Outbound 2.0 - Using AI to win more conversations
Discover powerful strategies for leveraging AI to enhance sales conversations. Learn from experts how to refine cold calls, personalize emails, and streamline processes with AI.
Hey, Welcome to this week’s edition of “Future of Prospecting” Newsletter by “Evabot”.
We have been researching Generative AI Technology for the last 18 months and have been astounded by the use cases it brings in Prospecting through Hyper Targeting and Personalisation. For Sales leaders and Revenue leaders, the main challenge with AI-led Prospecting is “How and What not?”
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Last week we had our 2nd Webinar in the “Outbound 2.0” series. We had 92 sales leaders in the webinar along with Vin, Jed, and Marty.
About Vin, Jed and Marty (Webinar Speakers)
- Vin Matano: President's Club award winner at Demandbase. He usually shares his insights predominantly through LinkedIn.
- Jed Mahrle: Top performer at PandaDoc / Mailshake, currently advising Apollo.io and Chili Piper. His expertise lies in simplifying outbound processes, and he actively shares his journey and tips through his LinkedIn and personal newsletter
- Marty Kassalen: Distinguished sales leader at Vega and President's Club honoree at Qualified. Originally from New York City and brings a robust background in strategic sales from his tenure at Vega Cloud and Qualified. With over seven years in enterprise software sales, Marty integrates AI tools into his sales process, enhancing productivity and deal closures. He also creates content about utilizing AI in sales workflows.
Key Topics that we have covered:
– Why is cold outreach so hard?
– Cold Call Openers
– Research based Call Prep
– Prerequisite for Outbound 2.0 - Prospect and Account Research
– Powerful Email Frameworks
The session delved deeply into all aspects of outbound sales, including email strategies, cold calling techniques, and personalization. Moreover, the actionable discussion was on how today's AI can significantly enhance outbound efforts.
This newsletter is based on the discussions that happened in the webinar. We have written detailed pointers, actionable strategies for sales leaders, and links to the recording for your reference.
Continue reading to discover valuable tactics and insights.
Why is cold outreach so hard?
"It's not just you—reaching out is getting tougher every day. With an abundance of emails flooding inboxes daily, standing out has never been more challenging." - Marty Kassalen
Understand the Noise: The average professional receives 121 emails a day, with industry reply rates plummeting to as low as 1%.
Evaluate Your Strategies: If your team experiences low engagement, it might be time to rethink your approach. How can you personalize your outreach to increase those numbers?
Consider the overwhelming volume of communication your prospects face:
- Annual email sends have surged from 290 billion to 360 billion.
- Cold call connection rates hover around 5%.
With these insights, the question arises: How can you cut through the noise?
Cold Call Openers
"Turning prospects' skepticism into curiosity is the core of an effective cold call opener." - Jed Mahrle
"Money follows pain, and pain is most felt at the C-suite." - Marty Kassalen
The discussion centered on leveraging research, triggers, and personalization in cold calling. Instead of merely increasing call volume, it’s about making each call count by starting with a compelling opener.
Actionable Takeaway:
Personalization: Start the call by referencing specific details like recent company announcements or personal achievements found through research.
Stay Relevant: Link your call to a high-level business initiative or pain point to immediately establish relevance and importance.
Consistency in Your Approach: Stick with one opener style that feels natural to create consistency in your delivery.
Use Tone Wisely: Since voice and tone make up 38% of your communication, focus on how you speak, which is as critical as what you say.
Just like we open our emails with our research, open your calls with research as well. The goal is to show the prospect we’re specifically calling them (they didn’t just “end up” on our list).
It’s less about “what” you say and more about “how” you say it. Find something that feels natural to you and stick with it so it becomes second nature.
- How can you integrate more detailed research into your cold calling routines to ensure relevance?
- Could advanced AI tools further tailor your approach by providing real-time, detailed insights about your prospect?
Reflect on these points and experiment with integrating these practices into your cold calling strategy to see how they transform your outreach results.
Research based Call Prep
"Proper research doesn't just prepare you for the call, it builds immediate trust and boosts your conversion potential." - Jed Mahrle
"When cold calling, always enter the conversation with a trigger based on deep research—this transforms your introduction into an insightful discussion." - Marty Kassalen
The discussion then shifted to how incorporating detailed research before making a call significantly lifts the quality of cold calling. The ability to personalize each call based on solid research can transform outbound strategies, making them more effective and efficient.
Actionable Takeaways:
Use of AI and Power Dialers: Tools like EvaBot can provide instant, well-researched information on a prospect as soon as they pick up, guiding SDRs to smarter, context-driven conversations.
Research AI Tools: Customize AI to generate concrete triggers aligned with your sales targets, such as pointers from a company's 10K report or recent earnings calls.
Trigger-Based Messaging: Shift from generic scripts to specific triggers like major company initiatives or changes, which resonate more with high-level decision-makers.
Document Improvements: Teams have noticed a 50% increase in call-to-conversation ratios using AI-driven, research-backed calls, and have documented these improvements to refine and expand this approach.
- If detailed, research-driven calls are proving more effective, how can teams re-engineer their time and resources to prioritize quality over quantity?
- How might ongoing advancements in AI further transform the capacity and effectiveness of cold calls, moving beyond current levels?
These insights and strategies highlight just how transformational personalized, research-guided cold calls can be. Engage deeply in preparedness to not just reach but genuinely engage your prospects.
