Sales Outreach: 8 Examples of Outreach Done Right

Your ideal customer is bombarded with countless emails, calls, and LinkedIn messages daily. They’re sifting through the noise, searching for solutions that genuinely speak to their pain points. How do you break through that clutter and make a lasting impression? The answer lies in mastering the art of sales outreach. 

According to Gartner research, B2B buyers spend only 17% of their time talking with potential suppliers, making each interaction incredibly valuable. However, they also expect 80% of B2B sales interactions to occur in digital channels by 2025, which means your outreach needs to be mostly online, targeted, personalized, and compelling to get your foot in the door. 

To discover strategies that go beyond generic templates and truly resonate with your target audience, let’s take a closer look at real-world examples of sales outreach done right. We’re going to show you the kind of outreach that doesn’t just get a response, but sparks genuine interest and sets the stage for meaningful conversations. 

What is sales outreach?

Sales outreach encompasses any proactive attempt to connect with potential customers and lead them through your sales funnel. It’s about sparking interest, building relationships, and ultimately converting prospects into paying customers.

The methods of sales outreach are as diverse as the businesses that employ them. You might connect with leads on LinkedIn, send personalized emails, or pick up the phone for a good old-fashioned cold call. Other avenues include social media engagement, content marketing that draws prospects in, direct mail for a personal touch, referrals from satisfied customers, or even SMS messages for a more immediate connection.

Sales outreach isn’t just for one specific role or industry. From startups to established enterprises, sales development representatives (SDRs), account executives (AEs), and even business owners leverage outreach to generate leads and drive revenue. It’s a fundamental tool for anyone looking to expand their customer pool and grow their business.

Source

Why Effective Sales Outreach Matters

In the sales world, first impressions are everything. A well-crafted outreach message can be the difference between a prospect hitting delete and eagerly replying to learn more. Effective sales outreach makes a lasting impact that sets the stage for long-term relationships.

Crafting compelling sales outreach messages that resonate with your target audience increases your lead generation and conversion rates significantly. When done right, sales outreach elevates your brand, boosts engagement, and ultimately drives revenue.

For startups and CMOs, effective sales outreach is a game-changer. It helps you gain visibility in a crowded market, establishes credibility, and nurtures a healthy sales pipeline that fuels growth. In short, it’s an investment in your business that pays off on multiple levels.

Key Elements of Successful Sales Outreach

To truly excel at sales outreach, it’s essential to master these elements that transform your efforts from forgettable to unforgettable:

Personalization

In a world of generic email blasts, personalization is your golden ticket. Tailoring your message to each prospect demonstrates that you’ve done your research and genuinely understand their unique needs and challenges. This level of care not only grabs attention but also builds trust from the get-go.

Engagement

Forget about boring, cookie-cutter pitches. To truly engage prospects, your message needs to tell a story that speaks directly to their pain points and aspirations. Use compelling language, showcase your value proposition, and offer a glimpse of how you can transform their situation while creating a positive experience.

Source

Timing

Timing is everything in sales outreach. Reaching out at the right moment, whether it’s after a prospect interacts with your content or during a relevant industry event, can significantly increase the likelihood of a positive response.

Follow-Up

Your first outreach is rarely the final word. Consistent follow-up demonstrates your genuine interest and commitment. It’s your chance to answer questions, address concerns, and nurture the relationship, ultimately guiding the prospect through your sales funnel.

8 Examples of Outreach Done Right

1. The LinkedIn Message

LinkedIn messaging outreach involves using the platform’s messaging features to connect with potential customers. It’s a powerful tool because it allows you to reach decision-makers directly, build relationships, and nurture leads within a professional context.

A well-crafted LinkedIn message goes beyond the generic template. It acknowledges the recipient’s specific industry, interests, or pain points, and demonstrates that you’ve taken the time to research and understand their needs.

Sample

Source

Analysis

This message works because it’s highly personalized. It mentions the recipient’s position, promotion, their recent strategies, and a specific challenge their industry faces. Then, it offers a potential solution that the sender’s company can offer to address that challenge. The call to action (connect and chat) makes it easy for the recipient to respond.

2. Email Outreach

Email outreach is the cornerstone of many sales strategies. Sending targeted emails to potential customers helps you introduce your product or service, share valuable content, or invite them to a demo or consultation.

A high-performing sales or marketing email grabs attention with a compelling subject line, offers a clear value proposition, and includes a strong call to action.

Sample

Source

Analysis

This email template stands out due to its use of the AIDA sales technique, highlighting Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. It grabs the prospect’s attention by offering a weekly source of leads and piques their interest by making the promise of dramatic results. 

Desire is stoked by mentioning a competitor in the prospect’s space that has received “big results,” and action is called for by asking the prospect to “see for yourself.” AIDA is a proven sales method, so why not incorporate it into your outreach email campaigns?

3. Cold Calling Script

Even though the majority of sales outreach is going digital, nothing beats the human touch of a good old-fashioned phone call—and 41.2% of sales personnel agree. Cold calling involves directly contacting potential customers who haven’t previously expressed interest in your product or service. While it can be challenging, a well-executed cold call can open doors and create opportunities.

