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Ignore Outbound Sales Clickbait Advice
If you spend any time on social media in a business knowledge-seeking capacity, you’ve seen outbound sales “experts” sharing advice.
It might be an article like “Top 10 Subject Lines to Increase Engagement.” Or “The Top 5 Email Templates That Get a Response.” Even big brands are starting to post articles like this.
When you see a post like that, the best thing to do is simple: ignore it.
Why You Shouldn’t Listen to These “Experts”
I know you want to listen to these people. It’s tempting.
The idea that you could have a foolproof list of subject lines / email templates / call scripts that you could use as a template for your outbound sales program would make lead generation a breeze!
But the problem lies in the fact there there is no one-size-fits-all template to any aspect of an outbound sales strategy.
And let’s not get confused - Leadium does have articles like, “7 Outbound Email Subject Line Tips To Increase Open Rates.” The main difference being that we will never talk in absolutes. We will give tips and ways to think about strategy but never a blanketed list of “subject lines” or “templates” that we guarantee will work for every company’s outbound program.
The “40 Subject Lines That Get Prospects to Click and Respond” clickbait titles aren’t as valuable as they might seem at first.
Why? For four simple reasons:
- Your customers aren’t the same
- Your products aren’t the same
- Your value propositions aren’t the same
- Your price points aren’t the same
Your Customers Aren't The Same
Effective outbound sales emails are tailored to your audience.
Some of these “thought leaders” imply that they’re not. And that can be misleading. If you’re emailing pharmaceutical industry executives, and they’ve been emailing high school principals, you’re going to see different open rates.
That’s the nature of working with different industries.
You also have a different relationship with your customers. If you’ve built up trust over a long period of providing value, you’re going to see better open rates, more responses, and an all-around better sales program.
And, of course, customer groups want different things. Let’s say that you and I are both selling cars. You’re selling Ferraris to the super-rich, and I’m selling Kias to middle-class buyers.
We’re in the same industry, but your messaging will attract a different group of people than my messaging.
My buyers don’t need prestige, flashiness, or the absolute highest-performing vehicle on the market. My messaging has to address the needs of families, commuters, and first-time car buyers. Your buyers, on the other hand, don’t care about reliability, fuel efficiency, or carrying capacity. So your sales messaging will be different.
Outbound sales needs to address the needs of your audience. Not the audience of an expert or competitor.
Your Products Aren't The Same
Let’s say your target audience actually is similar. Maybe you and I are both selling family sedans.
You might think that our messaging could be pretty similar. But just because the audience overlaps doesn’t mean we should be saying the same thing.
Why? Because every product is unique.
Maybe my sedans have the best fuel efficiency in their class. And yours have the highest carrying capacity. Or more interior customization options.
Your business isn’t selling the same product as any other business. And your sales messaging should reflect that.
That gets at our next point:
Your Value Propositions Aren't The Same
Even if you’re selling similar products to similar audiences, there’s still a difference in your value propositions.
Value propositions go beyond your audience and your products. They get to the core of your branding. And if your value proposition is the same as a competitor’s, you haven’t spent enough time working to differentiate yourself.
The value proposition on my fuel-efficient sedans might be that they let you live a fast-paced life while staying eco-friendly. That proposition is unique to my cars and appeals to a particular audience.
Your highly customizable sedans may have a value proposition of letting the average buyer get the exact car they want so they feel as comfortable as possible for years to come. That’s what matters to your audience.
Your value proposition is what helped you build an audience in the first place. And an outbound sales “thought leader” on LinkedIn has no idea what that proposition is.
The subject lines, call scripts, emails, and tactics that work for their clients don’t hit on the same reasons that your clients love you.
Even relatively general subject line formulas can’t account for these differences.
Your Price Points Aren't the Same
Finally, you’re making a different ask. And that means you need a different approach. Outbound sales for something that costs $5,000 is going to look different from sales for something that costs $500,000.
(And, of course, different types of cars have wildly varying price points.)
When you combine these four factors, you’ll see that the outbound sales advice you see from “experts” is often clickbait. They don’t know anything about your company, your customers, or your product.
You have a unique combination of audience, customers, value propositions, and price points. They’re all connected and they create a singular brand for your company. Your sales messaging should reflect that.
So what can you do instead of relying on the advice of these experts?
There’s a simple five-step process that will help you build an outbound program that works for your business and appeals to your ideal customer. It’s basically the core of outbound sales success. And we’ll be going over each of the five steps in our next post.
The idea that you could have a foolproof list of subject lines / email templates / call scripts that you could use as a template for your outbound sales program would make lead generation a breeze!
