The Art of Direct Outreach, Act Three
Direct Outreach Done Right
Over the past two weeks we’ve talked about why targeted direct outreach is so powerful and the prerequisites your business must have in order to use this as lever to drive sales and revenue. This week I want to share my exact process for targeted direct outreach as well as examples I’ve used to generate sales.
Step 1:
Identify Your Target
The operative word here is targeted, not cold. I rarely reach out to cold prospects unless I’m inviting them to connect with me on LinkedIn because I have seen some work of theirs that I admire and I want to follow their content. My preference is to be more strategic with my outreach by prioritizing prospects that I know are engaging and consuming my content. I’ll use the following implicit buying signals to identify prospects that might be an ideal fit for my services:
Newsletter opens, clicks, responses
Podcast reviews
Social engagement (likes, comments, shares, mentions)
Free resource downloads
Abandoned cart clicks
Step 2:
Lead with relationship building
This is where things start to get nuanced. You can’t just reach out to every single person who has engaged with your content and make an ask - either for a phone call or a sale. Each of the actions I’ve listed above fall in a different place along the buyer’s journey. Someone who clicked on your sales page for example is likely further along than someone who simply downloaded a free resource. Some companies will have entire funnels built for each of their free downloads - and if that’s you - excellent. The point of targeted direct outreach is to move people along that the funnels have missed, or prospects that have almost made their way into your sales process.
When I see someone frequently engaging with content I’ll check them out on the social platform they use the most. I will support their content and contribute to discussions they’re involved in. I want to make sure that they see my name and support (which is always genuine…I have a healthy obsession with my target clients and I’m not afraid to fangirl when and where appropriate) before I reach out and suggest a phone call. Here is a sample of the exact email I used to get on the phone with an ideal prospect that was engaging with my content:
Hi X,
Your name popped up on our page the other day and I’ve been meaning to reach out. We so appreciate the support you’ve shown our posts. I’ve been following you for a while and I’m impressed with the consistency with which you show up on social media and the focus of your work. I always know exactly who you are speaking to and precisely how you help them!
I’d love to connect with you for a brief call. My goal is to learn more about your top business priorities this year and find out whether there’s a way for me to support you, whether we work together formally or not.
I have these two times free in my calendar, or you can select something that works better for you using my booking link.
Can’t wait to connect!
Talica
This outreach resulted in an initial meeting that I used to assess where they were on the buyer’s journey, and then employed the multiple conversation close to eventually make them an offer. You'll also notice that I've stressed that the prospect will receive value through my support whether the conversation results in a sale or not. This strategy is called The Easy Out.
Step 3
When To Long Game
Not all conversations materialize in an immediate sale, but all conversations will give you an indication of how imminent a sale is. If the prospect clearly needs more nurture I'll make note of this and add them to my target list of people to routinely engage with on social and people to invite to upcoming relevant talks or webinars. I'll leverage whatever the business has in terms of nurture as a means to keep in touch with the prospect.
When To Be More Direct
The above example is a good rule of thumb when you have identified prospects that might be earlier on in the buyer’s journey. I use my outreach to initiate a conversation and relationship with them. I make sure to provide value during the conversation (in the form of powerful questions and insights) and will know by the end of it whether they are a good fit for what I’m selling, and what steps I need to take next to move them further along my sales process and their buyer’s journey. This is usually in the form of content - for example - if I find out they are having a hard time with objection handling I’ll send through information about positioning and product/market fit as a start.
When I see that someone is on my abandoned cart list - my approach changes slightly. These prospects are in the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey - presumably a relationship exists and they are quite serious about moving forward. I employ a more direct approach with these prospects. Here is a sample email I used to close a sale from my abandoned cart list. It should be noted that this was not a cold prospect, and I had spoken with them before.
Hey X
I couldn’t help but notice you were so close to enrolling in our program X. How exciting! I know this was on your radar the last time we spoke. I also remember you sharing that you were looking for support specifically around offer creation which you would receive here.
I think you’d thrive in the program and we’d love working with you. Let me know what questions you have before joining us!
Talica
I do not recommend using this approach with cold prospects. It’s fine for cold prospects to receive automated sequences for abandoned carts but this strategy is most powerful and best leveraged with warm prospects you have a pre-existing relationship with.
I love targeted direct outreach almost as much as I love making a sale. It’s all about using data from your content to initiate conversations with prospects. If you can think about it that way, and not about trying to pitch or sell someone it will feel more comfortable for both you and the prospect.
Tune in next week for Act Four and the final part of this series where I discuss why direct outreach often falls short. If you try any of the strategies outlined in this article please let me know - I’d love to hear how they work for you!
