Five Outbound Lead Generation Tactics for Increasing Sales
Hack outbound lead generation with these strategies.
The practice of generating interest in a product or service with the goal of converting that interest into a sale is known as lead generation, and it plays a core role in the sales funnel.
There are two main strategies called inbound and outbound. This article will focus on outbound lead generation, and which tactics will bring you success for your next outreach campaign.
There are two main strategies called inbound and outbound. This article will focus on outbound lead generation, and which tactics will bring you success for your next outreach campaign.
Recap: What is Outbound Lead Generation?
Outbound lead generation refers to the process of engaging with potential customers who are unfamiliar with your product, either via cold calling, cold emailing, or other channels. It works through sales development representatives (SDRs): they are the ones interacting with potential leads.
The goal is to both generate interest in a product or service and also develop an early sales pipeline that can be enriched. An SDR reaches out proactively to provide information and offer help to a set ideal customer profile. It's not their intention to sell their product or service right away, but to generate interest, and book a meeting for a product demo.
The difference with inbound lead generation lies in the first contact between lead and SDR. If the lead is the one to seek out and establish that initial contact with a company, perhaps through a typeform, it is an inbound lead.
Inbound, the lead came in. Outbound, your team went to look for it.
Inbound means they sought it out, perhaps through Google or via a referral, but they have been previously informed about your company or product, and now they want to get more information before making a purchase.
The goal is to both generate interest in a product or service and also develop an early sales pipeline that can be enriched. An SDR reaches out proactively to provide information and offer help to a set ideal customer profile. It's not their intention to sell their product or service right away, but to generate interest, and book a meeting for a product demo.
The difference with inbound lead generation lies in the first contact between lead and SDR. If the lead is the one to seek out and establish that initial contact with a company, perhaps through a typeform, it is an inbound lead.
Inbound, the lead came in. Outbound, your team went to look for it.
Inbound means they sought it out, perhaps through Google or via a referral, but they have been previously informed about your company or product, and now they want to get more information before making a purchase.
Is Outbound Lead Generation Inefficient?
One of the top marketing priorities is and will always be inbound lead generation. However, just because inbound lead generation is a top priority it does not imply that outbound lead generation is inefficient.
Outbound lead generation tactics are used by the most effective organizations to supplement their ongoing inbound efforts. And it is far more likely to deliver a faster turnover than an inbound lead generation with proper targeting and the right approach. After all, 92% of all customer interactions still happen over the phone.
While some cold outreach tactics might deliver results that are not as good as others, it's always better to use multiple channels to do your outreach - you never know what might work till you try.
If you go into it without a clear strategy, it won't produce the desired results. General statistics of response rates for cold emailing might seem to be not very high. But did you know 60% of customers will say no four times before saying yes? With the right follow-up strategy, you could be doubling your business in no time.
This is why having a professional sales team with a clear strategy and the skills to engage with your target group will deliver results that also make a cold email campaign profitable. But there are other reasons to consider it.
Explore new markets with outbound lead generation
Cold outreach is a method that can be used to explore new markets without sacrificing too much. This is because it will be evident right away whether your product or service is needed or not.
Inbound lead generation is mostly a more time-consuming strategy to get information about the market and target group instead, and you could dedicate both time and money to a market that is not worth it.
Outbound lead generation builds brand awareness
It takes a long time to build awareness using inbound marketing tactics.
It requires the consistent publication of high-quality content, the acquisition of backlinks from authoritative websites, and the development of relationships with key industry influencers.
This doesn't happen overnight.
Outbound lead generation, on the other hand, can be a lot quicker.
It is an effective way to successfully spread your content to your target audience, which not only enhances the total brand awareness of your content but also gets it in front of the right people.
Relate your lead generation results to your goals
It's essential to do some math for your company to know what is a good or bad lead generation rate per tactic.
And it should be clear how many leads you need to become buyers to reach your quarterly goal of closed deals.
This means that, depending on your product or service's price and the amount of time you spend doing target research, a cold email reply rate of 5-10% can be enough to reach your goals.
The same must also be considered for cold calling.
Social selling remains one of the most powerful methods
For outbound, an increasingly popular method is social selling.
For it to work, it is not enough to simply send any ol' InMail.
Because LinkedIn has gained more and more trust and users, cold messaging has become a common method here as well and will be one of the best tactics for the future.
Cold outreach saves time for your target group
If you're selling to busy decision-makers, it's unlikely they'll spend that much time searching social media or business directories for the right solution.
The SDR who approaches them directly will end up in their consideration set.
And they're far more likely to come back to you.
Outbound lead generation tactics are used by the most effective organizations to supplement their ongoing inbound efforts. And it is far more likely to deliver a faster turnover than an inbound lead generation with proper targeting and the right approach. After all, 92% of all customer interactions still happen over the phone.