A successful cold calling script includes:

• A strong opening line.
• Engaging questions to pique interest.
• A confident closing that leaves the prospect wanting more.

Sample

Analysis

This cold call script starts with a polite opening, acknowledges the prospect’s recent achievement, and offers relevant expertise. The focus is on providing value to the prospect, not just making a sales pitch. The open-ended question at the end invites the prospect to continue the conversation.

4. Social Media Outreach (Twitter)

Social media outreach leverages platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to connect with potential customers. It involves engaging with their content, sharing valuable insights, and building relationships. It even includes using paid influencers to boost your engagement.

Since we’ve already looked at LinkedIn outreach, we’ll use Twitter as an example use case. An effective Twitter outreach strategy involves replying to relevant tweets, sharing your own content, and joining industry conversations. Regular posting that speaks to your audience and offers value is critical, especially for social selling.

Sample

Source

Analysis

This Twitter outreach works because it’s engaging and conversational. It doesn’t feel like a sales pitch, but rather a genuine attempt to connect with someone who shares similar interests. By offering a valuable resource, the sender positions themselves as knowledgeable and helpful.

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing outreach involves creating and sharing content that provides value while addressing your target audience’s pain points and interests. This content can take many forms, such as blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, webinars, or videos. The goal is to provide valuable information that attracts potential customers and positions your company as a thought leader in your industry.

Sample

Analysis

This content marketing approach is a blog post shared on LinkedIn, and it’s effective because it focuses on providing value upfront. Even better, the main message of the post has been turned into four slides, drawing more attention and interest to the linked content.

By sharing a relevant and informative post, the sender establishes credibility and demonstrates expertise. This builds rapport with potential customers, and increases the chances that they will further engage with your business.

6. Direct Mail

Direct mail outreach involves sending physical mailers to potential customers, such as postcards, letters, brochures, or even small gifts. While somewhat old-fashioned, direct mail can be a surprisingly effective way to cut through the noise and make a lasting impression, mainly because it’s not used as often as in the past.

A well-designed, personalized, and creative mailer can pique curiosity and create a memorable experience for the recipient. This approach is particularly effective for B2B outreach, where decision-makers are often inundated with digital messages.

Sample

Source

Analysis

Here’s an example of a clever direct mail campaign that got results. Workfront, a management software company, capitalized on a competitor’s exit from the market. They identified the main complaint prospects had with their former software provider and built a marketing campaign around the theme of a breakup. The campaign, featuring messages like “Fall in love again” and even sending floral bouquets, generated a substantial ROI of over $370,000.

7. Referral Outreach

Referral outreach leverages the power of word-of-mouth marketing. It involves asking your existing customers, partners, or network contacts to introduce you to potential leads. Referrals are highly valuable because they come with a built-in level of trust and credibility.

A successful referral outreach program involves:

• Identifying potential referrers – Customers or contacts who are happy with your product or service and have a wide network.
• Asking for referrals – Reach out to your referrers and explain how their referrals can help your business.
• Providing incentives – Offer incentives to referrers, such as discounts, free products, or charitable donations.
• Thanking referrers – Always thank your referrers for their support and keep them updated on the progress of their referrals.

Sample

Source

Analysis

This referral sample works as both a cold call script or email copy. It’s personable, specific, and gets right to the point. You can also add links to a calendar app where the referred prospect can choose their call date and time. 

Referrals are incredibly powerful because they leverage the trust that already exists between the referrer and the potential customer. They can significantly shorten the sales cycle and increase your chances of closing deals.

8. SMS/Text Messaging

SMS/text messaging outreach involves sending short, targeted text messages to potential customers. This approach is ideal for sending quick updates, reminders, or invitations to events or demos. It’s a direct and personal way to communicate with prospects, especially in the B2B space where people are often on the go.

SMS outreach works because it’s fast, convenient, and less intrusive than phone calls. It allows you to reach prospects directly on their mobile devices, where they’re most likely to see and respond to your message. However, it’s important to use this channel sparingly and only for messages that are truly valuable to the recipient. Many regions have regulatory and campaign registration requirements for any SMS/Text campaigns, so be sure to follow all compliance guidelines.

Sample

Source

Analysis

In this example, a text message is used to follow up with a qualified lead to close a sale. Value is offered in the form of a 20% off coupon code. The message is personalized and shows gratitude to the prospect for their time and interest. Depending on the sector your business operates in, a simple text message might be all you need to close a sale.

Take Your Sales Outreach from Bland to Grand with mvpGrow

Successful sales outreach is a blend of art and science. It’s about understanding your audience, crafting messages that resonate, and delivering them at the perfect moment through channels both expected and unexpected. Embracing personalization, engagement, and strategic follow-up helps you forge connections that lead to lasting customer relationships.

At mvpGrow, we’re passionate about helping startups achieve their growth goals through effective sales outreach. Our global team of seasoned sales and marketing pros understands the unique challenges you face and can customize a winning strategy that speaks directly to your target audience. We even offer SDR (Sales Development Representatives) as a service to help lean sales teams become more effective in growing your business.

Book a free consultation with mvpGrow today to explore how we can help with sales outreach.