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    Outbound Squad

    Steal this Framework to self-source 30%+ of your pipeline (without making hundreds of cold calls)

    Tue Jul 25 2023
    AE self-sourcingoutbound activitiesprioritizing accountsreverse engineering dealstime managementre-engaging stalled dealsprospect prioritiescold outreach strategiesvoicemail strategiesbest times to callovercoming rejection

    Description

    This episode covers the importance of AE self-sourcing, mindset shift for outbound activities, prioritizing accounts and reverse engineering deals, cherry picking accounts and time management, optimizing time blocks and re-engaging stalled deals, understanding prospect priorities and cold outreach strategies, voicemail and cold calling strategies, best times to call and overcoming rejection.

    Insights

    AE self-sourcing is crucial for long-term success in sales

    AE's are self-sourcing more pipeline due to decreased inbound leads and struggling SDRs. The ability to self-source is the number one predictor of long-term success in sales.

    Prioritize high-impact activities and ignore the rest

    Use Pareto's principle to focus on the top 20% of accounts that align with case studies and social proof. Ignore accounts that are not worth your time.

    Reverse engineer successful deals for insights

    Follow the best rep's deals using conversational intelligence tools. Reverse engineer successful deals to understand the first call process, involvement of power players, industry lingo, etc.

    Cherry pick your best accounts and follow triggers

    Prioritize accounts based on introduction opportunities, brand awareness, and relevant triggers. Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Zoom Info Scoops to follow accounts.

    Block time for outbound activities and make it non-negotiable

    Dedicate 60 to 90 minutes per day for outbound prospecting. Treat outbound as a daily commitment, like exercising or eating healthy.

    Optimize time blocks and reduce distractions

    Block out specific time for sales activities, breaks, prospecting, and admin tasks. Turn off notifications to avoid constant distractions.

    Understand prospect priorities and personalize outreach

    Ask about specific business priorities and key metrics. Personalize emails with social proof and quantifiable results.

    Use voicemail and cold calling effectively

    Leaving voicemails increases engagement rates. Point voicemails to emails for better response rates. Reference past company success when reaching out to past employees of current clients.

    Identify the best times to call and overcome rejection

    Monday and Friday mid-afternoon, as well as first thing in the morning, tend to have good pickup rates. Focus on C priority accounts to lower the risk of rejection.

    Chapters

    1. AE Self-Sourcing
    2. Mindset Shift for Outbound Activities
    3. Prioritizing Accounts and Reverse Engineering Deals
    4. Cherry Picking Accounts and Time Management
    5. Time Blocking and Productivity Tips
    6. Optimizing Time Blocks and Re-Engaging Stalled Deals
    7. Understanding Prospect Priorities and Cold Outreach Strategies
    8. Voicemail and Cold Calling Strategies
    9. Best Times to Call and Overcoming Rejection
    Summary
    Transcript

    AE Self-Sourcing

    00:01 - 07:17

    • AE self-sourcing is a big topic for account executives right now.
    • Inbound leads have dried up, so AE's are self-sourcing more pipeline.
    • The framework discussed in this podcast can help AE's self-source 30% or more of their pipeline without making hundreds of cold calls.
    • The framework consists of three parts: prioritizing time, committing to outbound activities, and executing plays.
    • Self-sourcing pipeline is crucial for long-term success in sales.
    • Data from Bridge Group shows that a third of pipeline typically needs to be self-sourced, depending on deal size.
    • Inbound leads have decreased and SDRs are struggling to set meetings, leading to increased self-sourcing by AE's.
    • SalesLoft data also indicates that 30-60% of top performers are self-sourcing deals.
    • The ability to self-source is the number one predictor of long-term success in sales.
    • The goal is to help AE's achieve 30% of their opportunities through self-sourcing.

    Mindset Shift for Outbound Activities

    06:48 - 14:08

    • The mindset shift is to schedule your day around outbound activities, rather than fitting outbound around your day.
    • Dedicate 60 to 90 minutes per day for outbound and make it non-negotiable.
    • Use Pareto's principle to focus on the highest impact activities and ignore the rest.
    • Identify accounts that are not worth your time and ignore them.
    • Leverage Parkinson's Law by setting a clear stop time at the end of your workday and have something else planned for that time.
    • Create time constraints to increase urgency and productivity.
    • Treat outbound as a daily commitment, like exercising or eating healthy.
    • The three key steps for effective outbound are prioritize, commit, and execute.

