The best salespeople know that the key to successful closing is a solid outreach strategy. It's not just about sending out a bunch of cold emails and hoping for a reply, it's about crafting personalized outreach messages that resonate with your target market.
Sales prospecting can be a time-consuming and difficult task. It's hard to know how to reach out, what sales outreach ideas are effective, and which sales prospecting techniques work best for your sales team.
This blog post will look at the different sales outreach ideas you can use when reaching out to potential clients to land more sales meetings and close deals faster!
What Is Sales Outreach And How Is It Important?
Sales outreach is the proactive process of identifying and following up with potential clients to enhance profitability.
So in this sense, sales outreach means managing the sales cycle in ways that are different than how it would naturally evolve (i.e., waiting for your prospects to come to you).
Instead, these techniques focus on anticipating needs and driving demand to increase the odds of converting potential customers into loyal customers.
Sales outreach is important because it is a means of interacting with potential customers and informing them about your product while qualifying their needs while building trust.
A new customer may not know the specific name of what they need, but by letting them know how you can help solve their problem through your outreach efforts, they are more likely to come back when they are looking for the product/service.
The purpose of sales outreach is to break into new, untapped markets. It is the method of targeting potential customers you do not have any contact with or customers that are not aware of your product or service, in order to boost sales.
Starting out by seeking input from existing clients can help form a personalized plan for future prospecting. Sales outreach efforts attract potential clients who may never be able to find your business on their own; if done well; they will pay off tenfold.
Sales Prospecting Methodologies
We’ll go over some of the most used sales prospecting methodologies below:
1. Cold Email
Sending cold emails is one of the best methods for establishing contact, and it can be done quickly.
At first glance, it may seem like an endless source of data and tedious tasks, but in reality, this information will help you better understand your target audience to craft messages uniquely.
2. Cold Calling
You might be surprised to know that the first contact for many businesses is often through a cold call.
Cold calling is an important first contact for sales, marketing, and research professionals.
Remember that every time your organization makes contact with a new prospect, you are building trust with them, so it’s important to ensure you are professional at all times.
To ensure you have a successful call - create a script that highlights any benefits from your product or service along with answers to possible customer objections before taking them on as prospects.
Cold calls are so effective because they allow potential clients access right into their office without ever meeting face-to date!
You need not worry about making small talk either; these folks know what's important: answering questions promptly, getting right down to business, providing solutions tailored exactly towards client needs, and finally closing deals.
3. Social Selling
Sales reps can use social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to find sales leads interested in their product or company!
4. Networking Events
Attending networking events is a great way for sales reps to meet new people and gain access to different opportunities. These events also allow you to practice sales prospecting techniques and sales skills!
5. Face-To-Face Interactions
Finally, if you want a face-to-face sales meeting with your potential client, try scheduling an in-person meeting! This can be done through video email or by reaching out directly on LinkedIn.
9 Best Sales Outreach Ideas
1. Send A Gift
Don't we all like gifts and surprises? Your prospects are no different.
Offering a gift is a proven way of gaining your prospects interest and one of the most effective ways to kick-start a relationship.
Recent research shows that email response rates have worsened, and now sales are looking for new ways to connect with their prospects, customers, or clients. In such a scenario, making an extra effort to connect with prospects will pave the way to converting that lead.
Sending someone coffee or lunch helps you seem more human while also allowing them to connect with you and your business. It serves as a reminder about your existence, which will hopefully turn into a purchase!
You can even send some coupons or e-vouchers or offer a free trial of your products encouraging your prospects to give it a try.
2. Get Personal With Video Prospecting
Embrace extreme personalization. Next time before you send an email, think about recording a personalized video of yourself and talk directly to your prospects.
Video sales prospecting is an upcoming technique used by sales personnel and the SDRs where video messages are used to communicate with prospects.
Prospecting videos are a new and exciting way to build relationship with prospects. The short, personalized clips can be sent via email or shared on social platforms like LinkedIn.
Why send text messages when you could make someone happy with your witty comebacks?
Let's look at the benefits of video selling:
First, it's a fun way of communicating with your prospects. It’s different and sets you apart from your competition,
- Video sales outreach can increase sales by 26%
- It's a great way to engage with your prospects and establish trust quickly
- You can use video sales prospecting even if you don't have any experience in sales
- People love videos, so they will be more likely to watch them than read texts or emails
Now that you heard why salespeople use video sales prospecting, If you think, "how can I do it?" It's very simple.
3. Talk About Your Competition
One of the reasons companies don't talk about their competitors is that it can be risky to do so. But this fear has been overstated. You're only ever a Google search away from your competition.
Refusing to acknowledge their existence will not insulate you. The truth is, your prospects must already know about the competition. They might be comparing options or leaning towards a competitor because of their current situation with you and them in mind.
But instead of ignoring these other companies entirely-as, many business owners would instinctively do, try talking up how different (and better!) YOUR company has it over theirs!
Instead of trashing them outright, showcase why your services/products are superior by highlighting specific features, benefits & pricing differences.
Here is an example:
Ryan O’ NeillFounder, Legitfit
4. Improve Your Subject Line & Write A Strong Opening Line
The subject line is a very important aspect of your emails. The subject line is what subscribers see in their inbox first and determines if they even want to open your email or not.
So without good email subject lines, your email marketing efforts and outreach efforts could go to waste!
Also, don't underestimate the power of a strong opening line and a pre-header text.
If the subject line makes your prospects open your email, a strong opening line makes them stay interested and read the email.
