process above, except instead of a user clicking on an ad, they click on a piece of content, like a blog post.
Example: A prospect searches for “depression in dogs” and a post on Puptastic Care’s blog pops up. The blog post explains how exercise can relieve pet boredom and depression. They click through the Puptastic Care blog and discover that it has lots of helpful information about how to make dogs happy. Inspired, the pet owner signs their dog up for one of Puptastic Care’s renowned exercise classes.
What is outbound sales?
Outbound sales happen when a rep reaches out to prospective customers directly. These prospects are not expecting outreach and may or may not be aware of the brand. To help ensure the prospect engages, outbound sales reps do a lot of research to find pain points or needs they can address. They then craft a pitch and email or cold call the prospect.
3 examples of outbound sales
Like with inbound sales, there are several examples of outbound sales. Here are some of the most common ones:
1. Cold-calling
Many reps start the sales process by finding prospective customers america phone number list who have needs that can be addressed by their product, then calling them to discuss the value of the product they offer. This is known as a cold call.
Example: A sales rep from Puptastic Care calls a nationally known retailer to share information about its dog harnesses made from upcycled leather jackets. The rep pitches a small run of Puptastic Care-branded dog harnesses in Southern California and secures a meeting to talk more about a potential deal.
2. Trade show marketing
A lot of sales still happens in person, especially at trade shows and conventions where reps can find the exact customers they’re looking for. Here, they start conversations with attendees to see if they’re interested in their products.
Example: Two sales reps from Puptastic Care attend one of the largest pet trade shows in Las Vegas. They want to franchise their doggy daycare business and expand their line of upcycled pet gear. They meet and collect contact information from dozens of prospects, who they they follow up with by phone.
3. Social selling
Many prospective customers look for solutions to their problems on social media platforms. This makes it a great place for sellers to find prospects; they can find leads to reach out to by searching by keywords or groups that align with their company’s mission and values.
Example: One of Puptastic Care’s sales reps searches for “pet retailer” on LinkedIn and uncovers a midsize nationwide pet retailer they haven’t talked to. The rep crafts a pitch for Puptastic Care’s upcycled pet gear and sends it to the head of operations. The prospect is hooked and asks to set up a meeting to talk more.