When it comes to sales, the debate between inbound vs outbound prospecting is as old as the hills. Inbound focuses on drawing customers in, while outbound is all about reaching out to potential clients.
Both methods have their unique ways, which is why inbound vs outbound prospecting tips are always in demand among sales professionals. As the business world keeps evolving, it’s crucial to stay updated and sometimes even rethink our strategies.
It calls for fresh approaches and refine existing ones. Hence, today, we’ll share the best inbound vs outbound prospecting tips. That way you’ll get clear and actionable insights to scale your sales game.
Best Inbound Vs Outbound Prospecting Tips
Both inbound and outbound sales meaning have their unique strengths. By blending the best of both worlds, your sales team can be more versatile and better reach your audience.
Here are some straightforward tips to improve your sales approach —
1. Know Your Audience
Before spending time and money, understand who you’re talking to. Picture your ideal customer and stick to that image.
This ensures you’re talking to folks who might genuinely be interested in what you offer. Keep updating this image as markets change.
Maybe even have a team member dedicated to this task, always keeping a finger on the pulse.
2. Stay Concise
Obviously, you want to make a solid first impression. However, if you overload your initial message, you risk losing your prospect’s attention.
Your prospect shouldn’t be left wondering about the purpose of your outreach. Create a clear, brief message that highlights one major benefit of your offering which often referred as KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method.
3. Quality Over Quantity
Gone are the days of selling to just anyone. Nowadays, a bad review can hurt. So, focus on selling to those who truly benefit from your product. This is where inbound shines.
Train your team to ask the right questions. Understand the needs of the potential customer and see if your product is the right solution for them.
4. Build Bridges
It’s all about making genuine connections. The best inbound sales strategy isn’t about hitting people with emails they didn’t ask for or cold-calling them out of the blue. It’s about offering content they’d want to dive into and letting them reach out when they’re ready.
How? Write blog posts that speak to what they’re struggling with. Answer the questions they’re asking. Offer solutions to their problems. The goal is to get them curious about your business without shoving your product in their face.
When they start thinking about your brand and wondering if they should explore further, that’s a win. And if they reach out? That’s a lead worth pursuing.
5. Activate Curiosity
In case of outbound, it’s a different ballgame. Here, you’re reaching out to peoplewho might not even know you exist. So, you’re starting from scratch. Your mission? Get them interested.
How? Ask about their challenges. Maybe offer a free sample. Highlight a killer benefit they can’t ignore. The aim is to light that spark of interest. Beyond activating curiosity, try into creative ways to reach prospects that can set you apart from the competition.
6. Lead, Don’t Push
Many salespeople rush to seal the deal. But if someone’s come to you, there’s no need to force your product at them. Instead, lead them gently through the process.
Plus, build a real connection as mentioned aobve and give them the info they need to decide. By genuinely helping and connecting, you’re more likely to not only close the deal but also have them come back.
After leading without pushing, the next step is mastering how to get in front of decision-makers, ensuring your pitch reaches the right ears.
7. Use Video to Humanize
When you appear out of the blue with an offer, some might think it’s just spam. So, make it personal. Let them see who’s behind the message. Your click-through rate goes up to 96% if you send your first email with a video.
Due to the socially detached normalcy in which we live, your cold emails need to be more human. You can use video chats or send video messages to make your outreach feel more genuine.
When you go for inbound vs outbound calls, offering a video call early on shows you’re the real deal.
8. Make It About Them
People want to feel valued, not just another sale. And, interestingly, sales representatives work for 15 days every year only inputting phone numbers. So, make each call count.
Plus, have your sales scripts and plans, but don’t be rigid. Instead, encourage your team to think outside the box.
Dive deep into what the customer really wants. Sometimes, that might even mean suggesting something else that fits them better.
Making the buying journey personal can lay the groundwork for lasting business ties. Building trust might take time, but it’s worth the effort.
Instead of pushing the motto, “Always be closing,” go for the idea of “Always be helping.”