Good opening lines & subject lines are important for both text based email or a video email.
Confused about how to use it ? Don't worry, we have got you covered!
Check these best email subject lines - 80 Powerful Sales Email Subject Lines
5. Be Nice To The Gatekeepers
People often bypass assistants and HR to get right up in the face of decision-makers. Why? Well, because you're not going through them when they can't make the purchasing decision for their boss!
A lot goes unspoken with these executives, and these gatekeepers play an important role too in sales conversions.
Connecting with the gatekeepers and assistants, and staff over social media or at a conference and staying in touch with them will take you a long way in reaching closer to your prospects. Who knows what lurks in a corner.
You can also send a personalized video email to keep in touch with them and send them seasonal greetings.
6. Be Creative And Pique Prospects' Interest
Ex: A Crumpled Letter
Curiosity is a powerful force, and it opens new doors. It might make you binge-watch series at a stretch or make you read that book without blinking an eye.
As a sales rep, you should use the power of curiosity and catch prospects' attention early on during interactions with creative sales ideas. Create your sales content inquisitive enough to build credibility in those first moments.
While building curiosity, it's important to create a lasting impression on your prospects.
- Create an experience your prospect will not soon forget
- Stop approaching your prospects like every other salesperson
- Don't burn through your list anymore - Give prospects a reason to talk with you.
Ideas like the Crumpled letter pique curiosity to the highest level.
A crumpled letter is a small sales prank or technique where a well-written letter/resume/ document is attached with a crumpled handwritten note, where it mentioned that "since my letter will anyway end up in the trash, I have crumpled it ahead, to save you some time." This act surprisingly garnered a lot of attention and resulted in the closing of deals.
So, being creative is always appreciated in the sales world and works wonders as a prospecting idea or in cold outreach efforts.
7. Form Strategic Alliances
Attracting new customers and retaining existing ones is tough work. You need to put in some effort if you want the benefits, though. That's where forming alliances or strategic partnerships come into play!
These relationships can take time, but they are worth every second of your attention because when these deals pay off, there will be no looking back.
You can form alliances within the company with other departments who can help you elevate your pitch or collaborate with some reference or a mutual connection outside the company and have a win-win scenario that works in favor of both parties.
8. Social Selling
Social selling is a process in sales where salespeople interact with prospects on social media to convert them into customers.
The most popular social media platforms like LinkedIn are used to interact with prospects, and other platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
The conversations are not limited to online, but you can make a connection and take it offline too.
Storytelling Motivates Buyers
Better storytelling is very important in social connections. Once you have their email, try sending a personalized note thanking them for their time. You can impress them better and tell your story via a video email.
9. Track Engagement
Often, many salespeople send emails or talk to prospects, follow up multiple times and think they have made an impact. And when the conversion does not happen, they are confused about where and what went wrong.
It may so happen that as a sales representative, you are not focusing on key metrics. That is, tracking your engagement in some form.
You can use an excel sheet and make a format or use metrics offered by tools like Videoform, where detailed analytics are provided for the emails shared.
Best Practices, Tips, And Strategies
1. Know Your Stuff & Target The Right Audience/Prospects
Research on who your prospects are before pitching. Finding new prospects is a crucial part of any successful sales strategy. SDRs/BDRs can improve their leads by specifically targeting buyers who have been deemed qualified in advance.
When you are pitching to your leads, You've got to know your stuff. You need a personal connection with customers that will make them trust and invest in you, or at least give it a try because they like what they see so far!
2. Have A Sales Cadence Source
A sales cadence is a schedule for the marketing team to follow when they contact prospects. This could be through phone calls, emails, or social media messages so that your connection can develop into an engagement and eventually lead someone on their way towards buying something from you!
3. Utilize Social Proof & Inspire Curiosity
Social proof is like word of mouth. One of the most effective sales outreach ideas out there are word-of-mouth referrals because another source has already pre qualified these clients before you even speak with them! This makes your job as a sales rep much easier!
Testimonials and case studies also serve as social proof in the business world. Utilize them wisely.
4. Follow-Up Effectively And Know when to Leave
Having an effective follow-up strategy is a must to turn a prospect into a paying customer. But if your prospect is not responding to any of your emails or correspondence, you should know, it's time to move on.
Having a workable exit strategy is equally important to focus your energy on other prospects.
5. Build Trust By Being Yourself
Trust cannot be built easily, and the only way trust works is slowly, over time. You need to have a step-by-step approach while doing so.
Show your prospects your real self and be genuine when communicating. Try to show yourself in the form of video pitches to have a better chance at building trust.
6. Identify Key Stakeholders
It's important to do your homework before contacting a company for information. This will help you identify positions of power within the organization and filter out people who aren't willing or able enough, so their job is not worth wasting time!
You want to focus your attention on the people who actually make decisions & when it's time for outreach or meetings with these individuals, you will know their power, their likes, and dislikes. You can drive conversations or draft pitches accordingly.
7. Prepare For Outreach - Don't Pitch- Add Value Instead
To be successful in sales prospecting, you must present your prospects with a strong case for why they should work with you.
There are many ways of doing this. One way could include highlighting all the benefits from using an already-implemented product or service and showing how best practices have been set up around them, which would help improve their workflow at first glance.
This way, potential buyers see just what sets us apart and makes them more eager than ever before!
To Wrap Up
Videoform is the perfect solution for anyone who wants to create high-quality videos and impress their prospects. Start creating that perfect pitch today with our user friendly software. Sign up today!
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