While some cold outreach tactics might deliver results that are not as good as others, it's always better to use multiple channels to do your outreach - you never know what might work till you try.
If you go into it without a clear strategy, it won't produce the desired results. General statistics of response rates for cold emailing might seem to be not very high. But did you know 60% of customers will say no four times before saying yes? With the right follow-up strategy, you could be doubling your business in no time.
This is why having a professional sales team with a clear strategy and the skills to engage with your target group will deliver results that also make a cold email campaign profitable. But there are other reasons to consider it.
Explore new markets with outbound lead generation
Cold outreach is a method that can be used to explore new markets without sacrificing too much. This is because it will be evident right away whether your product or service is needed or not.
Inbound lead generation is mostly a more time-consuming strategy to get information about the market and target group instead, and you could dedicate both time and money to a market that is not worth it.
Outbound lead generation builds brand awareness
It takes a long time to build awareness using inbound marketing tactics.
It requires the consistent publication of high-quality content, the acquisition of backlinks from authoritative websites, and the development of relationships with key industry influencers.
This doesn't happen overnight.
Outbound lead generation, on the other hand, can be a lot quicker.
It is an effective way to successfully spread your content to your target audience, which not only enhances the total brand awareness of your content but also gets it in front of the right people.
Relate your lead generation results to your goals
It's essential to do some math for your company to know what is a good or bad lead generation rate per tactic.
And it should be clear how many leads you need to become buyers to reach your quarterly goal of closed deals.
This means that, depending on your product or service's price and the amount of time you spend doing target research, a cold email reply rate of 5-10% can be enough to reach your goals.
The same must also be considered for cold calling.
Social selling remains one of the most powerful methods
For outbound, an increasingly popular method is social selling.
For it to work, it is not enough to simply send any ol' InMail.
Because LinkedIn has gained more and more trust and users, cold messaging has become a common method here as well and will be one of the best tactics for the future.
Cold outreach saves time for your target group
If you're selling to busy decision-makers, it's unlikely they'll spend that much time searching social media or business directories for the right solution.
The SDR who approaches them directly will end up in their consideration set.
And they're far more likely to come back to you.
Five Tactics for Outbound Lead Generation
Cold emails are a great way to generate outbound leads
Many businesses benefit from cold emailing.
It would not exist if it did not play a role in the sales processes of many companies. However, it may not seem to be the most effective method of outreach for you — cold emails don't always convert well.
At least, at first.
Here at SalesPipe, we pride ourselves on our cold emailing skills. So, to help you get the most out of your cold email campaigns, here are a few important tips to consider.
The subject line is similar to an article's headline.
You're scrolling through your newsfeed when a title catches your eye, and you open the article - it must stand out.
Reduce what you're trying to say to five or seven words.
Check that you're speaking to your recipients' interests and that you've made clear what you want from your email conversation.
Adding a personal touch to the opening by including your prospect's name can be a helpful hook.
Formulate short phrases and make clear what you want from your contacts and what you can offer them.
Everything must be understandable so that your contacts don't get confused and reject your offer.
A good one to remember is to do the elementary reading level check - can a third grader understand it?
This makes a personalized cold email highly effective in order to start the first conversation with your leads.
Emailing is a strategy that, unlike cold calling, does not require a lot of time from potential customers or visitors. Furthermore, because you will be sending these cold emails to prospective clients, you can personalize the email content for them to create a stronger connection.
To get more familiar with the structure of cold emails read our blog about cold email structure.
Cold calling is still relevant
According to Rain group research, 69% of buyers are willing to accept vendor calls. It's clear evidence that the good old-fashioned phone is still an asset to your sales efforts.
If your direct dials are accurate and your cold call script is smooth, there is no better way to speak directly with a decision-maker.
It's a great way to build initial rapport and quickly learn about their pain points or areas where you can help them, especially if you strategize correctly and focus on calling highly qualified leads whom you've checked for relevance.
Treat everyone individually to not sound like a robot who puts no effort into researching their prospect.
As already mentioned, personalization plays a major role here. If you interrupt your contact during their work, you have to be able to get to the heart of your intention and make clear what you want from the contact.
However, remember that cold calling should not be used as the only tactic. It is recommended to use this as an additional channel.
Social selling has developed into one of the most successful tactics for lead generation
Social selling is the process through which businesses find and engage with prospects via social media channels. Companies can nurture their prospects into qualified leads by answering questions, joining conversations, sharing valuable content, or responding to content posts.
For B2B lead generation, social selling has become one of the most successful tactics in recent years.
Alongside Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is one of the spaces where salespeople have been the most successful.
