Outbound As Marketing?

This post originally appeared in my weekly newsletter, BL&T (Borrowed, Learned, & Thought). Subscribe

Borrowed

“Our experience working with top agents has taught us that even as important as your look and message are, there is a much stronger correlation between sales leads generated and the consistency and frequency of your message than between sales and the creativity of the message.”

From “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent” by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan, and Dave Jenks [Book]

Learned

We haven’t had much success with outbound sales efforts, also known as cold outreach. A couple of years ago, we hired a team that ran campaigns with a Yeti mug offer, which generated some good calls, but none of them converted into clients. Later, we ran a similar campaign with Shopify and landed one client, for whom we’ve done nearly 6-figures of work since. That’s how outbound goes. You invest over time, and all it takes is one deal to make it worthwhile.

In January, we decided to give outbound another go. I knew we’d need to be patient, but ultimately, it needed to deliver. The partner we hired offered a guarantee on meetings, which felt reassuring. I also liked that there was no gimmick or incentive to get people on calls. Instead, they send thousands of messages on our behalf, sharing stories about how we’ve added value for brands like theirs. In my head, the math was simple: more meetings would mean more opportunities, and more opportunities would eventually lead to more clients.

Months later, we still haven’t landed a deal. The pace has been slower than I hoped. At the same time, our targeting has become sharper, the quality of conversations has improved, and lately, there has been more momentum. Even with that progress, the expense made me step back and question whether it was worth continuing.

I talked it through with Barrel Co-Founder Peter during our weekly chat recently. What came out of that conversation was a reframing of how we look at outbound. Yes, it needs to help us land business, but it can also function as a marketing channel. Every touchpoint puts our name in front of stakeholders we want to reach. Some won’t respond, but they’ll have seen us. Others might remember us when the timing is right. It builds awareness while also creating opportunities.

Each campaign is an opportunity to test our value propositions, refine our message, and determine what resonates. And now, with a business development manager on board, outbound becomes even more helpful. It gives him more at-bats, more chances to practice the story we’re telling, and a clearer view into what’s landing.

We also have a marketing manager starting today who can amplify these efforts by creating a cohesive strategy across channels. The stronger our content, case studies, and campaigns, the more outbound can reinforce the larger story we’re telling in the market. And vice versa.

I’m not sure outbound will ever be a silver bullet for us, but I like this new way of thinking about its value. With new team members on board to carry it forward, I’m looking forward to seeing where the next couple of months take us.