In our webinar on Increasing Sales Engagement by 667%, we shared that contacting and pitching cold prospects for a meeting was one of the lowest converting sales strategies that we had seen utilized by businesses. Instead, we advocate providing value first, or, as well call it, A Reason to Engage. With each sales outreach, we want to provide something of value to our prospects. This begs the question, what are some sales outreach ideas that go beyond pitching someone for a meeting?
In order for prospects to engage, we need to think about how we can help them. What can we give prospects that they could utilize today that isn’t a sales pitch?
Here are 5 different sales outreach ideas that you can leverage to start providing value.
1. Webinar Invites
If you are hosting educational webinars and convey that in your messaging, then people will attend. Prospects want to be assured that attending your webinar will provide value that they can put into action today.
Example: We host monthly educational webinars that have takeaway value for our listeners. They continue to come back because of the quality of information and the new ideas that they receive for their business.
2. Template Document
Leaders are always interested in how another business executes or thinks about certain challenges. Providing industry templates in Excel or other formats that a prospect can download and utilize will provide immediate value.
Example: We created the Sales Enablement Content Matrix which allows sales leaders and founders to identify if they have the sales content that they need to support the buyer’s journey. We created an Excel sheet and Explainer video that is sent out and shared with prospects.
3. Book with a Note
There are a lot of great books that help people solve specific challenges. Sending a prospect a book with a note highlighting how it helped you is a great way to get a relationship started. Once they receive the book, it also provides a great reason to call and follow up.
Example: There are many important concepts in various sales books that drive how we execute at FounderScale. I will often send Predictable Revenue or Account-Based Marketing for Dummies to founders along with a note on what I liked most about the book.
4. Your Book with a Note
Even better is when you can write a short book and provide it to the prospect along with a note. They will see your name at the bottom and know that you are truly committed to being a leader in your industry.
Example: We work hard to convert our content into short, easy to read books that are 20 – 30 pages with images. These are easy-to-read, inexpensive to print, and a great way to impress prospects. We mail the books out and also have them handy at networking events.
5. Sharing Opportunities
Sharing opportunities to go to an event or get free press is a great reason to reach out. There are often Meetups, conferences, and other events to which you can invite prospects out to which also align with their business needs.
Example: Founders & Brews is a monthly event where we invite founders to a local brewery. There is no pitch or presentation, just an opportunity to meet and relax with other like-minded people with similar interests and challenges.
Once you start to brainstorm different sales outreach ideas, you will be able to try new tactics and determine which works best for your business. We recommend finding a few that are a great fit and staying consistent.
