Solving sales challenges requires a holistic approach that balances both inbound and outbound channels.
Inbound channels, like content marketing and SEO, are essential for drawing in prospects organically. However, when it comes to creating a scalable, predictable, and sustainable sales engine, the channels you can control; outbound channels, take centre stage.
Why? Because while inbound strategies are effective, they are less predictable and difficult to scale. Referrals, for instance, are gold in any sales funnel, but they rely on external factors, such as timing, relationships, and market conditions. You can't control or predict when a referral will come through, nor can you quickly scale it.
This is where focusing on the channels you can control becomes vital for building a solid, repeatable, and predictable sales engine.
Understanding Outbound vs. Inbound Channels
Before diving into the nuances of control and scalability, let's first break down the key differences between outbound and inbound channels.
Outbound channels
Outbound sales involve actively reaching out to potential customers rather than waiting for them to come to you. These are the channels where you have the most control over outreach volume, timing, and messaging.
Common outbound B2B sales channels include:
- Email outreach - Sending personalised cold emails to potential clients.
- Direct Mail - Sending physical marketing materials or proposals to prospects.
- LinkedIn outreach - Leveraging LinkedIn for personalised messaging and connecting with prospects.
- Telemarketing - Using phone calls for mass outreach, often to schedule appointments or demos.
- Outbound SDR teams - Teams dedicated to cold prospecting and setting up initial meetings.
- Field sales - Physically visiting potential clients to pitch your product or service.
- Networking at trade shows or events - Directly approaching prospects at industry events or conferences.
These channels allow you to be proactive in your outreach efforts, targeting prospects who may not yet be aware of your product or service. And you must control and scale your efforts on these channels.
Inbound channels
On the other hand, inbound sales focus on attracting potential customers who are already searching for solutions like yours. While inbound efforts are highly valuable, they depend on prospects taking the initiative to engage with your brand. Some common inbound channels include:
- Content marketing - Blogs, eBooks, whitepapers, and videos that educate and attract prospects.
- SEO - Optimising your website to rank higher in search engine results.
- Social media marketing - Engaging prospects with informative and relevant content on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
- Webinars and online events - Hosting educational events to convert leads.
- Paid search (PPC) - Using ads on platforms like Google to capture leads.
- Referrals - Recommendations from existing clients or partners.
- Affiliate or partner marketing - Leveraging affiliates or partners to promote your products.
- Lead magnets - Offering resources like templates or tools in exchange for contact information.
- Your website - Engaging with your business and getting in touch through your contact form.
Inbound channels are great for generating warm leads, but they are much harder to control in terms of volume and timing.
So why Focus on Outbound channels?
Outbound channels are your best bet when building a scalable, predictable, and sustainable sales engine. Here's why:
1. Scalability
Outbound channels can be scaled with relative ease compared to inbound. For instance, with email outreach, tools like automated sequences allow you to send hundreds or even thousands of personalised emails to prospects, making it easier to scale. Similarly, LinkedIn outreach can be managed through tools that automate connection requests and follow-up messages, freeing up time while expanding your reach.
As much as I disagree with cold calling, it's a key part of many strategies, and scaling can be as simple as expanding your outbound SDR team or increasing your outreach volume.
The key advantage here is that you can adjust the dials - whether it's adding more resources, increasing the number of touchpoints, or expanding your geographic or vertical focus. This control makes it easier to forecast and manage the growth of your sales pipeline.
2. Predictability
With outbound sales, predictability is easier to maintain because you have control over the inputs and processes. With inbound channels, you are often at the mercy of external factors - like how well your content performs on search engines or whether your referral partner decides to introduce you to a lead.
In contrast, outbound is a numbers game. By tracking key metrics - such as the number of cold calls made, emails sent, or meetings scheduled - you can create a predictable sales engine.
For instance, if you know that sending 500 emails generates 50 responses, which leads to 10 demos and 3 closed deals, you can start forecasting with accuracy. This level of predictability allows for better resource allocation and more strategic planning.
3. Control over messaging and timing
Outbound gives you full control over the timing and messaging of your outreach. Whether it's a cold email, a LinkedIn message, or a call, you're able to directly influence when and how a prospect hears your message.
This ability to control the narrative is crucial in competitive B2B markets. You can refine your pitch based on the specific prospect's industry, needs, or pain points and test different messages to see what resonates most. This adaptability and control help you fine-tune your approach, increasing the likelihood of success.
Moreover, the timing of outbound outreach is entirely yours. Whether you're targeting a specific industry trend, a seasonal buying cycle, or a key event, you can align your efforts for maximum impact.
Let's wrap this up
A balanced approach to sales means you're prioritising both inbound and outbound sales channels. But, to create scale and predictability, you need to focus on what you can control.
While inbound strategies like content marketing, SEO, and referrals are valuable, they often come with limitations around scalability and predictability. In contrast, outbound channels provide you with the control necessary to build a sales engine that is not only scalable but also predictable and sustainable.
By focusing on outbound channels, you can proactively manage your pipeline, control your messaging, and build a sales process that grows in a measurable, reliable way. When solving sales, it's about leveraging what you can control - outbound efforts - to create a thriving, long-term sales engine.
Often, inbound channels are prioritised because they come more naturally to have a lower barrier to entry and seem less risky. But to grow, you need to enable outbound alongside inbound so that your engine can drive scale.