Latest / Match B2B Insights / SellTech’s Outbound Playbook Deep Dive

Transcript

SellTech’s Outbound Playbook Deep Dive · Match B2B Insights

• 0:00
  Welcome to Match B2B Insights, the podcast designed to bring fresh perspectives and actionable
• 0:07
  strategies to businesses navigating the complexities of B2B marketing.
• 0:12
  I am Benny Flume, the CEO of Match B2B.
• 0:15
  Today, we're delving into a topic that could be the game changer your business needs, the
• 0:20
  art of outbound sales.
• 0:22
  Often misunderstood as merely a way to book meetings, outbound sales is actually a powerful
• 0:27
  intelligence loop that refines customer profiles and messaging.
• 0:31
  It's about building a systematic approach that not only boosts your sales, but also offers
• 0:36
  invaluable insights for your marketing strategy.
• 0:39
  We'll explore the lean tech stack essential for success, the importance of credible sender
• 0:43
  identities and the magic of engaging messaging that attracts rather than pushes away potential
• 0:49
  clients.
• 0:50
  Joining me today is our experienced interviewer, Brenda, who will guide our conversation as
• 0:56
  we aim to deliver expert, data-driven, practical insights.
• 1:00
  At Match B2B, we believe great marketing starts with great insight, from smart data to loyal
• 1:05
  clients.
• 1:06
  So, if you're ready to transform your outbound sales approach into a consistent, learning-focused
• 1:11
  system that provides a competitive edge and high ROI, stay tuned, let's dive in.
• 1:17
  All right, everybody, welcome back to another deep dive on Match B2B Insights.
• 1:22
  I'm Brenda, and today we're tackling something that's been driving founders absolutely
• 1:26
  crazy, outbound sales.
• 1:29
  You know, that thing where you're supposed to magically turn cold prospects into paying
• 1:32
  customers without sounding like a robot or ending up in spam folders.
• 1:37
  Hey, everyone, Benny Fluman here, and Brenda, you just hit on exactly why most founders
• 1:41
  are doing outbound completely wrong.
• 1:43
  They're looking for hacks when what they actually need is a system.
• 1:47
  I've been diving deep into this space, and there's a massive difference between founders
• 1:51
  who treat outbound like a campaign versus those who build it like an engine.
• 1:55
  Okay, lay it on me.
• 1:58
  What's the difference between a hack and a system?
• 2:00
  Great question.
• 2:01
  So, a hack is like saying, I'm going to hire an SDR and figure it out later.
• 2:06
  Or let's wait until marketing brings in leads.
• 2:09
  A system is when you start early, even before product market fit, because outbound is actually
• 2:14
  your fastest way to refine your ideal customer profile, your messaging, and your value proposition.
• 2:20
  Wait, before product market fit?
• 2:22
  That sounds backwards to most people, right?
• 2:24
  Exactly, and that's where founders mess up.
• 2:27
  They think outbound is just about booking meetings, but it's actually your early-stage
• 2:31
  intelligence loop.
• 2:32
  It teaches you who your actual buyers are, not who you assumed they were, what problems
• 2:37
  they actually care about, and why they say yes or ghost you completely.
• 2:41
  So outbound is like market research that also generates revenue?
• 2:44
  Bingo.
• 2:45
  It shoppens everything.
• 2:46
  Your messaging, positioning, product, even your team's mindset.
• 2:51
  The founders who win treat it like a system from day one, not something they bolt on later
• 2:55
  when they're desperate for pipeline.
• 2:57
  Alright, so if I'm convinced I need a system, where do I even start?
• 3:01
  The tool landscape is absolutely overwhelming.
• 3:03
  Right, so let's talk about the lean tech stack that actually works.
• 3:07
  Most companies overspend on the wrong tools, chasing trends instead of outcomes.
• 3:12
  Here's what you actually need.
• 3:14
  RobSpot for your CRM, either reply.io or smart lead for sequencing, FendiMail for verified
• 3:20
  emails, Clay or AirScale for data enrichment, Sales Navigator for LinkedIn, and a few others.
• 3:26
  We're talking about 450 to 650 a month for a solid stack.
• 3:30
  That's actually less than I expected, but I'm guessing the real magic is in how you
• 3:34
  connect all these tools.
• 3:36
  Exactly.
• 3:37
  Tools don't make outbound work.
• 3:39
  Systems do.
• 3:40
  And the foundation of any good system is your email infrastructure.
• 3:43
  This is where most founders completely screw themselves over.
• 3:46
  Oh no, what are they doing wrong?
