Effective outreach uses public data to create a unique, valuable insight for the prospect (e.g., "Your building portfolio will face X dollars in fines by 2030 based on this new law"). This earns you the right to a conversation, where the pitch can happen later, rather than being ignored upfront.
Related Insights
The struggle to book meetings isn't just about outreach tactics. Salespeople have conditioned prospects to decline because the typical 'discovery call' offers zero value. To improve prospecting success, sellers must first fix the meeting itself by turning it into a valuable consultation.
Don't start with messaging. Build a hyper-specific list based on observable public data that signals a clear pain point. This data-driven list itself becomes the core of a highly relevant message, moving beyond generic persona-based outreach and hollow personalization.
To get meetings with busy leaders before her product was ready, founder Janice Omadeke explicitly stated, "I am too early for you to purchase this." This non-threatening approach lowered their guard, reframing the conversation from a sales pitch to a collaborative session focused on learning their problems.
Act as a strategic partner, not a vendor, by analyzing a prospect's annual reports, 10Ks, and shareholder letters. Use this research to inform them about strategic risks or business issues they haven't considered, immediately differentiating you from competitors who just ask basic discovery questions.
Instead of cold calling, ask a target executive for a 10-minute interview for an article you're writing on an industry topic. This non-salesy approach grants access, positions you as an expert, and initiates a relationship on collaborative, not transactional, terms.
To stay top-of-mind with prospects who aren't ready to buy, map out the critical decisions they'll face around a compelling event. By providing resources that help them navigate these inherent challenges (e.g., compliance, tax), you become a trusted advisor, not just another vendor waiting for an opportunity.
A breakthrough for new salespeople is changing their mindset on initial calls. Instead of trying to immediately find a problem to sell against, focus on making a human connection and leading with genuine curiosity. This approach lowers pressure and fosters a more collaborative discovery process.
In initial meetings with enterprise prospects, Nexla's founder didn't pitch a solution. He focused entirely on validating the problem. By asking, "Do you see this problem as well?" he framed the conversation as a collaborative exploration, which disarmed prospects and led to more honest, insightful discussions.
Shift the first meeting's goal from gathering information ("discovery") to providing tangible value ("consultation"). Prospects agree to meetings when they expect to learn something useful for their role or company, just as patients expect insights from a doctor.
In the first minute of a cold call, resist the urge to pitch your product. Instead, lead with a 'reverse pitch' that focuses entirely on the prospect's potential problems. This approach is three times more effective than using solution-focused language, as it speaks to what the buyer actually cares about.
