Most outbound teams struggle to reach decision-makers in crowded inboxes. Here's how to fix that.

Decision-makers receive hundreds of emails weekly. Standing out requires precision, not volume.

This guide covers proven tactics for generating qualified leads, establishing credibility, and converting cold outreach into pipeline.

You'll learn how to personalize at scale and improve response rates with signal-based targeting.

Outbound sales challenges (and how to solve them)

Strategic outbound fills your pipeline with qualified opportunities and drives new customer acquisition. And while effective, they come with their own set of challenges.

Here's a breakdown of some common obstacles that outbound sales teams face — and how you can approach them:

Generating high-quality leads

Identifying and establishing connections with decision-makers who are a good fit for the product or service can be time-consuming and challenging, especially in enterprise companies with complex organizational structures.

What you can do:

• Trackjob changes and personalized buying signals to reach decision-makers when they're most likely to engage—like when a champion moves to a new company or shows intent.
• Make good use of lead scoring and qualification tools. Once you pinpoint suitable accounts, prioritize your efforts by focusing onleads most likely to convert.
• Leverage social selling by engaging with prospects on platforms like LinkedIn. It will help you build a personal relationship and uncover new opportunities.

Cutting through the noise

Prospects are constantly bombarded with emails and calls, making it difficult to stand out. Breaking down this communication barrier and making a lasting impression requires a personalized, strategic, and creative sales approach.

What you can do:

• Make sure your outreach messages and offers are tailored to your target account’s needs
• Use creative subject lines and email copy to grab attention and entice recipients to open your message, following through with engaging and attention-grabbing copy
• Provide value and build rapport rather than pushing a hard sell, by offering insightful resources, sharing relevant industry trends, or presenting solutions to common challenges faced by your target audience
• Experiment with creative formats and approaches, like visuals, videos, or interactive elements in your outreach to stand out from the crowd

Building trust and credibility

The outbound sales process often begins with cold outreach, often met with skepticism and distrust. Prospects who regularly receive unsolicited messages may view your initial contact with a wary eye.

Establishing trust and credibility becomes essential in this context for a successful SDR strategy.

What you can do:

• Invest time in researching your prospects and their businesses. Understand their industry, pain points, and goals. This knowledge allows you to tailor the sales conversation to their needs, demonstrating that you've done your homework and genuinely care about their success.
• Position yourself as an advisor who offers solutions and guidance. Instead, offer valuable solutions to their problems — for example, a case study of a company like your target prospect’s, that demonstrate your expertise and ability to deliver results.
• Use social proof to build credibility. Testimonials from satisfied customers, case studies highlighting successful outcomes, or mentions in reputable publications can validate your claims and reassure prospects of your know-how.

Overcoming objections

Even with the best-crafted outreach, prospects may have objections or concerns that need to be addressed before they're willing to move forward. Anticipating and skillfully handling these objections is a critical skill for any outbound B2B sales professional.

What you can do:

• Prepare for common objections by researching your target audience and understanding their typical pain points. For example, enterprise-level companies may worry about a new tech solution integrating with their existing software and workflows. Develop thoughtful responses that address these concerns head-on, demonstrating your understanding and offering solutions.
• When objections arise, listen attentively to your prospects' concerns. Listen fully and acknowledge their concerns. Instead, acknowledge their perspective and seek to understand the root of their objection.
• Show empathy for your prospects' challenges and concerns. Let them know you understand their perspective and are committed to finding a solution that works for them.

Maintaining motivation and resilience

Outbound sales involves frequent rejection.

Most outreach won't convert. Focus on improving your targeting and messaging to increase your hit rate. It's a numbers game, but it's also a test of your resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks.

What you can do:

• Embrace the "No" because rejection is part of the game and represents a business decision. Every interaction, even the unsuccessful ones, is an opportunity to learn and refine your approach.
• Celebrate the small victories along the way. Acknowledge and appreciate the small victories along the way — a positive conversation, a scheduled demo, a piece of valuable feedback.
• Focus on the long-term benefits of outbound sales. Every connection you make, every conversation you have, is an investment in building relationships and opening doors to future opportunities.

