinar, or resource.
Pro tip Match the resource directly to the behavior or role that led you to the recipient.
Watch out Do not make the recipient complete multiple steps before receiving the promised value.
- 5
Advance proportionately
After the recipient engages and expresses value, make a reasonable next request or offer.
Pro tip Let the recipient's response determine whether the sequence continues.
Watch out Jumping immediately from connection to purchase request recreates the spam experience.
- 6
Retain the relationship
Continue providing relevant content so the new connection becomes an engaged member of your audience.
Pro tip Tag the connection by source and interest for future relevant follow-up.
Watch out Do not repeatedly retarget someone who has shown no interest.
In the wild
Hala finds people who engaged with an entrepreneurship influencer she interviewed. Her invitation mentions that shared interest and offers the interview. After a recipient asks for the link and reports enjoying it, she requests that the feedback be copied into an Apple Podcasts review.
→ A relevant LinkedIn user becomes a listener, engaged connection, and potential reviewer through a value-led sequence.
A course creator searches for US-based social-media managers, references their shared field, and offers free access to a useful webinar. Interested recipients enter a nurture sequence that may later introduce the paid course.
→ Role-based prospecting creates qualified leads without opening with a direct sales demand.
Common mistakes
Opening with the sale
A sales request made before establishing relevance or delivering value resembles the spam recipients expect in LinkedIn inboxes.
Using vague personalization
Generic compliments do not replace a credible explanation of why the sender and recipient should connect.
Ignoring response signals
Continuing a scripted sequence after disinterest turns a funnel into harassment.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for creators and businesses with a valuable resource that closely matches a prospect's demonstrated interests.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for indiscriminate mass outreach, deceptive personalization, or unsolicited hard selling.
From the transcript
“You need to establish common ground. And usually you do that by the way that you found them.”
“I've brought this person into my ecosystem. And the way that I found them is how I established common ground.”
“I'm giving them something of value, giving them something for free. I'm establishing common ground.”
From the episode
The 4-Step Formula to Go Viral on LinkedIn (2025 Masterclass)
Hala Taha