How we use Claude Cowork + Apollo AI to find, enrich, and DM venue decision-makers for Pokemon trading card vending machine placement. No cold calling. No paid ads. Just smart outbound.
Two tools. That's it. Claude Cowork handles the AI-powered search and enrichment through Apollo. LinkedIn is where the conversations happen.
Runs Apollo searches, enriches contacts in bulk, pulls LinkedIn URLs, and exports lead lists to spreadsheets automatically.
119K+ venue leads in the database across grocery, malls, and card shops. Filters by title, location, company type, and tech stack.
Connection requests with 300-character notes. InMail for high-priority targets. DM sequences to book calls.
Your plan determines how many cold InMails you can send monthly. Connection requests with notes are unlimited (but LinkedIn caps ~100/week before flagging).
| Plan | Monthly InMails | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Career | 5 | Not enough for outbound |
| Premium Business | 15 | Light outbound only |
| Sales Navigator Core Recommended | 50 | Best for this playbook |
| Recruiter Lite | 30 | Designed for hiring, not sales |
The move: Don't burn InMails on people you can reach with a free connection request + 300-character note. Save InMails for decision-makers who won't accept connections from strangers (VPs, Directors, C-suite at large chains). Unlimited notes with Premium (300 characters).
Pokemon trading card vending machines go in high-foot-traffic locations where families and collectors already shop. These are the three venue categories and the job titles that say "yes" to placement.
Highest conversion potential. These venues already attract Pokemon collectors and TCG buyers. The vending machine is a no-brainer upsell for foot traffic they already have.
High foot traffic, families with kids, impulse-buy environment. Mall managers and leasing teams control common-area placement. Simon Property Group alone has hundreds of contacts.
Massive volume play. Every grocery store has that entryway area with gumball machines and claw games. Pokemon vending fits right in. Store managers and regional directors make the call.
One conversation in Claude Cowork. Three parallel Apollo searches. 30 enriched contacts with LinkedIn URLs exported to a spreadsheet in under 5 minutes.
How to replicate this: Open Claude Cowork. Say "find LinkedIn leads for Pokemon vending machine placement." Tell it the venue types, cities, and job titles. Claude runs Apollo searches, enriches the best contacts, pulls LinkedIn URLs, and exports everything to a spreadsheet. You just DM them.
Enriched leads exported from Claude Cowork + Apollo. Updated in real-time.
This is the step-by-step sequence for every lead, from the moment you find them in Apollo to the moment you close the placement. Send 50 connection requests per day and run this cadence for each one.
Pull the lead from your Apollo spreadsheet. Send a connection request with a personalized 300-character note. Mention their venue by name. Do NOT pitch in the note.
As soon as they accept, send a short discovery DM. Ask a question about their venue or customers. You're starting a conversation, not pitching.
If they reply, match their energy. If they're engaged and asking questions, you can introduce the Pokemon vending concept right here. If the conversation is going well enough to close same-day, go for it. Drop your number or ask for the best way to reach them.
If they accepted but didn't reply to your first DM, send a light follow-up. Don't be pushy. Reference something specific about their business to show it's not a mass message.
For leads who are interested but haven't committed to a call yet, send a short video of the machine in action at a similar venue. This does more selling than any paragraph of text. Then suggest a quick phone call.
LinkedIn is for starting conversations. The phone is for closing them. Get them on a 10-minute call to walk through the revenue share and placement logistics. Send a follow-up with the placement agreement if they're interested.
Scripts for connection request notes, discovery DMs, follow-ups, and video sends. These are still being tested and will be added once we've validated what converts.
Connection notes, discovery DMs, follow-up messages, and closing scripts will be added here after testing with live leads.
Every cycle follows this loop. Run it once per ICP, then stack the next one on top.
Pod Plug — Internal Strategy Document
Built with Claude Cowork + Apollo AI