Outbound sales process: 8 key steps

The outbound sales process involves a series of strategic steps that guide sales representatives from initial prospect identification to closing deals.

Here's a breakdown of the typical steps involved:

Step 1: Know your target

First things first: figure out who you're selling to. Define your ideal customer profile (ICP) with specific firmographics and buyer characteristics. Identify their company size, tech stack, and primary business challenges.

Example: If you're selling project management software, your target might be overwhelmed team leaders in fast-growing companies.

Step 2: Hunt for leads

With your ideal customer profile (ICP) and buyer personas in hand, it's time to start hunting for potential customers. Your outbound prospecting process should include using various sources like online databases, social media, industry events, and referrals. It’s important to mix the channels up to reach a broader target market and make sure you reach different segments of your audience.

"Experiment with multiple channels," advises Jill Rowley, Social Selling Evangelist. "Experiment with different sources.”

Example: Attend a tech conference, engage in relevant LinkedIn groups, and ask current clients if they know anyone who might benefit from your solution.

Step 3: Qualify your leads

Some leads will be better fits than others. Ask the right questions to see if your new lead is a good fit at the moment. Qualification filters out low-fit prospects so you focus on accounts most likely to convert: dig deeper into their pain points, goals, budget, and decision-making process.

Example: "What's your current process for X? How much time/money are you spending on it?"

Step 4: Make contact (but make it personal)

Generic outreach gets ignored. Personalize every message based on prospect-specific context. Tailor your outreach to each prospect — show them you've done your homework. Also, consider different channels for reaching out: phone, email, and social media to increase your chances of engagement.

Example: "Hi Sarah, loved your recent article on remote team challenges. I think our tool could help with the communication issues you mentioned..."

Step 5: Show, don't just tell

When you've got their interest, bring your solution to life. Tailor demos to their specific use case. Focus on outcomes, not features. Give a demo that is engaging and leaves a lasting impression.

Example: If they mentioned struggling with task delegation, focus your demo on that feature.

Step 6: Handle objections like a pro

Expect pushback and be ready for it, but be ready to turn objections into opportunities. Do your homework and prepare responses to common objections like price, competition, and timing. As negotiation expert Chris Vossadvises, "Negotiation is about finding common ground."

Example: If they say, "It's too expensive," respond with, "I understand budget concerns. Let's look at the ROI you could expect in the first six months..."

Step 7: Close the deal

Highlight the benefits of taking action now and offer incentives for quick decision-making. As sales strategist Brian Burns says, "Create a sense of urgency, and you create a sale." Be clear about next steps and guide the lead through making the purchase decision, again making your suggestions and offers relevant to their specific circumstances.

Example: "If we get started this month, you'll be up and running before your busy season hits. Shall we schedule the onboarding for next week?"

Step 8: Maintain engagement after the sale

The deal's closed, and your job continues with customer support. Make sure your new client feels supported — this can help turn them into an advocate for your brand, as well as make any future upsells or cross-sells easier.

Example: Schedule a check-in call one month after implementation to address any issues and explore additional needs.

14 outbound sales techniques you can try to improve your response rates

Generic outreach fails. Personalized, signal-based messaging converts.

Your goal: start conversations that lead to pipeline. This requires targeted messaging based on real buyer signals.

These tactics improve response rates by making your outreach more relevant and timely.

1. Personalize your email outreach

Email marketing remains effective for outbound, but only when personalized and relevant. Generic messages get ignored.

After the initial greeting, focus on showing the prospect you've done your homework by referencing their recent achievements, industry news, or even a shared interest you discovered on their social media accounts.

Will Yang of Instrumentl says, “Your email should be personal and tailored to the recipient — generic ‘spray and pray’ messages will almost always be ignored.”

The email should also provide some value before diving into sales:

“Focus on helping them solve a problem they're likely facing before presenting your product or service,” advises Yang.

Finally, it’s key to tell the recipient of your email what to do next, which Yang emphasizes: “Make sure to include a strong call-to-action so that the recipient knows what you want them to do next.”