    Prioritizing Accounts and Reverse Engineering Deals

    13:39 - 21:09

    • Opportunity for growth can be assessed by looking at factors such as BDRs and AE headcount, user potential, website traffic, and bounce rate.
    • A self-sourcing guide is provided to prioritize accounts.
    • To prioritize accounts, analyze the industry expertise, employee counts, company headcount growth, and tech stack.
    • Focus on the top 20% of accounts that align with case studies and social proof.
    • For those who haven't closed deals yet, follow the best rep's deals using conversational intelligence tools to learn from successful deals.
    • Reverse engineer successful deals to understand the first call process, involvement of power players, industry lingo, etc.
    • If new in the team or role, reverse engineer deals closed by founders or experienced team members.
    • For enterprise roles with a limited number of target accounts, categorize them into whales (big logos), tuna (above average), and salmon (typical deals).
    • Spend more time on top accounts and use sequenced outreach for the rest.
    • Engage in workshop-style sessions by asking questions and seeking guidance.

    Cherry Picking Accounts and Time Management

    20:40 - 27:41

    • Cherry pick your best accounts and follow triggers
    • Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Zoom Info Scoops to follow accounts
    • Play a game of poker and prioritize accounts based on introduction opportunities, brand awareness, and relevant triggers
    • Underrated triggers include past employees of current customers, previous close lost ops, team link connections, and newly hired execs
    • Team link in Sales Navigator allows you to see who knows the prospect within your company
    • Prioritize accounts by creating filters based on ICP requirements and existing social proof
    • Focus 80% of effort on the top 20% of opportunities with highest probability to close
    • Allocate about 10% of selling time for outbound activities, approximately an hour a day
    • Make outbound prospecting a daily habit and schedule it first thing in the morning

    Time Blocking and Productivity Tips

    27:15 - 34:31

    • A good rule of thumb is to spend about 10% of your selling time on outbound prospecting, which works out to be about an hour a day.
    • Block 60 to 90 minutes every day for outbound prospecting, preferably in the morning.
    • Do not schedule anything over your outbound time unless it's a meeting with a dream client.
    • Reserve the golden hours (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) for sales activities and do admin tasks at the end of the day.
    • The principle behind this is leveraging willpower and reducing decision fatigue throughout the day.
    • Prioritize high-impact tasks that burn willpower, like cold calling, during business hours when you have more brain power.
    • Block out 10% of your time for prospecting (1-2 hours a day) and save extra time on Fridays if possible.
    • A typical week should include structured blocks for sales activities, breaks, prospecting, and admin tasks.
    • Avoid white space on your calendar by accounting for every block of time, even if it's not a meeting.
    • Turn off notifications when you don't need them to avoid being constantly distracted by emails and Slack messages.

    Optimizing Time Blocks and Re-Engaging Stalled Deals

    34:02 - 41:28

    • Be intentional about when you check email and Slack
    • Protect time from distractions by using do not disturb mode on your devices
    • Schedule prospecting activities on Mondays and Fridays for higher open and pickup rates
    • Keep time blocks short (30 to 60 minutes) to maximize productivity
    • Admin and planning tasks should be done at the end of the week
    • Execute by re-engaging stalled deals with a personalized email that reminds prospects of their pain points and attaches to existing priorities

    Understanding Prospect Priorities and Cold Outreach Strategies

    41:00 - 49:13

    • When engaging with prospects, it's important to understand their existing priorities and business goals.
    • Ask about the specific business priority or key metric that the conversation relates to.
    • If you can't speak to a C-level executive, ask about the top two priorities of the CRO.
    • After discussing the topic, confirm if it is still a priority or if they found another solution.
    • For re-engaging closed loss deals, keep emails under 80 words and focus on social proof and quantifying results.
    • Short subject lines (under five words) improve open rates in emails.
    • To understand what your cold outreach is competing against, ask your sales leader to facilitate a call with someone outside your target persona who receives similar cold emails.
    • Internal camouflage in subject lines and email content makes them appear more like internal communications and increases response rates.

    Voicemail and Cold Calling Strategies

    48:45 - 55:56

    • Boring subject lines are important for email engagement.
    • Leaving a voicemail increases the chance of a person picking up your second and third call.
    • Reduce friction by not asking for a call back in voicemails, but instead point them to an email.
    • Voicemails have high engagement rates compared to other channels like email or connection requests.
    • Pointing voicemails to emails can be used with prospects and even with people you know.
    • A play to run on past employees of current clients is referencing their previous company's success with your services.
    • Creating engagement within accounts for past employees of current customers is effective.
    • Follow the speaker on LinkedIn for more tips and content.
    • Create a clear end to the day and allocate catch-up time in the morning if needed.
    • Segment your time between inbound leads and outbound prospecting activities based on when most inbound leads come in.
    • Run reports in outreach to determine the best times for calling based on pickup rates.

    Best Times to Call and Overcoming Rejection

    55:31 - 57:46

    • Best times to call vary, but Monday and Friday mid-afternoon, as well as first thing in the morning, tend to have good pickup rates.
    • To re-engage with cold calling skills, start by immersing yourself in it and lower the risk by focusing on C priority accounts.
    • Incorporate asking for more things in your personal life to desensitize yourself to rejection.
    • Q&A session is concluded. Connect with the speaker and Sales Hacker on LinkedIn for further engagement.
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