Stop searching for job titles. Start searching for pain.
These 7 phrases find people ready to pay today.
THE STRATEGY:
LinkedIn's search bar searches post content, not just profiles. People post about their frustrations. Those frustrations are your opportunities.
THE SEARCH PROCESS:
1. Go to LinkedIn search bar
2. Type phrase in quotes (quotes = exact match)
3. Click "Posts" filter
4. Click "Date posted" β "Past week"
THE 7 PHRASES:
"drowning in invoices"
"buried in paperwork"
"spent my weekend on data entry"
"manual process is killing us"
"there has to be a better way"
"wish this was automated"
"our process is broken"
THE RESULTS:
"drowning in invoices" β 12 posts this week
"buried in paperwork" β 23 posts this week
"spent my weekend on data entry" β 8 posts this week
Each post = someone actively experiencing pain you solve.
THE ENGAGEMENT FLOW:
Step 1: Find pain post
Step 2: Comment with value (not pitch)
"This is fixable. Invoice processing can be automated - takes about 30 seconds per invoice instead of 10 minutes. Happy to explain how if helpful."
Step 3: Wait for their reply or like
Step 4: Send connection request
Step 5: After they accept, send voice note or message
THE COMMENT THAT WORKS:
Do NOT say: "I can help you with this! DM me!"
DO say: "This is actually solvable. [Brief explanation of solution]. Happy to share more if useful."
Value first. Pitch never (in public).
THE NUMBERS:
Weekly routine:
- 20 minutes searching pain phrases
- 10-15 valuable comments
- 5-7 new connections
- 2-3 conversations started
Monthly result: 1-2 clients from this channel alone.
Which pain phrase matches your target clients best?