#005: The Science of Outbound

Welcome to part 5 of our outbound sales series. How to create more pipeline by sending the right message to the right person at the right time through the right channel.

Part 1: How to build your target lists (right person)

Part 2: Write messaging that gets replies (right message)

Part 3: Get your message delivered (right channel, right time)

Part 4: How to personalize your outreach

Part 5: The Science of Outbound ← This post

Read time: 2 Minutes

Not all outbound is created equal. There are a few different strategies we see deployed on a regular basis. Today, we’re going to break down the science and math behind each approach and leave you with a spreadsheet to calculate exactly what activity is needed to hit your quota.

Email Blasts

This is by far the most common approach I see for acquiring new customers through outbound sales (and least effective).

You fill a spreadsheet with emails you’ve found or purchased and send the same message to each person on that list.

Most people take this approach because it is quick and low effort and gives the satisfaction of “progress”.

The problems with this approach are:

• Low success rates

• Messaging isn’t personalized or relevant

• Risk getting marked as spam

• Everyone else is doing it

Here’s how the math generally works out

Persistence

The next common approach can lead to better results, but if done poorly, can be harmful to your brand and burn potential leads.

It’s similar to the email blast approach, but you continue to send email blasts to the same group of people over and over.

This again doesn’t take much time to set up and execute but it perpetuates the problems we see with email blasts.

Depending on how much time you spend curating your list and how relevant your email templates are, this approach could cause more harm than a simple one-off email blast. If you bombard people with spam, that’s a great way to tarnish your brand.

Here is how the math generally works out

Consistent & Relevant

Let’s talk about what good looks like. It’s rare and helps differentiate you as a sales rep.

This approach builds a daily prospecting habit for a handful of relevant people.

By focusing on a select few people each day and sending personalized and relevant emails, even small changes in conversion rates can have a massive impact on your results.

As we saw in the data last week, personalization can 3x your response rate.

Here’s how the math breaks down

Calculate your personal formula

Let’s make this personal.

The spreadsheet below will tell you the exact number of daily activities you need to hit your quota by the end of the year.

Simply insert your data into the yellow fields and the rest of the spreadsheet will update automatically.

Take Action

• Complete the spreadsheet above with your data

• Block off 1 hour every morning for prospecting activity (DO NOT SKIP!)

• Complete the required daily activity needed to hit your quota

• Monitor your spreadsheet weekly and adjust activity goals as needed

If you know any other experienced or aspiring biotech sales professionals, please share this newsletter with them.

P.S. Thanks for reading this far! Our goal is to help you take your sales career to the next level. Let us know what you want to learn more about, so we can best serve you.

P.P.S. If you want help to put any of this into action, book a strategy call with us.