Outbound sales: definition, process and strategies

Things a good outbound sales strategy has

Outbound is about building relationships effectively and knowing your ICP inside out. ✅

An outbound sales representative’s role isn’t easy right off the bat. You’re contacting and attempting to build some sort of relationship with a total stranger.

People naturally dislike receiving unsolicited phone calls, emails, and messages, particularly when they interrupt their workflow. Sales today need to be all about value-based selling. 

Building a great outbound sales strategy requires:

1. A clear ICP.
2. A world-class SDR team.
3. The right tech stack.

A clear ICP

The right ICP is all about the perfect type of company for what your product or service solves. It’s different to a buyer persona, which is about the individual.

Having an ICP also helps you segment the market to tailor your messaging, meaning that SDRs will only target the right people.

Building out an ICP means looking at the following characteristics:

• Company size - Often determines their budget and revenue, therefore how much they must spend on your product or service.
• Industry - Is your product or service industry-specific?
• Geography - Where can you do business?
• Legality - Are there legal requirements that your company or the company you do business with must meet?
• Service level agreements (SLAs): Can you guarantee you’ll be able to meet your customers’ needs if they have these thresholds?

As well as an ICP, knowing your buyer and user persona is also important. The buyer persona is different to the user persona in that this is the person who is the decision-maker for purchasing. The buyer and user personas could be the same people, depending on the company structure.

A world-class sales team

This one’s not easy, but it is possible. If you’re starting with your sales team, it’s essential to understand the personality traits that make a successful outbound sales rep.

We’ve listed some of the key ones:

• Inquisitive.
• A good listener.
• Eager to learn and take on feedback.
• Consistent in their work ethic.
• Competitive.
  
  

It’s also vital to think about your onboarding and training plans. Helping SDRs reach their full potential means roleplaying, critiquing past cold calls and shadowing colleagues. Important activities for honing your skills, even if you’ve been in sales for a while. 

The psychological side of sales, like anxiety, is also important for ongoing training. Being an SDR can become repetitive and monotonous, especially during a bad week.  

The right tech stack

You could know your ICP inside out, have a great team of sales reps to drive the pipeline, and still not be successful in outbound sales if your tech stack is bad. 💩

Technology really can help enable, and there’s plenty of outbound sales software to choose from. We think, as a minimum, you need…

• A CRM.
• Online demonstration and collaboration platform.
• A sales cadence tool.
• Sales coaching tools.
• Data intelligence and enrichment software for finding contact information.

Anything else is nice to have.

Inbound vs outbound sales: In-depth comparison

Inbound sales is different because the potential client starts it. Unlike outbound, the pull comes from your marketing campaigns rather than sales reps reaching out.

Here’s a summary infographic to show how they compare to each other. ⤵️

Inbound sales: A deeper look

Inbound leads are more likely to convert. They’ve identified their need for your product or service to resolve a pain point. The frustrating thing about it is that they’re also probably looking at your competitors.

It doesn’t mean the deal is done, even if they want to speak to sales. In B2B, people like to shop around and are likely to consider solutions they’ve used at one of their previous companies. These solutions are what they know and, therefore, lower risk. 

Their final decision is based on the finer details of the product or service. This could include price, capabilities, integrations, product roadmaps, support, brand reputation, and all those trust signals like reviews and certifications. 🤔

Just because you don’t have to pitch at first doesn’t mean you won’t have to pitch later - and you’ll need to make it personal. 

Your prospects want to know what makes you different, and they’ll probably check out your case studies and testimonials before making up their minds. You’ll need to build that relationship, especially if your buying cycle is longer. We all like to shop around. 

On the surface, inbound sales might seem to have a lower cost. But a lot of marketing resources go into creating that demand. It’s an important ongoing activity that needs investment to stay fresh, which costs CAPEX.

The good news is that when you do it right, you’re not just making sales but building lasting relationships. Happy customers = better reputation = more quality inbound leads = more SQLs. It’s all connected! 💫

Outbound sales: A deeper look

Outbound sales techniques, such as email outreach campaigns and cold calling, present many challenges and sales objections. Scaling an outbound sales team can be difficult if you’re a smaller business, especially with all the training needed to ramp reps up.

But the tech stack that’s now available does make it much easier. Hello to outbound cadence automation, tracking, and training platforms. A heads-up: New tech means learning curves, integration headaches, and, yes, budget considerations.

Outbound takes hard graft but offers the opportunity to close big deals, maintain relationships and build a pipeline. Keep an eye on those numbers - response rates, conversion rates, and cost per lead - and they’ll tell you what’s really working.