• 3:48
  They're sending cold emails from their main company domain.
• 3:51
  Brenda, imagine if you burned your primary business email because you got flagged as
• 3:55
  spam.
• 3:56
  That's what happens when you skip the basics.
• 3:58
  Yikes, so what's the right way?
• 4:00
  You buy two to three lookalike domains.
• 4:02
  So if you're Acme, you get GetAcme, DIO, AcmeSales.com, TriAcme.co.
• 4:08
  Only use trusted TLDS like dotcom, dotco, dotio.
• 4:13
  Then you set up proper DNS records, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX records.
• 4:19
  This tells email providers you're legit, not a spammer.
• 4:22
  Okay, but there's more to it than just buying domains, right?
• 4:25
  Oh absolutely, you create real credible sender identities, MyAcmeSales.com, not sales or
• 4:32
  infoey.
• 4:33
  You warm up these inboxes for 14 to 21 days, starting at 15 to 20 emails per day and slowly
• 4:39
  scaling up.
• 4:40
  Most importantly, you respect sending limits, cap at 40 to 50 emails per day per inbox.
• 4:45
  And if I skip the warm up?
• 4:47
  You land in spam folders from day one, game over, the whole point is building reputation
• 4:52
  with email providers before you start your real campaigns.
• 4:55
  Makes sense.
• 4:56
  Now, LinkedIn.
• 4:58
  Everyone says you need to be on LinkedIn for B2B, but how does it actually work with
• 5:01
  Outbound?
• 5:02
  LinkedIn isn't just your CV anymore, it's your Outbound storefront.
• 5:06
  When someone gets your cold message, where do they go next?
• 5:09
  Straight to your profile.
• 5:10
  If it's empty or generic, they bounce.
• 5:13
  If it's credible and speaks their language, they engage.
• 5:16
  So it's like the second step in your sales process?
• 5:19
  Exactly.
• 5:20
  Your profile optimization is critical.
• 5:22
  Your headline should speak to your ICP, helping B2B founders turn Outbound into a system instead
• 5:27
  of SDR at Acme Inc.
• 5:29
  Your banner, about section, everything should focus on their world, not your resume.
• 5:34
  What about actually reaching out on LinkedIn?
• 5:37
  Connection strategy matters.
• 5:38
  Send up to 30 connection requests per day, sometimes with notes, sometimes without.
• 5:43
  You need to A-B test what works for your audience.
• 5:46
  Keep messages short and human after connection.
• 5:49
  Don't pitch, ask real questions using context from their role or company.
• 5:53
  And I'm guessing content plays a role here too?
• 5:56
  Huge role.
• 5:57
  If your profile shows up and your feed is silent, that's a red flag.
• 6:00
  You don't need to post daily, but one to two times per week, sharing insights, proof
• 6:05
  of your work, or personal stories builds trust.
• 6:08
  When you're actively posting, LinkedIn connection acceptance rates jump 20 to 30% higher.
• 6:13
  Okay, so we've got email infrastructure and LinkedIn sorted.
• 6:17
  But I'm assuming all this data needs to flow somewhere central?
• 6:20
  Right into your CRM, and this is where HubSpot really shines for startups.
• 6:24
  But here's the thing, most founders either overcomplicate the CRM or ignore it completely.
• 6:30
  Your CRM is your control tower.
• 6:32
  If it's not clean, your outbound system doesn't fly.
• 6:35
  What does a clean CRM setup look like?
• 6:37
  Your pipeline should mirror real life.
• 6:40
  Contacted, engaged, qualified, meeting completed, proposal sent, closed one, closed lost.
• 6:45
  Create custom properties that matter for outbound, lead source, lead tier, last touch date, sequence
• 6:50
  name, and make sure everything syncs automatically between your outreach tools and HubSpot.
• 6:56
  Lead tier.
• 6:57
  Explain that one.
• 6:58
  This is critical.
• 6:59
  You can't treat all leads the same.
• 7:01
  Tier one is your dream fits with high signals like recent funding or hiring.
• 7:05
  Tier two is good fit, but no clear urgency.
• 7:08
  Tier three is broad fit, worth testing.
• 7:10
  You personalize fully for tier one, semi-personalize for tier two, and use volume approach for
• 7:15
  tier three.
• 7:16
  That's smart.
• 7:17
  So now I need to actually find these people.
• 7:20
  How do I build lists without it becoming a full-time job?
• 7:23
  Data sourcing is where most startups fail.
• 7:25
  And it's not because of bad messaging.
• 7:28
  It's bad targeting.
