There are only 2 ways to succeed at outbound in 2025

There are only 2 ways to succeed at outbound in 2025:

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✅ 1) Be disproportionately better than everyone else

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As an AE, you cannot succeed with avg. cold calling skills.

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Look at the math:

- 1 hour of calls per day x 5 days = 5 hours of calls

- 150 calls (30 calls per hour)

- 5% pick-up rate = 7-8 conversations

- 10% booking rate = <1 meeting booked

- 80% show rate = 2-3 meetings per month

- 30% opportunity creation rate = <1 new opportunity per month

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These conversion rates are pretty generous.

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This math doesn't work for a mid-market or enterprise AE needing to self-source 30%+ of their pipeline.

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Now, a top 10% of cold caller will convert ~30% of their live conversations into meetings.

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The above scenario would look more like this:

- 30% booking rate on 7-8 conversations = 2-3 meetings booked

- 80% show rate = 7-9 meetings per month

- 30% opportunity creation rate = ~2-3 new opportunities per month

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This math works with land & expand models and when there's a healthy ACV.

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Key takeaway: Outbound success looks a lot like online dating, where 10% of men get 60%+ of the matches. But the bottom 60% get only 4% of the matches.

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For cold calling to work for AEs, you need to be in the top 10-20% from a skill standpoint. Invest in becoming world-class on the phones.

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Bonus: Use a tool like Orum 🥇 to give your organization an unfair advantage

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✅ 2) Take the path of least resistance

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The future of outbound is led by marketing activities. Adam Robinson calls this "inbound-led outbound."

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Marketing creates demand. Sales helps capture it.

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The key is world-class thought leadership, and having something high-value to invite prospective customers to.

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This looks like:

- Hosting events and dinners

- Hosting webinars (that don't suck)

- Creating world-class content and thought-leadership

- Creating content together with your prospects (e.g. inviting prospects on as guests to a podcast)

- Partnering with influencers in your category

- Creating case studies with the decision-makers instead of users of your product

- Effective prospecting into prospects who opt-in to content

- Leveraging triggers/signals (new exec hires, etc.)

- Leveraging your exec's networks for introductions

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The problem with this approach? You won't see results short-term. This will take multiple quarters to roll out and a year to see ROI if you sell enterprise.

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But thought leadership is how your organization will stand out as pure cold outbound becomes nearly impossible in the next 3-5 years.

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Agree or disagree with my take?

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*Orum 🥇 is a sponsor and my go-to recommendation for dialers

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