With inbound sales, your prospects are already at least somewhat familiar with your company. They may have filled out a form on your website or messaged you on social media. Outbound sales differ in that the communication begins with you—the sales rep. Instead of the prospective buyer reaching out to you, you are the one making the first contact.

It can feel a bit intimidating trying to create an effective outbound sales strategy. But there are some tried-and-true methods that can help you boost your success, according to Travis Tyler, a marketing content specialist at PandaDoc. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we discuss Tyler’s four best practices to improve your outbound sales.

1. Actively participate in social selling. Tyler says that social selling leverages social networks like LinkedIn and Instagram to connect with potential customers outside of more traditional forms of contact. Social channels can be great tools to get more leads and accelerate your sales cycle. Just remember to be social — not overly salesy. Aim to create and share content that addresses your target audience’s biggest pain points. Focus on building relationships, and those connections could eventually lead to a sales call and a closed deal, Tyler says.

2. Embrace the power of email. Even with all the many social media channels, email remains a powerful way to connect and engage with prospective buyers. People tend to keep (and use) their email address for years, while they may go back and forth on various social platforms. To boost your outbound sales efforts, use email to create personalized outreach for different marketing segments.

3. Be smart about automating. No matter what outbound sales campaign you decide to run, automation is crucial to reaching out to as many people as possible, Tyler says. However, it requires a balance. If you rely too heavily on things like form emails or templated responses, you risk coming off as impersonal. You don’t want an automated system that runs itself. Instead, strive to automate workflows and menial tasks. This can give you more time to add a personal touch and connect in more meaningful ways with prospects.

4. Soften your approach. Tyler says that faceless and impersonal tactics do not belong in a modern outbound sales strategy. This means avoiding spammy emails and cold calls and being upfront about why you’re contacting a prospect at a specific time. If done incorrectly, this can come across as spammy or creepy. Customers don’t necessarily want to be contacted just because your software tools tracked their IP address when they visited your website, Tyler says. However, if customers are openly voicing concerns or you have a solid, logical argument for getting in touch, then your team can leverage those buying signals to convert deals in real-time.

Succeeding at outbound sales may feel complicated, but the right strategies can be extremely helpful. You can keep your approach authentic and effective by considering the points above.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Travis Tyler is a marketing content specialist at PandaDoc, an SaaS software company.