Alex Kracov of Dock provides an example of an effective email that contains all the relevant resources that will help you prospect understand what your solution is about.

"For target accounts, one of the best ways to stand out is by creating a digital sales room. The digital sales room includes everything the prospect needs to know about your solution, from your demo videos to case studies to pricing. The best SDRs start from a template and then add personalization as they work with prospects. By creating a personalized experience, you're able to stand out from the competition and show that you understand the prospect's business."

2. Add trust signals

Trust signals establish credibility before you make your pitch.

Mentioning a recent award or customer win in your outreach immediately establishes credibility.

Research your prospects before reaching out.

Here’s an example: "Hi Mary, I noticed we're both connected to Sarah Johnson at TechCorp. She actually used our software to boost her team's productivity by 30% last quarter. Given your recent post about streamlining operations, I thought you might be interested in hearing how we could do the same for you."

This message references a mutual connection, includes a specific outcome, and addresses a known challenge—three elements that increase response rates.

3. Focus on a specific pain point

Focus on one specific pain point per message rather than listing all your features.

“The biggest tip is to make sure it is super easy to see what your value proposition is over, say the dozens (if not hundreds) of other competitors out there, otherwise, it is going to be really difficult not to come across as just another person reaching out,’’ says Vito Peleg of Atarim.

So, identify a specific pain point (for instance, tracking deadlines with remote teams), show your prospect you understand the context (say, upcoming product launch), provide social proof (helped another company of similar size or within the same industry), and offer a concrete benefit (40% reduction in missed milestones).

Focusing on one pain point positions you as a specialist who understands their specific challenge.

Bonus tip: A picture is worth a thousand words, and a GIF can be even more engaging. Use GIFs to showcase your product in action or add a touch of humor to your emails.

4. Be concise

Decision-makers are busy. Your message needs to communicate value immediately.

Your message must cut through the noise and immediately tell them why they should continue the conversation with you. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. And above all, make sure your ask is clear and upfront.

Friderike "Rika" Osterbuhr of Kosmo recommends, “Be honest and get to the point. I believe by now, all of us have been bombarded with multiple cold emails and cheap attempts to catch our attention. Instead of sending super long emails to convince the reader to respond, keep your message short. Say why you’re reaching out and what you’d like the reader to do.”

Along with conciseness, you should prioritize clarity. Busy prospects don’t have time to decipher corporate jargon. Write in a conversational tone — imagine you're talking to a friend, not writing a formal business letter. This will help you build rapport and make your message more engaging.

5. Add a clear CTA

Your CTA should make the next step obvious and easy.

The key is to keep it quick and convenient. Request a brief, low-commitment interaction that they can do in just a few clicks, like:

"I'd love to show you how we can help streamline your project management process. How about a quick 15-minute demo this week? Just click this link to choose a time that works best for you: [Insert calendar link]

If you're not ready for a demo yet, no worries! I've attached a 2-minute video walkthrough of our platform. Give it a watch when you have a moment, and let me know what you think."

This approach offers two clear, low-commitment options:

1. Schedule a short demo with minimal effort (just click a link!)
2. Watch a quick video on their own time

Both actions are specific, low-commitment, and move the sales process forward. Plus, by offering alternatives, we're showing respect for their time and preferences.

Here are a few great CTA examples by Mike Gallardo, Deel’s sales leader:

6. Be human

Let your personality shine through in your outreach. B2B buyers respond to human, relevant outreach—not generic automation.

Focus on providing value and building rapport before asking for the meeting. You should still do your due diligence before the entire process. This is a tried and tested way to establish a connection with your potential buyers on a more personal level.

Amanda Natividad of Sparktoro is great at this. She gets an 80% open rate on her cold emails by spending time to know her prospects before hitting send. She follows them on their social channels and subscribes to their newsletter if they have one.

Here's the full video:

7. Build out templates

While personalization is key, templates can help you save time and ensure consistent messaging. Create a library of cold email templates for different scenarios (initial outreach, follow-up, etc.) and customize them for each prospect.

