I tracked 10,000 DMs, and most reps mess up here

What's good, Commish readers!

I am back!! Man, Japan was the best trip of my life. More on that later in the journey section.

After analyzing 10,000+ LinkedIn DMs since 2017, I found where most reps completely fumble the bag.

It's not the opener. Not the CTA. Not even the follow-up.

It's what happens AFTER they reply.

Most reps either go full Rambo ("BOOK A MEETING NOW!") or completely disappear ("No worries, here if you need me!"). Both kill deals.

Today I'm sharing the exact 4-step framework that fixes this. 

Let's get it...

COMMI$H’$ 5 $TAR TIP:

I got this question on a webinar recently that made me pause:

"Everyone teaches how to get the first reply to book a meeting... but nobody teaches what to do AFTER they respond. How do I navigate that conversation?"

I was like, hold up.. This is a great question. 

NO ONE talks about it. 

To the person’s point, most reps are aiming for the home run instead of getting a single to get on base. Does not always have to be a home run; we just need to get on base to score the run. 

The win is controlling the conversation in the DMs. 

Since I am in the DMs every single day and coaching people on this I have started to see the pattern to move a reply that isn’t a meeting into a meeting later.  

So let me break down exactly how to convert replies into meetings.

The 4-Step Post-Reply Framework That Actually Books:

1. ANCHOR THE CONTEXT (Stop the drift)

When someone replies, conversations can drift like a boat without an anchor. You need to immediately re-establish why you reached out.

Example response:

"Thanks for the quick reply, totally get it. Real quick, here's the core reason I reached out..."

Then double down on your personalization. Show them you're not some AI bot. Be specific about the observation that made you message them in the first place.

2. CATEGORIZE THEIR MOMENTUM

Every reply falls into one of four buckets:

• Curiosity - They're interested but need more info

• Resistance - They have real objections

• Deflection - They're brushing you off

• Qualification - They're vetting you

80% of the time you’re dealing with deflection. Which means the objection itself isn’t real and we still need to nudge the conversation forward. That's why re-anchoring with context matters so much. 

Pro tip: Send a voice note or video here so you can humanity to the re-anchoring that you are about to do. 

3. ADVANCE WITH A MICRO-ASK

Don't go for the meeting yet. 

Go for the next small step:

"You might not be open to a meeting right now, but I have a 2-minute Loom showing exactly how we helped [similar company]. Worth a quick look?"

Or:

"We're running a webinar Thursday on this exact challenge. Want me to save you a spot?"

Like I said earlier, you don't always need home runs. Singles still score.

4. CONVERT TO CALENDAR WITH MOMENTUM

Once they engage with your micro-ask (watch the Loom, attend the webinar, answer your question), based on their feedback.. IMMEDIATELY follow up:

"Glad that resonated. Based on what you saw, typically, people we speak with take the next step to dig deeper into your specific workflow. Free next Tuesday at 4 pm or Thursday at 1 pm to walk you through it? 

As you can see here, I am giving you a framework to follow, then some suggested words to execute on. I don’t think all of you will use the exact words, and it might not fit the way you talk. However, the framework I shared here is exactly how you steer conversations with intention. 

Please don’t panic when you get a reply that isn’t a meeting.

Take a deep breath… and follow these steps. 

The magic is in advancing the conversation one logical step at a time.

Oh, by the way… this framework only works if you actually use it. 

Execute this, adapt it to your situation, and then replicate that motion.

Your move:

Next time you get a reply, don't celebrate. Execute. Use this framework to turn that reply into an actual conversation, then into a meeting, then into pipeline.

Because replies don't pay the bills. 

Quality booked meetings do.

P.S. Want help with your message? Reply with a message response that has stumped and I will tell you how to respond to get a reply to book the meeting.

CHEAT CODE$: Sponsored by Apollo

I built my entire career on outbound. But if you're ONLY doing outbound in 2025, you're leaving money on the table.

Quick story: At JB Sales, John and I noticed something wild. I'd send quality outreach, get crickets... then those same prospects would come through as inbound leads days later.

Wait, what?

The outbound created demand. Got them curious. Made them check us out.

Most GTM leaders treat outbound and inbound as separate games. 

Nah. It's the same game now.

The problem? When someone visits your site and bounces, you never knew they were interested. That's money walking out the door.

This is where Apollo's Inbound solution changes everything:

The play:

Outbound creates the spark. Inbound captures the fire.

Now you can identify real people to have real conversations with.

Y'all... this is the present, not the future.

Stop leaving money on the table

THE JOURNEY:

This trip wasn't just a vacation. It completely shifted how I think about business and life. I legit felt like I was in a video game the entire time.

When I bought something from a store, they followed me out, bowed, and thanked me for shopping there. That would NEVER happen in Atlanta or Phoenix. We'd be lucky if they looked up from their phone to even say thank you. 

Even in restaurants, they'd welcome you like royalty and constantly check if you needed anything, not to rush you, just to make sure you're good.

Like, who is doing this in the USA?!

The efficiency there is wild too. Bullet trains leave on time to the second, like you will be left if you stroll up late. People move with purpose. But here's what got me, nobody's stressed. Nobody's running around yelling about deadlines. 

They just... flow.

It made me realize I've been living like a task manager. Wake up, check the list, do the list, repeat. 

Yeah, I get goals done, but am I truly having a joyful adventure? Have I been telling myself that when in reality I have started to turn into a task manager? 

As I walked around the temples of Kyoto, the answer was simply yes. 

After walking 15,000 steps a day in Tokyo, talking to shop owners who taught me Japanese phrases, and walking the Bamboo forest just being present... that's when it hit me. 

Life should be an adventure, not a checklist.

So when I got home, I cleaned out my entire closet. Started getting rid of everything that didn't serve a purpose. If the Japanese can be this intentional about everything, so can I.

Then I said if I am going to go on an adventure, I need to make plans like I am

I booked my 2026 Japan trip before I even left. 

Mapped out all my vacations for next year and decided that 2026 is going to be the best adventure yet.

This is the energy I'm bringing to AMP. This is how we're running Sales Team Six. Customer experience at the highest level, respect in every interaction and treating business like an adventure, not a grind.

After this trip, I've never been more fired up to run this race at full capacity.

Japan showed me what's possible when you combine efficiency with soul. 

And that's exactly what we're building here.

P.S. Now ask yourself that question.. Are you living out an adventure or just going through a checklist in life?

P.S.S. Already learning Japanese for 2026 by the way. Duolingo and I are tapped in.

WATCH. LI$TEN. LEARN.:

LinkedIn Post You Missed: Treat Outbound Like An Invitation  (2 min read on how you should think about outbound) 

YouTube Video of the Week:5 LinkedIn AI Strategies That Actually Book Sales Calls (All my AI best practices packed into one video) 

Everyone, have a blessed week, stay safe, and continue to pursue excellence. 

Cheers,

Morgan J Ingram

P.S. Which country should I visit next?