The Outbound Framework
It takes a village...to build an outbound pipeline!
Outbound is often seen as the most difficult process to implement in sales. I agree. It's very difficult.
Overall, outbound sales is an effective way to reach new customers and grow your business, but it requires a strategic approach, a clear value proposition, and persistence to be successful.
I have implemented outbound processes multiple times and I'm a big fan of building my success with a predictable approach. (outbound > inbound).
My process has developed through the years and has five clear steps:
Targeting
Prospecting
Outreach
Evaluate
Refine
1. Targeting:
Here the biggest part is the definition of your Ideal Customer Profile. Sit down with your team and co-founders and brainstorm for 1-2 hours around:
The Roles and the Companies that are buying or might buy your product/solution
What are the pains
How your product/software can serve them.
What is the unique advantage you have vs your competitors.
Build the lists with one company and from two to five decision-makers each. Depends on how structured is your sales cycle.
2. Prospecting
Build your lists. Each person has to prepare in advance their lists. Name, Surname, phone, email, recent job changes or behaviours. Prepare in advance. Use tools like Apollo to build them or Sales Navigator and then upload them into your CRM. You can also run the outbound campaigns on Apollo and move only the ones that are interested.
Prepare your sales scripts and the materials needed for each ICP.
3. Outreach
Use sequences, emails, calls, Linkedin, and Videos. Have an 8-10 steps sequence that lasts 30 days. Do not skip the calls. Have a sequence for each role/language/industry. One fully automated for low-score leads and one manual for high-score leads.
4. Evaluate
Always analyse your efforts. See if the % response rate picks up and you start booking meetings. Look at your KPIs every day. Aim for perfection here.
5. Refine
Outbound has to be refined all the time. Go back and forth every month or so. Review your ICP, your lists, and the sequences.
Make sure you twist and make it better every time.
Building an outbound sales machine means taking control of your own destiny.
I have shared a Miro board where my process is laid out, grab it here.