• 7:29
  They pull giant unfiltered lists and email 500 people with zero segmentation.
• 7:35
  You don't need more leads.
• 7:36
  You need the right 100.
• 7:38
  So how do I find the right 100?
• 7:40
  Start with a real ICP definition.
• 7:42
  Not SaaS companies, but seed to Series A, companies with one to three AEs, no SDRs, and hiring
• 7:49
  RevOps roles.
• 7:50
  Then identify trigger events, hiring SDRs, recent funding, new leadership, tech changes.
• 7:56
  Use sales navigator for filtering, clay or air scale for enrichment, and Findemail for
• 8:01
  verified emails.
• 8:02
  And then I just blast them all with the same message?
• 8:05
  No.
• 8:06
  This is where sequence design comes in.
• 8:08
  Most cold outreach fails because it's too aggressive, too generic, or too inconsistent.
• 8:13
  A great sequence isn't there to sell.
• 8:15
  It's designed to spark interest and create a rhythm that feels natural.
• 8:19
  Walk me through what a good sequence looks like.
• 8:21
  Sure.
• 8:22
  Week one is intro and observation.
• 8:24
  LinkedIn connection, short DM with insight.
• 8:27
  First email with question.
• 8:28
  Maybe a light phone touch.
• 8:30
  Week two is soft follow up without pushiness.
• 8:32
  New angle, recap with question.
• 8:34
  Try the phone again.
• 8:36
  Week three is optional recycle with breakup style message.
• 8:40
  Total of 12 to 15 touch points across three weeks.
• 8:44
  That seems like a lot of touches.
• 8:45
  Do people actually respond?
• 8:47
  Here's the reality check.
• 8:49
  Realistic benchmarks for 2025 are LinkedIn connection rate 25 to 40%.
• 8:53
  Email reply rate one to 2%.
• 8:56
  Positive replies total 0.5 to 1%.
• 8:59
  Two to four meetings booked per SDR per month.
• 9:01
  Anyone promising 15 plus meetings per month from cold is selling you snake oil.
• 9:06
  Those numbers seem low, but I guess it's about quality over quantity.
• 9:10
  Exactly.
• 9:11
  And this is where messaging strategy becomes crucial.
• 9:13
  Most outbound fails because it sounds like outbound.
• 9:16
  Generic intros, jargon, overhyped solutions.
• 9:19
  Good messaging doesn't push.
• 9:21
  It pulls.
• 9:22
  Makes prospects stop and think that's interesting.
• 9:25
  Give me the formula for good messaging.
• 9:27
  Start with observation.
• 9:28
  Something real about them.
• 9:30
  Add tension or pain.
• 9:31
  They're likely feeling.
• 9:33
  Create curiosity with a soft question.
• 9:35
  Optional light CTA if you've earned it.
• 9:38
  For example, notice your team just raised and is hiring GTM roles.
• 9:43
  A lot of founders say outbound is confusing.
• 9:45
  Too many tools.
• 9:46
  No system is outbound something you're already building internally.
• 9:50
  It doesn't sound salesy at all.
• 9:52
  It sounds like a real person asking a real question.
• 9:55
  That's the point.
• 9:56
  People reply to people, not templates.
• 9:58
  And here's where content becomes the hidden multiplier.
• 10:01
  Even if your cold message is great, prospects still check your LinkedIn.
• 10:05
  If they land on an empty profile, you've lost them.
• 10:08
  But if you're consistently sharing insights about their world, you become familiar before
• 10:12
  you ever send that first message.
• 10:14
  So content makes cold outreach feel warm.
• 10:17
  Bingo.
• 10:18
  When you're actively posting, connection acceptance rates jump, DMs don't feel cold,
• 10:22
  and you become a category expert in their eyes instead of another vendor.
• 10:26
  You don't need to go viral.
• 10:27
  Just show you understand their world.
• 10:29
  This all sounds great in theory, but how does it actually work day to day?
• 10:33
  Like what's the technical workflow?
• 10:35
  Great question.
• 10:36
  This is where most founders think they can just set up tools, but pros connect them
• 10:40
  into a system.
• 10:41
  Full workflow goes from list building in clay to email infrastructure in smart lead to sequence
• 10:47
  execution to LinkedIn integration to CRM sync to phone system to feedback loop and optimization.
• 10:52
  That sounds complex.
• 10:54
  How do I know if it's working?
• 10:56
  You need the feedback loop.
• 10:57
  Weekly review of reply rates, positive rates, bounce trends, sequence and messaging testing,
• 11:02
  CRM hygiene.