And you can do the same with call scripts. They can help junior sales reps overcome the nervousness when speaking to prospects on the phone. Also, these scripts will ensure that every person on your team is speaking the same language when it comes to unique value props and addressing key pain points that your product solves.

Krittin Kalra of Writecream shares the she uses ”a cold call script to make the first call. It helps me to get my foot in the door. I also use a cold email script to make the first email. This script has helped me to get my foot in the door, and it also helps me to have a conversation with the prospect.”

8. Always follow up

Stay persistent when prospects take time to respond. Following up at least three times over a couple of weeks shows your genuine interest and gives your message another chance to shine.

As Lisa Dietrich of RemoteCanteen wisely advises, "Always follow up. If someone shows interest in what you are selling, make sure to reach out and see if there are any questions or concerns that need to be addressed."

This is especially important if the prospect has previously engaged with you. A well-timed follow-up can rekindle your inbound leads’ interest and move the conversation forward.

And remember, a simple one-liner like "Just checking in to see if you had a chance to review my previous email" can sometimes do the trick, you don’t always have to dig deep into the email marketing magic.

9. Don’t skip phone calls

Phone calls can break through email clutter when timed around a relevant signal.

Effective calling requires preparation and context, not volume. The key is to be prepared without sounding robotic. Think of your script as a roadmap, but be ready to take detours based on the conversation.

Here's a quick example of how to kick off a call:

"Hi Sarah, this is Alex from ProjectPro. I noticed your recent LinkedIn post about struggling with remote team coordination. Is this a good time for a quick chat about how we've helped companies like yours streamline their processes?"

If they say yes: "Great! Just to give you a quick overview, we've developed a tool that's helped companies like TechCorp reduce missed deadlines by 40%. Could you tell me a bit about your current setup and where you're facing the most challenges?"

If they say the timing doesn't work: "No problem at all. When would be a better time to reach out? In the meantime, I'd be happy to send over a quick video demo if that would be helpful."

Prepare your key points but stay flexible based on the prospect's responses.

10. Customize your outreach, at scale

Crafting a bespoke message for every single prospect would take more time than there are hours in the day.

That's where the magic of customization at scale comes in. It lets you have the best of both worlds — the personal touch of a handcrafted message, with the efficiency of automation. The right tools let you personalize at scale without sacrificing quality.

Here's how to make it happen:

1. Segment your prospects: Group them based on industry, company size, pain points, or any other relevant factors.
2. Create templates for each segment: Develop email templates that speak to the specific needs and challenges of each group.
3. A/B test your messages: Track your email marketing KPIs so that you can refine your approach based on what resonates best with each segment.
4. Leverage technology: Use sales engagement platforms that allow for personalization tokens and automated sequencing. UserGems, for example, can help automate personalized outreach while maintaining a human touch. This allows you to send targeted messages to a large number of prospects without sacrificing quality.

11. Cold messaging on social media platforms

Social media DMs sometimes offer a more personal touch — LinkedIn, for instance, makes it easier to access information about someone immediately after you receive a message from them. But decision makers receive a lot of DMs daily, just like with emails.

Here’s how to take the game to the next level:

• Go beyond the profile bio: Dive deeper. Have they recently shared an article, project, or challenge? Use that as a springboard for your message.
• Acknowledge their achievements: Did they win an award or launch something new? Mention it in your message and show you're genuinely interested in their work.
• Keep it short: People are busy on social media. Aim for 2-3 sentences that grab their attention.
• Highlight a specific pain point: Briefly mention a challenge they might be facing based on your research (e.g., "I saw your tweet about...")
• Offer a solution (without being salesy): Briefly mention how your product/service could address that pain point (e.g., "I recently came across [your solution] that might be helpful...")

Here’s an example:

Let's say you're a social media marketing consultant reaching out to a marketing manager on LinkedIn:

Hi [Name], I came across your recent post about the struggle to increase engagement on your company's Instagram page.

I was really impressed with your [mention a specific tactic they mentioned].

I help businesses like yours develop data-driven social media strategies. I'd be happy to share some insights that might be relevant. Would you be open to a quick chat next week?