Prerequisite for Outbound 2.0 - Prospect and Account Research
"Deeply understanding who you're calling not only increases the chance of a successful call but shows respect and genuine interest in their challenges." - Marty Kassalen
"Automation is great, but the right piece of personalized information can turn a cold call into a warm conversation." - Jed Mahrle
The significance of thorough research on prospects and their companies before reaching out was underscored. This is crucial for personalizing interactions and aligning your messaging with the prospect's current needs and business climate.
The conversation highlighted the distinction between researching a prospect personally and understanding their business environment:
- Prospect Research: Focuses on personal details that can connect on an emotional level—achievements, interests, recent company roles.
- Account Research: Delves into company dynamics, industry trends, and strategic initiatives that inform how your product fits into their corporate narrative.
Actionable Takeaways:
Prospect and Company Research: Begin by understanding the prospect’s role and any relevant personal content they've generated—like articles or podcasts—which could provide conversation starters.
Trigger Events: Identify trigger events such as promotions, work anniversaries, or company announcements that align with your solution to create relevant and timely outreach.
Above and Below the Line Targets: Determine if your contact is a decision-maker (above the line) or an influencer (below the line) to tailor your approach based on their influence and capacity for making decisions.
Utilize Technology: Leverage tools like EvaBot for comprehensive, real-time updates on prospects and accounts, ensuring that your data is always fresh and relevant.
Utilize Social Platforms: Check LinkedIn, Twitter, and personal blogs to gather personal insights and professional updates about your prospect.
Leverage Company Websites: Examine press releases, blogs, and 'About Us' pages to understand recent changes and initiatives in the prospect’s company.
Cross-reference Information: Validate the information across different sources to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Food for Thought:
- With the wealth of data available, how can sales teams prioritize which pieces are most critical for crafting impactful, personalized outreach?
- As AI continues to evolve, how can sales professionals balance the use of technology with the irreplaceable human touch to maintain genuine engagement?
Effective prospect research is not just about gathering data but turning that data into actionable insights that resonate on a personal level. This approach not only enhances your initial contact but sets the stage for more meaningful and productive conversations.
Powerful Email Frameworks
Imagine crafting an email so engaging that it not only gets opened but sparks a genuine conversation. With the right framework, this scenario can be your everyday reality.
"The first line of your email can make or break the engagement. Make it personalized; make it count." - Marty Kassalen
"An email shouldn't just communicate — it should compel the recipient to act." - Jed Mahrle
Vin and Jed shared their approaches to structuring an effective sales email, each emphasizing personalization and strategic structuring but using slightly different frameworks.
Vin’s Email Framework:
Observation: Begins with a personalized comment or observation to grab attention.
Problem Statement: Directly addresses potential challenges the prospect might be experiencing.
Solution Statement: Introduces how your service/product solves the identified problem.
Call-to-Action (CTA): Uses an interest-based question to encourage a dialogue rather than pushing for an immediate meeting.
Jed’s Email Framework:
Trigger Mention: Starts with a specifically identified trigger such as a new office opening or a recent hire.
Pinpoint Pain Points: Discusses assumed challenges related to the trigger.
Value Proposition: Clarifies how the service/product can alleviate these pains.
Soft CTA: Invites to explore the solution further, creating an opportunity for discovery without pressure.
Actionable Takeaways:
Personalize the Opening: Whether it’s mentioning a recent company milestone or commenting on a podcast the prospect participated in, start with a connection.
Identify and Discuss Challenges: Demonstrate understanding of the prospect's industry and specific role challenges to tailor your problem statement effectively.
Align Solutions with Needs: Clearly relate your product's benefits to the prospect's challenges discussed in the email.
Optimize the CTA: Frame your CTA around the prospect's convenience and interest, like asking if they are open to learning more rather than proposing a specific time for a meeting.
- How can we leverage AI to further personalize email outreach without losing the personal touch?
- In what ways can testing different email structures inform better engagement strategies across different industries?
These email frameworks not only guide how to structure compelling content but also ensure that each message is crafted with the prospect’s specific needs and contexts in mind.
Leveraging AI for Sales
"AI doesn't replace the salesperson; it equips them to perform at unprecedented levels." - Rabi
"Using AI wisely in sales means enhancing your capabilities, not overshadowing them." - Marty
The discussion centered on three critical areas where AI can significantly enhance sales processes:
Expert Research: AI can dramatically reduce the time spent on account research, pulling in data that might take humans hours to compile.
Thoughtful Personalization: Beyond basic data collection, AI helps tailor communications based on detailed insights gathered, making interactions more relevant and engaging.
Scaling Your Sales Process: AI assists in automating repetitive tasks and streamlining sales processes, allowing sales reps more time to engage directly with prospects and clients.
Actionable Takeaways:
1. Implement AI-driven Tools for Account Research: Integrate AI tools that can quickly gather comprehensive data about prospects and their businesses, ensuring you're always prepared.
2. Utilize AI for Personalization at Scale: Use AI to analyze customer data and craft messages that speak directly to their needs and interests.
3. Automate Routine Tasks: Let AI handle scheduling, data entry, and lead qualification so you can focus on relationship-building and closing deals.
4. Train Reps on AI Capabilities: Educate your sales team on making the most of AI tools, reducing their training time and boosting their productivity.
- How can AI be integrated into your sales strategy without making your team feel redundant?
- What are the ethical considerations in using AI for deep personalization in sales?
Harness the power of AI to supercharge your sales team’s efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining the personal touch that clients value.
We encourage you to experiment with the techniques shared and observe their impact firsthand.
Watch the full recording here…
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