The current generation of marketers proclaimed Inbound the new black a couple of years ago (as in highly fashionable). However, the “old” methods shouldn’t be abandoned. Just the opposite, under the radar, Outbound has retained it’s position as a tried and true go-to-market and even evolved– adopting the best practices of the new era.
Furthermore, when it comes to B2B, outbound marketing strategy is a critical element of a successful business plan. Well tailored and implemented, it can help your company generate more quality leads, close more deals, and as a result, gain more revenue.
What’s new in B2B outbound marketing strategy?
As we mentioned above, it has adopted and adapted the latest successful principles of Inbound.
First of all, this implies targeting. Internet and modern software make it possible for us to efficiently work with large databases and to segment leads by multiple criteria. As a result, you can avoid those leads that aren’t a good fit for your business. Given the sheer amount of wasted motion in marketing and sales, this is a huge point.
Secondly, the shift suggests a value-based approach to potential customers. Today, companies serve their clients by educating and solving their problems. Most business processes are too complicated and quickly changing. It’s impossible and unnecessary to keep track of everything. Be one of the best in your field, and you’ll be of great value for your clients.
Finally, due to the segmentation today, an offer should be highly customized. It means you can create a highly personalized message to attract the attention of quality leads by naming and providing a solution to problems they are likely to have. Furthermore, you can even adjust your product or service to the needs of your client.
Implementing these principles without the modern software would be impossible. It enables you to automize many activities of your employees. That’s why we suggest that your outbound marketing strategy will include the acquisition of this tool. We have a separate blog post that will help you choose the right marketing automation program.
There’s one more principle, which we deem of great importance. Unfortunately, marketing teams often forget about it, although it’s as old as the process itself. Similar to inbound, any outbound marketing strategy is really all about sales.
Nothing Happens Until a Sales is Made
Your ultimate goal will at all times be the money, which a lead can ultimately give to your company for a particular product or service. There are several conclusions you can make out of this principle:
- Outbound marketing strategy should by no means be autotelic (e.g., generate leads for the sake of generating leads). On the contrary, it must ensure the comprehensive analysis and enumeration of efficient and repeatable ways to close deals.
- Its primary task is to work in alignment with sales, which sadly in many companies is not the case.
Finally, some principles have remained unchanged:
- What is your product and how it stands out on the market?
- Who are your potential customers and what is their need?
- How will you catch their attention?
These principles comprise the essential components of B2B outbound marketing strategy.
Now let’s take a closer look at each element.
1. Your product doesn’t exist in a void, for little reason or purpose:
a. It has a particular environment, i.e., the market.
b. It solves a specific problem, namely, the value. Otherwise, it’s useless.
Your product’s environment will always be hostile. Other companies with similar products will compete over the clients with no mercy. However, the value of your product and approach will be your primary power in this war.
2. Your potential customers will be those who need your product:
a. They’ll have decision makers whom you need to contact.
b. They’ll be suffering a pain point or desire for gain that your product can solve.
Decision makers won’t eagerly spend money on your product. They’ll analyze and evaluate it. Furthermore, they won’t always realize they have a problem unless you emphasize it. Their pain point makes your product valuable. Many buyers are involved. They all have perspectives. Change is hard. Sales is not for the faint of heart.
3. Your general marketing strategy obviously outlines in great detail both your product and your customers. Outbound is about how you attract attention to your potential buyers to your company:
a. You’ll need a message which presses the pain points of your customers and also explains the value of your product.
b. You’ll want to use channels that are appropriate for your market and will enable you to connect with the decision makers.
Summing up, when building the outbound marketing strategy you need to focus primarily on how to establish contact, attract attention and persuade a company to become your client. The good news is that you don’t need to invent anything– but you must be relevant. After all, other companies have already done most of the job for you. You only need to harvest their best practices and adapt them to your needs.
How to choose the channels of outbound marketing strategy
When the marketers of new generation speak about outbound, they usually list all the methods together. Thus, you will find cold calling and TV advertising along with direct mail and trade shows — all in one “cocktail.” Without a doubt, the value of all these channels is very different across B2B to B2C models.
For example, a TV advertising is expensive, while its efficiency for B2B is highly questionable. First, it’s tough to target. Second, the decision makers don’t watch TV a lot these days. Third, many people perceive television as a way to relax. Finally, many B2B products are complicated and need lengthy explanations, which is impossible regarding the pricey airtime.
On the other hand, TV is a good medium to raise awareness and promote final goods. First, they have a significantly larger pool of potential customers compared to B2B products. Second, they aren’t difficult to understand. And, third, emotions experienced by an ad can influence the purchase of these commodities.
Summing up, a business should consider the resources-to-efficiency ratio when estimating the value of every method.
Note that the resources include money, time and efforts. Furthermore, you should also assess the position, education, professional skills and salary of the person. I.e., a Marketing VP can come to a trade show, but he or she won’t stay in the booth long.
As concerns efficiency, you need to take into account the number of quality leads. For example, many people will see your advertising, but few of them will fit your buyer persona. Because a large number of unique viewers will have a small percentage of your target audience, the efficiency of an ad will be low.
We have vast experience in building outbound marketing strategies. We’ve tried many options, and we’ve found the best methodologies.
The combination of email sequences and phone calls has the best
resources-to-efficiency ratio for B2B.
Advantages:
- Efficiency — proper research, segmentation and targeting increases the number of quality leads significantly
- Time — cover 200 quality leads per week on average with three touches via two channels of communication
- Efforts and money — these activities are associated with the starting position in sales/marketing.
- Effect — the conversion ratio of emails/calls to set appointments is 7–10%
- Bonus — you will get immediate feedback from your market
And what’s best, you can outsource sending emails and phone calls to professionals in the field. As a result, you will save tons on a monthly basis.
Messaging for outbound marketing strategy
It’s not only email. In a broader sense, it’s an idea that you want to convey to your potential customers. However, keep in mind that not all of them are equally good. Below we listed some useful tips, which will help you to transmit your thoughts more efficiently. Cohesive coordination between:
- Phone
- Web
- Social
- Offline
Can create a sum-better-than-parts strategy. After all, if you are targeting specific people– why wouldn’t youorchestrate outreach across all relevant channels that prospect is likely to respond to messaging???
Creating relevant messaging is as important as establishing efficient channels of communication. We said it before, but we want to emphasize once again. A message should press the pain points or unlock desires of your prospects and explain why your product is the solution.
When it comes to an email or a phone call, you are short on time, just like with any other outbound method. It takes more time to transmit the spoken information than the written one. It’s because when you talk too fast, you start “swallow” sounds.
That’s why we first send emails. And as soon as a prospect opens them or replies, we make phone calls. After reading your letter, it will be easier for your potential client to perceive what you say.
When you compose the message, use these guidelines:
- be brief
- make it clear
- stick to the point
- be polite and friendly
- their pain goes first and inflicts emotions
- the value comes second and appeals to reasoning
- the call to action is a must have and the final component you should put down in your email before the “Best regards.”
Remember, the more you know about your prospect’s business and industry — the better. People like a personal approach. Show them you understand what their company is going through now. Let them know that you have the solution. Educate them, if they aren’t familiar with your type of product.
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With these principles and guidelines in mind, you can create an efficient outbound marketing strategy. Eventually, it will increase your quality lead pool and boost your sales. Share your ideas, experience, and thoughts on this blog post with us!