• 11:04
  The system needs to learn and improve, not just run on autopilot.
• 11:07
  Okay, let's talk money.
• 11:10
  What does this actually cost to set up and run?
• 11:12
  For a typical solo founder or lean team, you're looking at HubSpot sales starter for 50 bucks,
• 11:18
  smart lead for 49 to 99, reply.io for 60 to 90 per seat, Fendi mail for around 50, clay
• 11:24
  or air scale around 100, sales navigator around 100, plus a few other tools.
• 11:30
  Total monthly stack cost is $450 to $600.
• 11:34
  And what kind of ROI should I expect?
• 11:36
  Here's the math.
• 11:37
  If your stack plus SDR costs 3000 a month and your average deal is worth 15K, you only
• 11:43
  need to close one deal per month to be ROI positive.
• 11:46
  The goal isn't to book 100 meetings.
• 11:49
  It's to close revenue with a predictable testable system.
• 11:52
  That actually makes the investment seem pretty reasonable.
• 11:54
  It is if you build it right.
• 11:56
  Most teams burn money chasing fast wins, but you win by building a system that gets smarter
• 12:01
  with every touch.
• 12:02
  The magic is in consistency and compounding learning, not volume.
• 12:06
  So if someone's listening to this and thinking, I need to build this system, where should
• 12:10
  they start?
• 12:11
  Start lean and scale smart.
• 12:13
  Get HubSpot set up first with proper deal stages and custom fields.
• 12:17
  Set up email infrastructure with two domains and proper DNS.
• 12:21
  Get LinkedIn optimized and start posting weekly.
• 12:24
  Define your real ICP with triggers and tier your leads.
• 12:27
  Map sequences by tier and test messaging.
• 12:30
  Add phone touches and build your feedback loop.
• 12:32
  And if they want help building this system?
• 12:34
  Look, this stuff takes time to master and mistakes are expensive.
• 12:38
  Whether you work with a company like Match B2B that specializes in B2B systems, or you
• 12:43
  find another expert who really understands this space, having someone who's built these
• 12:47
  systems before can save you months of trial and error.
• 12:50
  Makes total sense.
• 12:52
  Any final thoughts for founders who are on the fence about outbound?
• 12:55
  Here's the thing.
• 12:56
  Outbound done right is the highest ROI growth channel in early stages, but most founders
• 13:01
  either delay it, fear it, or do it wrong.
• 13:04
  If you treat it like a system instead of a campaign, if you start early instead of waiting
• 13:09
  for perfect product market fit, and if you focus on learning instead of just booking
• 13:13
  meetings, outbound becomes your competitive advantage.
• 13:17
  It's really about changing the mindset from outbound is scary spam to outbound is systematic
• 13:22
  intelligence gathering that also generates revenue.
• 13:25
  Exactly.
• 13:26
  And the founders who figure this out early build predictable pipeline engines that compound
• 13:31
  over time while their competitors are still guessing at their ICP or waiting for marketing
• 13:36
  to save them.
• 13:37
  Brilliant.
• 13:38
  Well folks, there you have it.
• 13:39
  A complete blueprint for building outbound that actually works.
• 13:43
  From email infrastructure to LinkedIn optimization to CRM setup to messaging that sounds human,
• 13:49
  it's all about systems, not hacks.
• 13:51
  And remember, outbound isn't just a sales channel.
• 13:55
  It's your early stage intelligence loop that makes everything else better.
• 13:59
  Start building your system today.
• 14:01
  Thanks for diving deep with us today, Benny.
• 14:03
  And to all our listeners, if you're building B2B systems and want to learn more about this
• 14:07
  stuff, you know where to find us.
• 14:10
  Until next time, keep those pipelines flowing.
• 14:13
  Thanks everyone.
• 14:14
  And remember, build the system once and it'll pay you back every month.
• 14:22
  We've reached the end of today's podcast where we explored the systematic approach to outbound
• 14:27
  sales, emphasizing its role beyond just booking meetings.
• 14:31
  We discussed the importance of a lean tech stack, including tools like HubSpot and LinkedIn,
• 14:36
  and highlighted the need for a well-organized CRM and personalized messaging.
• 14:41
  Building a consistent outbound system early on can offer a significant competitive advantage
• 14:45
  and high ROI for startups.
• 14:48
  Thank you for joining me on Match B2B Insights.
• 14:51
  Until next time, this is Benny Fluman reminding you that in the world of sales, the mind
• 14:55
  matters just as much as the market.
• 14:57
  Good luck and happy selling.