9. Be Determined
Let’s face it: most people might skip over your first cold call or email. Emails from unfamiliar names often get overlooked or trashed. Based on Validity’s Email Deliverability Benchmark Report, up to 17% of emails failed to reach the inbox.
This is where many salesfolks throw in the towel. But don’t.
Sending a couple more follow-up emails can nudge people to respond. Now, you don’t want to be that annoying person who won’t stop emailing. But giving it two or three more tries?
That can boost your chances of getting a reply compared to calling it quits after just one shot.
10. Let Your Emails Talk
More than 4 million people use email, and almost all of them (99%) check their emails daily.
According to Litmus, 4 out of 5 marketing professionals prioritize email over social media. Furthermore, 89% of these professionals primarily use email to discover new leads, underscoring the significance of email as an essential channel.
However, many emails get lost in crowded inboxes. With cold email opening rates at a maximum of 28%, you must ensure that your emails stand out.
11. Include Social Proof
Building trust is key when reaching out to new potential clients. They might not know your company yet, so they might search for you online or check your social media to see what others are saying.
But, before they even get to that point, when they first open your email, you’re just another company trying to offer them something. They might not take the time to research you.
To make it easier for them, add a testimonial or success story in your email. Instead of just saying “Big companies like Hubspot or Microsoft work with us,” give a specific example.
For instance, “Our email campaign helped Company ABC get better results. We can help you.” This shows them real results and how you can help them too.
Examples of Inbound and Outbound Implementations
Choosing between inbound and outbound often depends on your situation. Here are some inbound and outbound sales examples to guide your decision:
Inbound Marketing Makes Sense When —
- You’re a startup with a tight budget.
- Lots of folks are looking up your product online.
- Buying your product doesn’t need a lot of thinking.
- You’ve got a unique twist when it comes to content.
- Outbound methods just don’t click with your audience.
Meanwhile, the best outbound sales strategy for marketing is your go-to when —
- You’re dealing with big clients and your product has a hefty price tag.
- You’ve got a fresh solution to an old problem.
- Your product takes time to sell.
- You’re okay with giving sales reps a good commission.
- Your audience doesn’t mind a call out of the blue.
- You know exactly who you want to reach.
With all that being said, you must understand the B2B customer journey stages to focus on, ensuring a seamless experience for your prospects.
Swordfish AI: Best Tool for Better Prospecting
When you’re looking for new contacts, you want to make sure you have the right details. That’s where Swordfish AI can help:
- Big Database: Swordfish provides a database of over 3.5 billion people. That’s a lot of potential contacts!
- Checked Contacts: It gives you email addresses and phone numbers that have been checked to make sure they’re right.
- Easy to Use with Other Tools: You can use Swordfish AI with other sales tools you might already have.
- Safe Data: Swordfish AI makes sure to follow rules about keeping data safe.
So, try out Swordfish AI, to find and reach out to new contacts effortlessly.
Conclusion
We’ve looked deep into the field of inbound and outbound prospecting. Both have their strengths, and neither is a silver bullet solution. It’s like choosing between tea and coffee; it depends on the mood and the situation.
If you’re setting up a business or looking to revamp your sales strategy, give both methods a shot. Test the waters, see what resonates with your audience, and adjust accordingly.
The key takeaway? Be adaptable and always prioritize genuine connections over quick wins. As you move forward, remember our best inbound vs outbound prospecting tips guidelines, and you’ll be on the right track.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does inbound marketing benefit a business?
It boosts awareness and interest, guiding potential customers to you. The process? Get noticed, share knowledge, win them over, support, and seal the deal. The result? More visitors, leads, and loyal customers.
What are the initial stages of reaching out to potential customers?
Start with identifying your perfect customer. Next, figure out who among your potential contacts fits this mold. Finally, engage with them to see if they truly align with what you’re looking for.
What is exactly prospect scoring?
It’s a way to gauge a potential customer’s interest based on how they interact with your content. This score helps you judge if they’re ready to buy and if it’s time for your sales team to step in.