Using this approach, you can increase your chances of sparking a conversation and turning a cold DM into a warm lead.

12. Ask existing customers for referrals

Your happy customers are your best advocates. Ask them confidently for referrals or testimonials as word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most powerful ways to sell.

To get referrals, make sure your product or service consistently exceeds expectations, and your customers see the value you bring. Wait until the customer’s had a chance to experience all the benefits — a good time might be after a successful project completion, after they've left a positive review, or when you address a concern and turn it into a positive experience.

Provide clear instructions on how to refer someone. Consider a referral program with incentives (discounts, rewards) to add extra motivation.

Let's say you run a graphic design agency. A client is thrilled with the new logo you designed for their company. Here's how you might approach them for a referral:

Subject: We'd love your feedback (and maybe a referral!)

Dear [Client Name],

We're so glad you love your new logo! We put a lot of care into creating a design that perfectly reflects your brand, and your positive feedback truly means a lot to us.

As a token of our appreciation, we'd like to offer you a 15% discount on your next project with us.

We're always looking to connect with other businesses who might benefit from our design services. Do you know of anyone in your network who might be interested in a logo refresh or other branding materials? If so, we'd be grateful if you could recommend us.

Thanks again for your business!

Sincerely,

The [Your Company Name] Team

This way, you can turn happy customers into enthusiastic brand advocates and fuel your growth through the power of referrals.

13. Use account-based marketing techniques

Tailor your messaging and outreach to resonate with specific decision-makers within the organization. This may be a tip not many experts rely on, but it needs to be in your sales tactics toolkit.

Here’s an example of what you can do.

Let's say you sell a project management software solution. You've identified a large construction company as a high-value target. Here's how you could leverage ABM:

1. Research: You discover the company is struggling with managing multiple projects across geographically dispersed teams.
2. Personalized email: You craft an email to the project manager highlighting how your software's collaboration features and real-time communication tools can streamline their workflow and improve project visibility.
3. Social media: You connect with the company's CEO on LinkedIn and share a case study showcasing how a similar construction firm improved project efficiency with your software.
4. Direct mail: You send a targeted brochure with a success story about a company in their industry to the head of construction operations.

Personalizing your message and showcasing the specific value proposition for each decision-maker significantly increases your chances of capturing their attention and sparking a meaningful conversation. This ABM approach demonstrates that you understand their unique needs and positions you as a trusted advisor, not just another salesperson.

14. Use omnichannel, multi-touch strategies

Effective sales strategies always use a combination of tactics to nurture leads and convert them into loyal customers. Omni-channel marketing + multi-touch sales techniques often deliver great results:

• Omnichannel marketing: Imagine your customer journey as a multi-stop route. Omnichannel marketing ensures a seamless and consistent experience across all the touchpoints (channels) where customers interact with your brand. This could be social media ads, your website, email marketing, a physical store, or even a combination of these. The key is that regardless of the touchpoint, the message, branding, and overall experience should be cohesive.
• Multi-touch strategies: People rarely buy after a single interaction. Multi-touch strategies acknowledge this reality. Here, you strategically use multiple channels to reach and engage potential customers throughout their decision-making process. This might involve different content marketing strategies such as social media posts for brand awareness, informative blog articles to generate interest, and targeted email campaigns with special offers to nudge them towards a purchase.

Say you're selling a project management software solution. You connect with a potential client on LinkedIn (awareness).

You then follow up with a personalized email highlighting a blog post they recently shared about challenges in managing remote teams, showcasing how your software addresses those specific issues (interest).

Later, you send a targeted email with a case study detailing how a similar company in their industry improved efficiency with your software (consideration).

Finally, impressed by the consistent messaging and valuable information across channels, they schedule a demo to see the software in action and discuss their specific needs (decision).

This is the power of omnichannel and multi-touch strategies working together to convert a potential customer into a loyal software user.

15 KPIs for tracking outbound sales success

Tracking the right KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of your outbound sales efforts and identifying areas for improvement. Here are some essential metrics to track:

Activity metrics

These measure the volume and frequency of outbound sales activities.

