How to Get Your First 10 B2B Leads from LinkedIn (No Audience, No Budget)

Getting your first 10 B2B leads is the hardest part.

Not 100. Not 1,000.

Just the first 10.

Because at the start:

• You have no audience
• No social proof
• No idea what actually works

Most founders get stuck here and assume they need:

• Ads
• Expensive tools
• Or a big network

You don’t.

In fact, most people fail because they’re making basic prospecting mistakes (I broke these down here → “7 LinkedIn Prospecting Mistakes That Kill Your Lead Generation”).

This is the exact system I’d use to get my first 10 leads from LinkedIn today.

Step 1: Define ONE Clear ICP

If you target everyone, you get no one.

Bad example:

“I help businesses generate leads”

Good example:

“I help SaaS founders get leads from LinkedIn”

Even better:

“I help early-stage SaaS founders get their first 20 leads using LinkedIn”

Clarity = higher reply rate.

If you’re unsure how to approach SaaS founders specifically, read this →

“Best LinkedIn Lead Generation Strategies for SaaS Founders”

Step 2: Manually Find 20–30 Ideal Prospects

Don’t overcomplicate this.

Search on LinkedIn:

• “SaaS Founder”
• “Co-founder SaaS”
• “Indie Hacker”

Apply filters:

• Recent posts
• Active profiles

You want people who:

• Are posting
• Are building
• Actually need leads

If you’re relying on tools for this, you might be doing it wrong →

“How to Find LinkedIn Leads Without Sales Navigator”

Step 3: Warm Them Up (Most People Skip This)

If you send cold messages immediately, you’ll get ignored.

Instead:

• Like 2–3 of their posts
• Leave a thoughtful comment
• Follow them

This takes 2 minutes but increases replies massively.

Step 4: Send a Simple, Non-Spam Message

Don’t pitch.

Don’t sell.

Don’t write paragraphs.

Use this:

“Hey, saw your post about [topic] — how are you currently getting leads for your SaaS?”

That’s it.

Why it works:

• It’s natural
• It starts a conversation
• It doesn’t feel like a pitch

If you’re currently using tools like Apollo and not getting results, you should read this →

“Apollo Alternative: Best Tools for LinkedIn Lead Generation (2026)”

Step 5: Turn Conversations into Leads

Once they reply:

• Ask 1–2 questions
• Understand their problem
• THEN mention what you’re doing

Example:

“Got it — I’ve been working on a system to help SaaS founders get leads from LinkedIn. Happy to share what’s working if you want.”

No pressure.

No push.

Just value.

If you’re comparing tools at this stage, this breakdown will help →

“Nexa vs Apollo: Which Lead Generation Tool Is Better for LinkedIn?”

Step 6: Do This Daily (Consistency Wins)

Do this every day:

• 10 new prospects
• 10–15 warm interactions
• 5–10 messages

Within a week:

• Conversations start
• Replies increase
• Leads come in

Tools can help scale this later, but don’t rely on them early →

“Best LinkedIn Lead Generation Tools for SaaS Founders (2026)”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Sending long copy-paste messages

❌ Pitching in first message

❌ Targeting “everyone”

❌ Not following up

Again most of these are explained in detail here →

“7 LinkedIn Prospecting Mistakes That Kill Your Lead Generation”

⚡ Want to Speed This Up?

If you want to skip manual work and generate qualified leads faster:

👉 Use a system that:

• Finds verified prospects
• Filters by intent
• Helps you personalize outreach

(That’s exactly what I’m building with Nexa.)

Final Thoughts

Your first 10 leads don’t come from hacks.

They come from:

• Clear targeting
• Real conversations
• Consistency

Once you get those first 10:

• You understand your market
• You refine your pitch
• Growth becomes easier

Start small. Stay consistent.