Think about it: That outbound prospect you spoke to three months ago? They are much more likely to hear you out after they say they’d like you to call again in a few months. The inbound prospect that decided it wasn’t the right time to get in touch? Unless you use sales intelligence, you never even knew about them…

Now, let’s look at some of the outbound channels. 👇

Channels for outbound sales

Here’s a detailed and punchy breakdown of outbound sales channels (or the most important ones, at least!).

1. Cold Calling

Nothing beats direct conversations for building relationships. While some think it’s outdated, cold calling remains a powerhouse in outbound sales. You get instant feedback, build real connections, and can pivot your pitch on the fly. 

Top reps love it because they can read the prospect’s tone, handle objections in real-time, and establish that human connection that emails just can’t match. Plus, with modern sales tools for cold calling, you can go into calls more prepared than ever!

2. Social networking on LinkedIn

Welcome to the world’s biggest professional network. SDRs use it to research prospects, engage with content, and warm up those cold calls. But what is the key to LinkedIn success? 

Daniel Disney (the king of social selling), LinkedIn author, speaker, and trainer, has three core focuses for optimizing a LinkedIn profile.

They include:

• A professional photo
• A great background
• A straightforward summary

Then, build your network strategically, create content that showcases your expertise, and engage authentically. Sales Navigator or its alternatives take it up a notch, giving you advanced filters and insights that help you find the perfect prospects.

3. Email outreach 

Modern cold emailing is an art form. Start with subject lines that grab attention by addressing specific pain points or goals. Your opener must show you’ve done your homework—maybe reference their recent LinkedIn post or company news. Connect their challenges to your solution in the middle, and always end with a clear call to action. 

But here’s the pro tip: personalization beats perfection. A slightly imperfect but highly personalized email will always outperform a perfect generic one.

Also, here are some clear mistakes to avoid when writing your first email or LinkedIn message. ⤵️ 

Benefits & drawbacks of an inbound sales strategy

Inbound leads are more likely to convert. They’ve identified their need for your product or service to resolve a pain point. The frustrating thing about this is that they’re probably looking at your competitors, too.

It doesn’t mean the deal is done, even if they want to speak to sales. In B2B, people like to shop around and are likely to consider solutions that:

• They’ve used it at one of their previous companies. 
• They are cheap and therefore ‘lower risk’.

Their final decision is based on the finer details of the product or service. This could include price, capabilities, integrations, product roadmaps, support, etc.

Why both inbound and outbound sales are your winning B2B combo

Either approach alone is rarely the complete answer. Think of it like this: while your inbound efforts attract researching prospects, your outbound team actively uncover opportunities you might never find otherwise. Remember Chet Holmes’ buyers’ pyramid: if you segment the market, only 3% are buying now, so let inbound capture those. 👇

Here’s why this dual approach works so well:

✅ It’s all about your business context.

• Your resources and team size shape how you balance both.
• Your sales cycle length influences the mix (shorter cycles might lean more inbound; longer ones need that outbound touch).
• Your CAPEX vs OPEX situation helps determine what’s possible right now.

✅ You’re covering all audience types.

Some prospects love doing their research and will find you through your content. Others appreciate a well-timed call that catches them when they start thinking about solutions. With both approaches, you’re not missing either group.

✅ You’re building a robust revenue engine.

• Content and SEO work keeps bringing in leads even while you sleep.
• Active outbound lead generation fills gaps and creates opportunities.
• Each approach strengthens the other (use content in outbound, use sales insights to guide content).

And the best part? You can adjust this balance as your business grows and evolves.

Benefits of outbound sales

So you’re thinking about going all-in on outbound sales? It is still a killer strategy when you want to take control of your lead generation and revenue growth. You don’t sit around waiting for business to come to you—it’s about getting out there and making it happen!

Let’s dive into why it works so well: 

• Proactive Lead Generation. No more waiting around for prospects to find you! You get to pick your ideal customers and reach out to them directly. You’re in control of your pipeline, your lead list and who you target.
• Scalability. You’re golden! Implementing the right sales engagement platforms can significantly enhance your team’s efficiency and pipeline growth.
• Precise targeting. Zero in on who you want to talk to and what they need to hear. When you get specific with your targeting, you'll see better engagement rates.
• Real-time feedback. Direct access to decision-makers allows for immediate insights and adjustments in sales strategies.

Who is in the outbound sales team?

Outbound sales rely on various people. Here’s an overview of the key roles and functions and how they contribute to the overall sales strategy.

SDRs

These folks are your frontline warriors. Their mission is to find those perfect-fit prospects and get them interested. They spend their days hitting the phones and sliding into LinkedIn DMs to set up those crucial first meetings. Think of them as your pipeline builders - those qualified leads would never make it to your closers without them.

BDRs

Think of them as your special ops team. While SDRs cast a wider net, BDRs go after those big-fish accounts and open doors to new markets. They work closely with marketing to create targeted strategies and build valuable partnerships. They’re not just after any deal - they’re playing the long game for those high-value opportunities.

Account Executive

These are your revenue drivers, the ones who turn possibilities into realities. They’re masters at running demos that wow prospects and building lasting relationships. AEs are your go-to people when negotiating deals and signing those contracts. They’re the ones who turn all that hard work from SDRs and BDRs into actual revenue.

Field Marketing Reps

Sometimes, nothing beats the personal touch, and that’s where field marketers shine. They’re out there in the real world, rocking trade shows and making genuine connections at events. They turn handshakes into opportunities and put real faces to your brand name. They bring that human element that can make all the difference in a digital world.

Sales Managers

Every great team needs excellent leadership, which sales managers bring. They coach teams to victory, fine-tune processes, and ensure everyone hits their numbers. They spot problems before they become disasters and opportunities before anyone else. Without them, even the most talented team would struggle to reach its full potential.

The outbound sales process: A step-by-step guide

Selling isn’t easy. But with the right game plan, you can turn cold prospects into happy customers. Here’s how to make outbound sales work for your business, minus the fancy jargon.

Prospecting = Finding the right leads

The foundation of outbound sales lies in identifying your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). This involves defining the type of company and individuals most likely to benefit from your product or service.

How do you build your ICP again? This is how. 👇

• Company size: Focus on businesses that match your target revenue or employee count.
• Industry: Does your solution cater to specific industries or verticals?
• Geography: Are you targeting local, national, or international clients?
• Decision-makers: Who holds the purchasing power? Buyer personas help here.

Best practices:

• Use data enrichment tools like Kaspr and Cognism to access accurate contact information.
• Implement a lead scoring system in your CRM to prioritize high-potential accounts.
• Regularly update your ICP based on market trends and feedback.

💡 Pro tip: Refine your lead list using LinkedIn Sales Navigator or data enrichment software (e.g., Kaspr, Cognism).

Lead qualification = How you prioritize prospects

Not every lead is worth pursuing. Frameworks like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing) or MEDDIC (Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria) help determine a lead’s purchase readiness.

Steps for qualification:

1. Evaluate if the lead has the budget.
2. Confirm their decision-making authority.
3. Understand their needs and timeline.

Best practices:

• Pose open-ended questions during discovery calls to uncover pain points.
• Use automation tools to monitor engagement, such as email opens or clicks.
• Develop a qualification script to ensure consistency.

3. Outreach = Initiate contact

Sales reps connect with potential customers through cold calling, emails, or LinkedIn messages. Personalization is crucial.

Best practices for outreach:

• Develop a sales cadence: a structured sequence of touchpoints (e.g., email, call, follow-up).
• Cold calling tips: Begin with a friendly introduction, clearly state the purpose, and address the prospect’s pain points.
• Cold emailing tips: Personalize subject lines, keep messages concise and include a clear call-to-action.

4. Handling objections = Address concerns

Objections are a natural part of the sales process. Common concerns include budget constraints, timing issues, or comparisons with competitors.

Strategies to overcome objections:

• Listen actively: Understand the root of their concerns.
• Provide value: Demonstrate how your solution addresses their pain points.
• Offer social proof: Share case studies or testimonials to build trust.

Best practices:

• Prepare an objection-handling guide with responses to common challenges.
• Use storytelling to illustrate the value of your product through real-world examples.
• Conduct role plays to practice objection handling and refine techniques.

5. Closing the sale = It’s a done deal

The objective is to transition from discussion to commitment. Focus on demonstrating value and addressing any final questions.

Closing techniques:

• Offer proof of value: Provide free trials or product demonstrations.
• Negotiate terms: Be flexible while maintaining your value proposition.
• Ask for the close: Use direct language, such as “Shall we proceed with the next steps?”.

Best practices:

• Create a sense of urgency with limited-time offers.
• Summarize key benefits before requesting commitment.
• Ensure all necessary documents are ready to expedite the process.

6. Follow-up = Nurture relationships

Closing a deal (or even an initial rejection) marks the beginning of a relationship. Follow-ups are crucial for customer satisfaction and open avenues for renewals and referrals.

Follow-up best practices:

• Check-in after the first week of implementation to address concerns.
• Offer additional resources, like training sessions or guides.
• Stay closely aligned with the Customer Success Manager (CSM) for any issues that may arise regarding renewals.

How to measure outbound sales

Revenue functions in businesses need strong reporting. Vital KPIs give insight into how outbound sales representatives perform. It’s more than just looking at who’s hitting their quota. You need to get an overall picture of the sales to funnel.

Leads in the funnel

Keep an eye on how many leads are in your funnel and how qualified they are. Low numbers might mean you need to step up your prospecting game. And if you’ve got tons of leads, but they’re not converting? It’s time to check if you’re targeting the right people!

Deal velocity

How long does it take to close a deal? That’s your deal velocity! 

If deals are moving slower than a snail, you might have some bottlenecks to fix. The faster deals move, the better your process is working.

💡 Tip: Identify stages where leads are stalling and adjust your sales cadence or objection-handling strategies.

Average deal size

This is an essential insight for hitting your revenue target. If you know the value of the average deal size in the funnel, you’ll be able to forecast how many leads you need to hit it. This can filter down into targets for marketing and sales reps.

Customer lifetime value (CLV)

Think about how much revenue each customer brings over their entire journey with you. High CLV? You’ve got happy customers, and your sales team is bringing in the right folks! 

Tip: Compare this with your acquisition costs to ensure you’re making money in the long run.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) 

You’re spending this to get each new customer through the door. If it’s too high compared to your CLV, something’s off in your process. Maybe it’s time to try different outreach methods or focus on channels that don’t cost an arm and a leg!

Call-to-meeting ratio 

How many calls turn into meetings? This shows if your SDRs are crushing it or need some help. If the numbers are low, maybe it’s time for script tweaking or extra training. Your ICP might need a refresh too!

Email open and response rates

Are people opening and replying to your emails? Do these numbers tell you if your outreach is hitting the mark and not getting the desired results? Time to get creative with those subject lines and messages!

Closed-won and closed-lost deals

Track your wins and losses - they’re gold mines of information! Measuring closed-won deals will identify areas for growth and if there are issues further down the funnel (by looking at closed-lost). This falls on account executives (AEs) and anyone else in a closing seat.

You might find you’re gaining traction with deals in a certain industry. In this case, it could be time for your outbound sales representatives to target specific verticals.

Tools that track outbound metrics

The success of a B2B outbound sales strategy depends on the tools and software used. The right tools can empower sales teams to maximize efficiency and close more deals, from managing leads to automating repetitive tasks. Below is a breakdown of popular tools by category.

CRM platforms

Think of this as your sales brain - it keeps track of everything!

• Salesforce: The big boss. Perfect for complex sales and big teams.
• HubSpot CRM: User-friendly and free to start. Small business favorite!
• Pipedrive: Keep it simple and visual. Great for focused teams.

Lead generation tools

These help you find those golden prospects:

• Cognism: B2B data that keeps you compliant. Perfect for targeting specific industries
• Kaspr: LinkedIn prospecting made easy. Get those contact details!
• ZoomInfo: Plenty of add-on features.

Call automation

Because manual dialing is so yesterday:

• RingCentral: All-in-one calling magic.
• Aircall: Plays nice with your CRM.
• PhoneBurner: Speed dial on steroids!

Outbound sales cadence

When building a pipeline, you need a strategy to manage the leads. Outbound sales cadences involve multiple touchpoints over a set period. Sales cadence software makes this exercise much easier now.

Organizing this process is important for knowing when to contact your prospect next and eventually getting the lead to the closing stages!

Sales cadences often occur across various channels, with calls and emails crucial for B2B. It can be a bit of trial and error. The best sales cadence depends on your ICP and buyer or user persona.

Here are our tips for outbound sales cadences. 💡

Test it out

Testing your sequences is vital, especially if you’re starting. You can do this by engaging with prospects on various channels and trialing a selection of tailored messages. Then, you can review what’s got the best response (and do more of it).

Make it personal

The current climate makes standing out harder than ever. Nothing is more of a turn-off than receiving a cold call or email where the person knows nothing about you. Remember, above all, you need to send relevant messages! 

Do your research. Adding significant details like acknowledging they’ve just started a new role at the company makes you stand out.

Below is an example sent to our SEO Manager, Daisy, two weeks after she’d started. The company has taken the time to do research before cold emailing. 👇

Know when to break up

Yeah, being persistent is important. But you also need to know when to cut your losses. You don’t want any tyre kickers in your pipeline.

If all you’re met with is tumbleweed after multiple attempts, it’s probably time to consider the breakup.

Sending a breakup email can trigger a genuine response, working in your favor. Always leave it on good terms, as you never know when the prospect might need your product or service later.

Charlotte Johnson, Account Executive at Salesloft, likes to ask for feedback in her breakup emails. She’s found that this encourages a response, but it may depend on your style.

A final word

There you have it. We’ve given you our ultimate guide to outbound sales; now it’s time for you to nail your strategy.

A quick summary of the key takeaways. 👇

• Know your ICP.
• Inbound vs outbound sales: it’s important to have both.
• Your strategy means nothing if your tech stack is bad.
• Meet your prospects on the channels they like.
• Test and refine your sales cadence.

FAQs about outbound sales

Do you have some questions to ask about outbound sales? Check out our FAQ section. 👇

What is the outbound sales process?

Before you start outbound sales in SaaS, you need a good strategy. Let’s take a look at the key points to consider. 

1. Identify the target audience with buyer personas

You must go beyond just identifying your ideal customer profile (ICP). This includes narrowing down who your audience is, the problems they’re facing, and why your SaaS tool is the solution. 

2. Set prospect criteria

You don’t want your SDRs chasing down unqualified prospects, so it's necessary to qualify leads with specific questions and criteria.

3. Simplify where you can

This means developing email templates, call scripts, and closing techniques unique to your selling. 

4. Consider objectives and goals

Having activity goals and sales quotas can set your reps up for success. 

Activity goals are measured by:

1. Number of dials made.
2. Emails sent.
3. How many meetings are on the calendar?
   
   

5. Conduct outreach 

It’s time for sales reps to roll up their sleeves and get in touch with leads. Remember that each cold outreach technique has its strategy and KPIs to measure success.

6. The art of sales cadence

You’ve likely narrowed down which leads may be interested in your product. Now, you need to continue engaging with them by following up; this is called sales cadence. 

Once an SDR books a meeting, the prospect has a demo with an AE who will try to close the deal.

7. Have a customer support plan

Supporting the customer may not always be up to the outbound sales rep, but having a plan is always good. Knowing where a customer runs into bottlenecks can be a part of the solution, which will ultimately help AEs close more deals.

What is SaaS sales?

To understand SaaS sales, let’s define software as a service (SaaS). This is where software businesses sell their product through a subscription-based pricing model. 

Customers can access SaaS software directly from the cloud instead of installing it on their computers or devices. This is convenient and minimizes potential storage issues on devices due to extra clutter from installing software.

SaaS sales is selling software using this model. 📈

A sales development representative (SDR) sells software to customers that they can access through a portal or website and start accessing the product immediately. Like any other sales model, SaaS sales involve building trust and rapport with potential customers. As well as learning their pain points and answering their questions.

However, SaaS sales development is unique in some ways. For instance, SaaS sales have no physical or tangible product. 

What is the payment model for SaaS?

With SaaS sales, it’s more like customers rent the software, not buy it. Additionally, with traditional sales, customers usually pay a one-time fee. 

However, in SaaS sales, customers buy a subscription, which could be monthly, annually, or pay-as-you-go. SaaS sales also come with important metrics to track. 

Let’s take a closer look at some. 🔎

• Monthly recurring revenue (MRR): A company expects monthly revenue based on current customers’ subscriptions.
• Customer lifetime value (CLTV): An average amount a customer will generate in revenue for your relationship.
• Annual recurring revenue (ARR): Revenue a company would bring in over a year based on the current subscription value.
• Deal velocity: The average time it takes for a lead to move through the pipeline.
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC): The average cost of signing a new user.
• Churn rate: The percentage of customers leaving every month or year.
• Win rate: The percentage of total leads your SaaS sales development team closed over a specific timeframe.

How does outbound benefit longer sales cycles? 

Outbound benefits longer sales cycles because there’s a big emphasis on relationship-building. Large deals take longer to reach a final decision. There are usually more stakeholders involved, and getting sign-off internally can take a while.

A sales cycle typically looks like this. 👇

1. Prospecting.
2. Meeting/demo scheduled.
3. Proposal sent.
4. Closed.

For B2B outbound sales, this is where cadences come in. A sales cadence is a series of scheduled touchpoints with the objective of sparking and maintaining a relationship with prospects. The end goal for the SDRs is to get that meeting booked in. ✅ 

If you get your sales cadence right, it can even help to shorten the sales cycle. But sometimes, avoiding a longer cycle is more arduous, mainly when matters are out of an SDR’s hands. 

Why should you do B2B outbound sales?

If done well, B2B outbound sales can lead to closing bigger deals, maintaining relationships, and building pipeline momentum. There are often arguments around inbound vs outbound sales. Both can be powerful tools for revenue growth, but how you split them depends on your business.