The average response rate to Linkedin messages is 85%, which is three times greater than the response rate for traditional email.
In other words, LinkedIn is booming, and every B2B sales team should be paying attention to it if they want to generate leads.
Through these social media channels, cold messaging became a popular tactic for salespeople to do their outreach.
Writing a cold message is similar to writing a cold email.
It has to be personalized, short, and to the point.
Prospecting and sending cold messages on LinkedIn can be difficult if you're unsure of how to do it properly. We have previously provided tips on cold messaging, to give you examples of what the best cold messages on LinkedIn have in common.
Video prospecting should not be underestimated
Video prospecting is a technique in which a sales representative records and sends a short, personalized video to a prospect.
Prospecting videos are usually distributed via email, but they can also be shared via text or as a private message on LinkedIn or other social platforms.
The aim is to replace boring regular text emails with something more visually attractive and engaging. Your message remains the same with video email prospecting.
It is simply delivered in a different format.
Begin with a smile and then add some energy so that your recipient is immediately engaged.
A video allows you to build trust and credibility with a prospect.
By putting a face to a name, you not only increase trustworthiness, but the video also helps people understand and sympathize with what they see and hear. You will demonstrate that you understand their pain points if you offer solutions to simplify their problems.
Outsourcing SDRs for outbound lead generation
The practice of hiring an external sales department (like SalesPipe, hey!) to promote a company's products or services at a lower cost is known as lead generation outsourcing.
A professional B2B lead generation company will take the time to learn about your company, the products or services you want them to focus on, your industry's unique value proposition, and the competitive landscape.
It is important to consider for your company that there's a huge number of SDR service companies.
At first, researching and selecting the best company to work with for your company can appear difficult. But after all, you're making a significant investment that must yield a return: leads for your company to gain new customers.
So take your time and find the best sales lead company for you.
Many businesses benefit from cold emailing.
It would not exist if it did not play a role in the sales processes of many companies. However, it may not seem to be the most effective method of outreach for you — cold emails don't always convert well.
At least, at first.
Here at SalesPipe, we pride ourselves on our cold emailing skills. So, to help you get the most out of your cold email campaigns, here are a few important tips to consider.
- It all starts with the subject line
The subject line is similar to an article's headline.
You're scrolling through your newsfeed when a title catches your eye, and you open the article - it must stand out.
Reduce what you're trying to say to five or seven words.
Check that you're speaking to your recipients' interests and that you've made clear what you want from your email conversation.
Adding a personal touch to the opening by including your prospect's name can be a helpful hook.
- Keep it short, easy, and straight to the point
Formulate short phrases and make clear what you want from your contacts and what you can offer them.
Everything must be understandable so that your contacts don't get confused and reject your offer.
A good one to remember is to do the elementary reading level check - can a third grader understand it?
- Do research to identify the pain points of your contacts
This makes a personalized cold email highly effective in order to start the first conversation with your leads.
Emailing is a strategy that, unlike cold calling, does not require a lot of time from potential customers or visitors. Furthermore, because you will be sending these cold emails to prospective clients, you can personalize the email content for them to create a stronger connection.
To get more familiar with the structure of cold emails read our blog about cold email structure.
Cold calling is still relevant
According to Rain group research, 69% of buyers are willing to accept vendor calls. It's clear evidence that the good old-fashioned phone is still an asset to your sales efforts.
If your direct dials are accurate and your cold call script is smooth, there is no better way to speak directly with a decision-maker.
It's a great way to build initial rapport and quickly learn about their pain points or areas where you can help them, especially if you strategize correctly and focus on calling highly qualified leads whom you've checked for relevance.
Treat everyone individually to not sound like a robot who puts no effort into researching their prospect.
As already mentioned, personalization plays a major role here. If you interrupt your contact during their work, you have to be able to get to the heart of your intention and make clear what you want from the contact.
However, remember that cold calling should not be used as the only tactic. It is recommended to use this as an additional channel.
Social selling has developed into one of the most successful tactics for lead generation
Social selling is the process through which businesses find and engage with prospects via social media channels. Companies can nurture their prospects into qualified leads by answering questions, joining conversations, sharing valuable content, or responding to content posts.
For B2B lead generation, social selling has become one of the most successful tactics in recent years.
Alongside Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is one of the spaces where salespeople have been the most successful.
The average response rate to Linkedin messages is 85%, which is three times greater than the response rate for traditional email.
In other words, LinkedIn is booming, and every B2B sales team should be paying attention to it if they want to generate leads.
Through these social media channels, cold messaging became a popular tactic for salespeople to do their outreach.
Writing a cold message is similar to writing a cold email.
It has to be personalized, short, and to the point.
