The days of relying solely on cold calling to generate new business leads are fading fast. Modern buyers are increasingly self-educated before ever engaging with a sales rep. In fact, according to Forrester Research, buyers are between 70% to 90% of the way through the purchasing process before they make first contact.
This new reality requires a shift in outreach strategies to effectively capture buyers’ attention. Forward-thinking organisations are moving beyond one-dimensional cold calling to implement innovative methods of initiating contact. By leveraging technology and embracing a more nuanced, personalised approach, they are cutting through the noise to deliver value from the very first interaction.
Let’s explore some of the most effective strategies for outreach in the modern, buyer-driven marketplace. While cold calling still has select applications, leading organisations are taking outreach to the next level.
Leverage Intent Data for Highly Targeted Outreach
One of the biggest frustrations with traditional cold calling is the large percentage of contacts who simply are not in the market for your offering. While they may be polite on the phone, they have no real interest or need that warrants further discussion.
Intent data changes this dynamic by identifying contacts already showing interest in solutions like yours. Sources of intent data include:
– Website traffic analysis showing visits to key product pages
– Social media conversations and mentions
– Online content consumption patterns
– Email engagement such as opening industry-relevant newsletters
– Trade show attendance lists
With intent data, you can filter prospects to focus on those demonstrating active interest in your products or services. Outreach becomes conversations with “warm” leads versus pure cold calls.
Personalise for Each Contact’s Needs
Even when working with intent data, today’s buyers expect a personalised experience. Generic outreach that could be sent to anyone simply doesn’t cut it anymore.
Savvy sales teams research each prospect to understand their business, role, responsibilities, and pain points. This data enables customised messaging for maximum relevance.
Personalisation tactics include:
– Connecting around common experiences such as university attended or hometown
– Referencing the prospect’s own social media posts and interests
– Discussing their specific business challenges
– Tailoring case studies and content to their industry
– Following up on previous conversations
It does require more work than blasting out mass emails. However, the increased response rates and connection building is well worth the effort.
Embrace Multichannel Outreach
Phone calls alone are not enough to grab attention in today’s world. Buyers are inundated across numerous channels throughout their day.
To maximise responses, use a combination of outreach channels including:
Email: Well-crafted emails can provide value and prompt a reply. Test different subject lines, avoid hard sells in the first email, and make unsubscribing easy.
Social Media: Commenting on a prospect’s posts and engaging via channels like LinkedIn establishes a connection that makes a cold call feel warmer.
Text Messages: Studies show 98% of text messages are opened compared to just 20% of emails. Keep the initial text short and casual while referencing previous conversations.
Direct Mail: A personalised direct mail piece can stand out in a sea of plain white envelopes. Mail relevant samples, postcards, or even just handwritten notes.
Video: Record short, casual videos to email or text prospects. The personal touch of video builds rapport.
Do not rely solely on one channel. Use a combination based on each prospect’s preferences and tendencies. Spread out touches over multiple weeks to achieve top of mind presence.
Prioritise Value Over Selling
Outreach is the start of a relationship, not a one-call close opportunity. Avoid aggressive sales pitches right off the bat. You are trying to capture interest, not go straight for the hard sell before rapport exists.
Instead, focus on delivering value:
– Provide useful research, tips, or insights without strings attached
– Introduce prospects to other contacts that may help them
– Seek feedback on their challenges and suggest potential solutions
– Offer free consultation or trial of your services
When you demonstrate a desire to truly help, buyers will reward you with their attention and trust. Relationship-building should be the primary goal, not quick sales.
Equip The Team With Conversation Tools
Even with thorough research and the best intentions, outreach conversations may veer off track. Sales reps need tools to steer dialogue in a positive direction.
Examples include:
– Redirecting statements: “That’s an interesting point. Now focusing on your needs…”
– Probing questions: “What factors make this issue especially challenging?”
– Affirming comments: “I understand where you are coming from.”
– Bridging statements: “It sounds like your goal is to increase sales. Our platform can help with that by…”
With practice, these conversational tactics will become second nature. The most successful reps turn even difficult prospects into productive engagements.
Make It Easy To Follow Up
Outreach should always end by making the next step clear and easy. Do not rely on prospects to drive follow up.
Tactics to spur further contact include:
– Sending calendar invites to schedule future meetings or calls
– Providing links or phone numbers to access free trials or content
– Introducing contacts to colleagues for the next conversation
– Asking for the best channel and time for following up
– Requiring just one click to schedule the next call
Remove any friction surrounding follow up. Momentum is powerful, so keep it moving forward.
Continuously Refine Your Process
Outreach is not a set-it-and-forget-it process. The marketplace evolves and buyers change their habits. You need to continually test, measure, and refine outreach to achieve optimal results.
Analyse metrics like:
– Contact-to-opportunity conversion rates
– Response times across channels
– Click-through rates on emails
– Content consumption patterns
Look for trends and changes that indicate what is working well and what needs adjustment. The most successful companies embrace outreach as an ongoing optimisation process, not a single rigid strategy.
The Future Lies In Orchestrated Outreach
Traditional cold calling alone is no longer sufficient to spark meaningful conversations and relationships with modern buyers. They expect a personalised, tailored experience from their very first interaction.
By leveraging intent data, coordinating across channels, prioritising value, and continuously optimising, sales teams can break through the noise to deliver relevant, valuable outreach. The human touch remains important even as technology enhances the process.
Outreach will only grow more sophisticated with the application of artificial intelligence and expanded intent signals. But those who embrace the new rules of outreach today will have a distinct competitive advantage, both now and in the future.
In our digitally overloaded world, capturing buyer attention comes down to relevance, value and persistence. With an orchestrated outreach strategy encompassing both technology and personalisation, meaningful connections can flourish from the very first touch.