Key Insights from "The Future of Outbound" Event
Just a few weeks ago, industry leaders in sales and marketing gathered for “The Future of Outbound,” a dynamic event focused on equipping businesses for success in the coming year. Packed with actionable strategies, budgeting insights, and active discussions, the event offered a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to optimize their outbound marketing efforts.
We’ve gathered the key takeaways from expert presentations:
- “Building Targeted Audiences That Respond to Your Messages” by Taylor Ryan, CMO at Ocean.io
- “How to Implement Cold Calling That Works” by David Kreiger, President at SalesRoads
- “Thought Leadership on LinkedIn” by Ilya Azovtsev, Growth Marketing Lead at Expandi.io
- “Top 10 Tips for Cold Emailing in 2024” by Brian Hicks, VP of Sales at Belkins
- “Conversion Optimization Tactics” by Joey Williams, Director of Sales Development at Chili Piper
Dive in to explore top 2024 marketing strategies, budgeting best practices, and hands-on tips from roundtable discussions with industry peers.
Tactic #1: Be Creative When Building Lead Lists
If traditional lead generation tactics aren’t working for you, it’s time to innovate. Embrace creative strategies to build super-qualified lead lists.
Taylor Ryan suggests going deeper than the typical awareness-interest-decision-action funnel to create purchase intent:
- Develop a Case Study Playbook: Showcase real-world transformations powered by your solution. This sparks a “me-too” moment in potential leads, making them envision your product as the solution to their struggles.
- Imply Competitor FOMO: Highlight how competitors are thriving with solutions like yours. Craft content that evokes a feeling of missing out, making prospects eager to catch up.
- Offer Imperfect Solutions: Provide a free, “band-aid” solution related to your prospect’s pain point. Follow up later to gauge their experience and introduce your full-fledged offering.
Non-standard lead sources can also be effective. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Social media groups and forums
- Industry-specific directories
- Event attendee lists
Bonus Tip: Data degrades over time. Regularly clean and update your lead lists to maintain optimal performance.
Tactic #2: Track Vital Cold Calling Metrics and Slow Down
Cold calling can feel like a high-pressure race, but success often hinges on slowing down.
David Kreiger advises using permission openers and being deliberate in your presentation to engage prospects more effectively. Remember, cold calling is a human game. Here are key elements of a winning approach:
- Your Mood Dictates Success: A positive attitude and confident mindset directly influence your success.
- Activity Over Perfection: Start dialing rather than over-polishing your pitch. Improvement comes with practice.
- Be Hyper-Targeted: Focus on specific pain points relevant to the prospect’s industry or situation. Do your research beforehand.
- Front-Load Questions with Context: Show you’ve done your homework by mentioning relevant details upfront.
- Mind Your Tone and Pauses: How you say something is often more important than what you say.
- Tell Stories: Share relatable success stories to leave a lasting impression.
- Follow Up Effectively: Ensure a smooth post-appointment handoff and send timely follow-up emails to nurture potential clients.
Track the following metrics to optimize your cold calling efforts:
- Call volume
- Connect rate
- Conversion rate
- Average call duration
These metrics help identify areas for improvement and refine your approach for better results.
Tactic #3: Use Personal Branding to Enhance Your Company’s Image
People trust people, which is why leveraging personal branding can elevate your company’s image. Ilya Azovtsev offers tips to empower your employees and C-suite to become social selling superstars on LinkedIn.
- Grow Your Social Selling Index (SSI): An SSI above 65 can result in a 40% increase in connection requests and improved message response rates. Share valuable insights, participate in discussions, and build genuine connections.
- Maximize Your Reach: Use tools like Expandi.io to bypass LinkedIn’s connection limits and introduce yourself to more people weekly.
- Warm Up Your Outreach: Visit profiles, engage with posts, and endorse skills before connecting. This can boost response rates by 55%.
- Personalize Creatively: Use video follow-ups, data-driven scaling, and tailored profile info to make a strong impression.
Expand Your Coverage: Connect with second and third-degree connections who engage with your content to boost your message’s reach.
Tactic #4: Focus on the Technical Side of Cold Emailing
A compelling cold email means nothing if it doesn’t reach the recipient’s inbox. Brian Hicks shares technical tips to ensure your emails land where they’re meant to.
- Pass the Deliverability Gateway: Align your email sending provider (ESP) with the recipient’s ESP (Gmail to Gmail, Outlook to Outlook) for optimal delivery rates.
- Test Before Sending: Check email deliverability using the exact templates and signatures you plan to use.
- Stay Fresh: Update email templates and sequences regularly to avoid spam filters.
- Respect Sending Limits: Distribute leads evenly and avoid large batches.
Best Practices for Cold Email Outreach:
- Focus on quality interactions over quantity.
- Respect domain limits.
- Keep emails short and simple.
- Use one CTA and one link per email.
- Track reply rates to measure genuine performance.
- Re-engage old leads every six months.
Bonus Tip: Send reminder emails before scheduled appointments to increase attendance rates.
Tactic #5: Optimize Processes to Boost Conversions
Great SDRs are essential, but a winning formula requires more. Joey Williams explains how to define the perfect target account and automate the process of getting SDRs in touch at the optimal time.
- Determine Core Approach: Identify relevant accounts, assess fit, and link messaging to identified triggers.
- Automate Account Assignment: Use routing software like Chili Piper’s Distro to pre-qualify accounts, distribute leads smartly, and equip SDRs with context.
Bonus Tip: Allow SDRs to find their most effective outreach style, whether it’s cold calling, cold emailing, or leveraging LinkedIn.
Looking Ahead: Trends and Predictions for 2024
Balancing automation and human interaction is crucial. While technology streamlines tasks, the human touch remains irreplaceable. Sellers need to understand buyer needs and guide them through the journey.
Key Challenges and Solutions:
- Shrinking Budgets: Dual-purpose roles may blur the line between SDR and account executive.
- Cutting Through Noise: Personalized outreach and compelling messaging are essential.
- Mastering Hyper-Personalization: Use data and insights to craft highly personalized messages.
- Spotting Micro-Trends: Capitalize on emerging trends to attract early adopters.
Focus on building genuine relationships, offering a buyer-centric approach, and leveraging human connection alongside automation.
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