Prospecting and sending cold messages on LinkedIn can be difficult if you're unsure of how to do it properly. We have previously provided tips on cold messaging, to give you examples of what the best cold messages on LinkedIn have in common.
Video prospecting should not be underestimated
Video prospecting is a technique in which a sales representative records and sends a short, personalized video to a prospect.
Prospecting videos are usually distributed via email, but they can also be shared via text or as a private message on LinkedIn or other social platforms.
The aim is to replace boring regular text emails with something more visually attractive and engaging. Your message remains the same with video email prospecting.
It is simply delivered in a different format.
Begin with a smile and then add some energy so that your recipient is immediately engaged.
A video allows you to build trust and credibility with a prospect.
By putting a face to a name, you not only increase trustworthiness, but the video also helps people understand and sympathize with what they see and hear. You will demonstrate that you understand their pain points if you offer solutions to simplify their problems.
Outsourcing SDRs for outbound lead generation
The practice of hiring an external sales department (like SalesPipe, hey!) to promote a company's products or services at a lower cost is known as lead generation outsourcing.
A professional B2B lead generation company will take the time to learn about your company, the products or services you want them to focus on, your industry's unique value proposition, and the competitive landscape.
It is important to consider for your company that there's a huge number of SDR service companies.
At first, researching and selecting the best company to work with for your company can appear difficult. But after all, you're making a significant investment that must yield a return: leads for your company to gain new customers.
So take your time and find the best sales lead company for you.
Why Working with an External Partner like SalesPipe is a Good Solution
There are many reasons for outsourcing sales. We've gone through them in other blog posts, but here are the hits:
Full dedication to sales
Outsourcing your inside sales gives the work to professional SDRs whose job is to do the distribution of your products or service on all ideal channels.
Our SDRs have the knowledge and skillset to get the best out of their assignments, and they dedicate themselves fully to it. No divided tasks here.
Access to new markets
To identify whether your products or services might find attention in other markets or target groups, it's useful to work with an external partner to test those markets before investing too much time in them.
Once a new market is identified the in-house sales can focus on this field, and so can marketing.
But that first step done by your external partner is a great, time and money-saving step.
Testing new channels
Companies might outsource lead generation as a way of outsourcing risk while they pivot the business.
Pivoting refers to a fundamental change in the direction of a business or a drastic shift into a new marketing strategy.
Companies test the viability of a channel before bringing it in-house by outsourcing. And also, external partners have more freedom to test out different outreach strategies and channels than in-house teams.
Don't forget the costs
As just mentioned the general costs to run an inhouse sales are extremely high compared to an external partner.
The saved money can be used to grow your business further.
Full dedication to sales
Outsourcing your inside sales gives the work to professional SDRs whose job is to do the distribution of your products or service on all ideal channels.
Our SDRs have the knowledge and skillset to get the best out of their assignments, and they dedicate themselves fully to it. No divided tasks here.
Access to new markets
To identify whether your products or services might find attention in other markets or target groups, it's useful to work with an external partner to test those markets before investing too much time in them.
Once a new market is identified the in-house sales can focus on this field, and so can marketing.
But that first step done by your external partner is a great, time and money-saving step.
Testing new channels
Companies might outsource lead generation as a way of outsourcing risk while they pivot the business.
Pivoting refers to a fundamental change in the direction of a business or a drastic shift into a new marketing strategy.
Companies test the viability of a channel before bringing it in-house by outsourcing. And also, external partners have more freedom to test out different outreach strategies and channels than in-house teams.
Don't forget the costs
As just mentioned the general costs to run an inhouse sales are extremely high compared to an external partner.
The saved money can be used to grow your business further.
Conclusion
Lead generation is unquestionably an important cog in the sales process. And you should not limit yourself to just focusing on inbound or outbound lead generation.
A combination of both will always deliver the best results.
Outbound is very effective to get short-term results to find out how your product or service performs in new markets or for different target groups, or to test different tactics.
But lead generation can be time-consuming and requires a lot of knowledge. If you don't do it right, you will waste way too much money to have a great ROI.
If you don't want to be outperformed by your competitors, but want to expand and grow, it's worth considering outsourcing your SDRs.
Feel free to reach out and hire a SalesPipe SDR.
A combination of both will always deliver the best results.
Outbound is very effective to get short-term results to find out how your product or service performs in new markets or for different target groups, or to test different tactics.
But lead generation can be time-consuming and requires a lot of knowledge. If you don't do it right, you will waste way too much money to have a great ROI.
If you don't want to be outperformed by your competitors, but want to expand and grow, it's worth considering outsourcing your SDRs.
Feel free to reach out and hire a SalesPipe SDR.
Post by Mattes Wöstemeier.
Get started
If you are a company looking for sales growth or a sales rep looking for opportunity, let's chat.