• Number of calls made. The total number of calls made by your outbound sales reps within a given period
• Number of emails sent. Monitor the number of emails sent to prospects
• Number of social media interactions. Interactions like LinkedIn messages or Twitter mentions
• Number of meetings booked. How many meetings or demos are scheduled as a result of outreach

Quality metrics

These evaluate the quality and effectiveness of your sales interactions.

• Call-to-appointment ratio. The percentage of calls that result in a scheduled meeting
• Email open rate. The percentage of emails that are opened by recipients
• Email click-through rate (CTR). The percentage of recipients who click on links within your emails
• Response rate. The percentage of prospects who respond to your outreach (calls, emails, social messages)‍
• Lead qualification rate. The percentage of outbound leads that meet your criteria for a qualified prospect

Outcome metrics

These focus on the ultimate results of your outbound sales efforts.

• Conversion rate. The percentage of qualified leads that convert into paying customers
• Sales cycle length. The average time it takes to close a deal from initial contact to purchase
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC). The average cost of acquiring a new customer through outbound sales‍
• Revenue generated. The total revenue generated through outbound sales activities

Additional metrics to consider could include:

• Average deal size. The average revenue generated per closed deal‍
• Win rate. The percentage of deals won compared to the total number of deals pursued

Outbound sales tools to consider

There's a wealth of tools available to streamline outbound sales processes and improve efficiency. These powerful solutions streamline your workflow, make data-driven decisions about your leads, provide valuable insights, and ultimately help you close more deals.

Let's explore some key categories and standout examples:

• Sales intelligence tools. These toolsprovide real-time insights into prospect behavior, company news, and buying signals. Thanks to them, your sales team can personalize their outreach messages, make sure their follow-ups are timely, and improve their win rates.some text
  • Examples: UserGems, Gong, Chorus.ai
• Customer relationship management software. CRM tools help centralize customer data, track interactions, manage leads, and automate sales workflows. They enable improved organization and management of your customer and prospect accounts, enhanced communication, data-driven insights.some text
  • Examples: Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM
• Sales engagement platforms. Sales engagement platforms automate and personalize outreach across multiple channels (email, phone, social), track engagement, and analyze performance, allowing you to scale your sales efforts. Thanks to them, you’ll have increased efficiency, higher response rates, and better lead nurturing.some text
  • Examples: Outreach, Salesloft, Groove, Reply.io
• Sales prospecting tools. Salesprospecting tools help identify and qualify potential leads, find contact information, and enrich lead profiles. They’re invaluable for targeted outreach, as they allow you to get accurate contact data and gain a deeper understanding of your prospects and their pain points.some text
  • Examples: LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Lusha, Apollo.io
• Email tracking and analytics tools. Email tracking and analytics tools monitor email opens, clicks, and replies, gain insights into recipient behavior, and optimize email campaigns. They enable data-driven decision-making and optimization of your inbound marketing and outbound sales campaigns, while improving email deliverability.some text
  • Examples: Yesware, Mailtrack, Braze
• Calling and dialing tools. These tools streamline calling workflows, automate dialing, record calls, and provide call analytics. Thanks to them, you can count on increased productivity, improved call quality and data-driven insights that can help refine your call scripts and techniques.‍
  • Examples: RingCentral, Aircall, PhoneBurner, ConnectAndSell

Drive bigger pipeline and accelerate your sales cycle

Successful outbound sales strategies require a delicate balance of personalization, persistence, and precision. But let's face it — manually tracking job changes, identifying decision-makers, and personalizing outreach at scale can be overwhelming. This is where a powerful tool like UserGems comes into play.

UserGems tracks job changes and buyer signals so you reach decision-makers at the right time with relevant context.

Imagine never missing an opportunity when a champion from one of your customer accounts moves to a new company. Or having a constant stream of warm leads from your customers' coworkers and lookalike personas. That's the power of UserGems.

Ready to improve your outbound results with signal-based targeting? Then it's time to book a demo with our team and give UserGems a try.

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