In a recent LinkedIn post, Dan Sherrard-Smith discusses a refined, albeit tedious, four-step process for effective client engagement on the platform, and how he has begun to leverage AI tools to augment this manual effort. Sherrard-Smith, who has built two businesses and facilitated over £1.2 billion in green economy transactions primarily through LinkedIn, emphasizes that his insights stem from extensive personal experience and manual execution before exploring technological assistance.
He outlines the foundational steps he considers essential for LinkedIn success:
- Identifying ideal clients.
- Connecting with them.
- Genuinely commenting on their posts.
- Initiating direct messages (DMs) without immediate sales pitches.
Sherrard-Smith likens this approach to in-person networking, stressing the importance of authentic engagement. However, he acknowledges the significant time investment required, noting, “But the process takes about 20 minutes per day. And gets super boring quick.” This tedium led him to experiment with AI, specifically Claude for Chrome, not for aggressive cold outreach, but to assist with the more time-consuming research aspects.
Leveraging AI for Research and Initial Engagement
The core of Sherrard-Smith’s recent experimentation involves using AI to streamline the initial research phase. He explains that the AI’s role is to identify potential clients, review their profiles, analyze recent posts, and draft connection requests and initial comments that are contextually relevant. This is a far cry from generic outreach, as he clarifies:
“Not “great post!” filler. I still read the message and adapted it. But it saved me a bunch of time.”
Sherrard-Smith details the results of his trials, running the AI on batches of leads. He highlights that this AI-assisted research allows for a level of detail and speed unattainable manually. “This wasn’t a shortcut. It was doing research on my potential clients, at a speed no human can match, so every message I sent had more value,” he asserts.
Maintaining the Human Touch in AI-Assisted Outreach
A crucial aspect of Sherrard-Smith’s strategy is the insistence on preserving the human element. While AI can handle the tedious aspects of research and drafting initial interactions, the final review, adaptation, and all subsequent personal engagement must remain human. He states unequivocally, “We should NEVER outsource that part.” This balance ensures that the efficiency gained through AI does not come at the expense of genuine connection, which he views as paramount for long-term business relationships built on LinkedIn.
Refining the Process for Sustainable Efficiency
Sherrard-Smith indicates that the development and refinement of this AI-assisted workflow have been ongoing for months, focusing on security, cost-effectiveness, and crucially, maintaining authentic human interaction points. He estimates that this approach has saved him approximately 150 hours annually, a significant gain for founders who often find themselves bogged down by the manual demands of platform engagement. Reflecting on his journey, he notes:
“The process has taken months to refine. Getting the security right, cutting the running cost, making sure the human touchpoints stay human.”
Having built his businesses manually on LinkedIn for years, Sherrard-Smith views this AI integration as a transformative development. He is now sharing his methodology, offering a workshop for founders seeking to optimize their LinkedIn activities. “Every founder doing this manually should build their own version,” he encourages.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Dan Sherrard-Smith on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on May 19, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →