10 Tips for Building an Outbound Sales Plan That Gets Results

Leads are the foundation of success for any sales team. Getting them, of course, can prove to be quite the challenge. Plus, even when you get those leads, are they the right ones? Will they convert? Or are you just throwing darts at the wall and hoping one will hit the mark? 

One thing is certain. You can alleviate all of these questions and concerns by having a solid outbound sales strategy in place. This can take time and practice to perfect, but it’s well worth the effort when you see an improvement in your lead generation and conversions. In order to build an effective sales process, you need to incorporate outbound sales in a way that works for your organization. 

We’ll skip the boilerplate conversation about the benefits of outbound sales and what outbound sales are because at this point, you’re already familiar. You wouldn’t be here otherwise, would you?

Let’s dive right in and look at 10 tips that will get your outbound sales plan producing more leads than you know what to do with, including how Smith.ai can help with outreach campaigns to support your efforts. 

Tip #1 – Identify your target customers/audiences 

This might sound like something you hear all the time, but it’s a big reason that many outbound sales plans fail—people don’t take the time to define their ideal customer or audience. You need this information so that you know where to aim your marketing efforts in the first place. You can’t just reach out to everyone. You need to find your best prospects and target them specifically. 

Tip #2 – Use segmentation to find and target prospects 

Speaking of finding targets, you can take advantage of technology to segment leads and audiences in your outbound efforts. This can help you identify better avenues for lead generation or different approaches that you should take based on the customer and their needs. This can also help you automate outreach based on which audience you’re working with and the communication they need. 

A good CRM can help you organize and manage your leads so that you can succeed with outreach campaigns and outbound marketing. Take advantage of that, along with other tools that are available. 

Tip #3 – Use personalized emails and outreach 

Personalization in cold outreach might sound contradictory, but if your team knows how to do their research, there’s plenty of space for it. For example, you can make sure that you know who you’re communicating with and use their name instead of a generic greeting. Find out whether people prefer email or text marketing, for example, and then reach out in the way they request. That personal touch can make all the difference. 

Tip #4 – Find the decision makers 

You should be doing research along with your outbound efforts. That includes finding out who key decision makers and stakeholders are. With individual customers, this is simpler. However, if you’re a B2B company, you might have to do some investigating to find out who the contact is that you need to reach to sell your product or service. 

Tip #6 – Use the right tools 

We mentioned a good CRM and other tech tools—you need a solid suite of lead generation tools to support your outreach efforts. There are several different options out there today, including many that are cheap or free, so you don’t even have to spend a lot to get great resources. These tools can help with everything from segmenting and finding leads to following up and more. 

Tip #7 – Optimize your results 

The first plan is rarely the one that sticks. Lead generation and outbound sales takes time and practice. You may need to try a few things and see how they work before you nail down a strategy that works most effectively for your needs. Use reporting tools and metrics to help you monitor your efforts. Find where things need improvement or what isn’t working and tweak it. Then, you can create a solid, optimized outbound sales plan that gets the results that you need. 

If you’re taking full advantage of your CRM here, you’ll find a suite of reporting tools and features that will help you optimize your outreach campaigns. Plus, you can also invest in lead generation and outreach tools that will help you customize and tweak your sales plan. 

Tip #8 – Keep it simple 

If you’re doing outbound outreach, you’re not connected to your prospects yet. You don’t really have any reason to engage deeply and get into a full discussion about the services that you offer, at least not at first. Keep outreach simple and short. Let people know what you have to offer, why it could benefit them, and how they can get it. When you follow-up, just let them know you’re checking in and try to keep it to a couple of sentences. 

Tip #9 – Be human 

How do you react to unsolicited sales pitches? Factor that into your outbound sales plan, and all of your outreach efforts, for that matter. You have to include the human element here. There are a lot of great metrics and tips to help, but it comes down to the fact that you’re dealing with people. Think about them and their needs, and think about how you’d want to be approached if you were the customer. Then, use that information to build your strategy. 

Tip #10 – Outsource for expert support 

Of course, like anything in business, there are some things best left to someone else. Outsourcing exists for a reason, and if your reason is outreach, Smith.ai has you covered. Our virtual receptionists can provide support for outreach campaigns and act as your 24/7 answering service so you never miss a single response. 

Plus, we can also take your campaigns further with support for lead intake and appointment scheduling, and keep you apprised of everything along the way. To learn more or schedule a consultation, reach out to hello@smith.ai. 

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