Balancing the Outbound-Inbound Act: Strategies for Effective Collaboration | E27
Ruta Sudmantaite
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In the ever-evolving landscape of B2B marketing, companies often find themselves navigating the tricky waters of outbound and inbound strategies. With marketing budgets tightening, many organizations are pivoting towards outbound tactics to fill the pipeline. But is this shift always beneficial? Let’s dive into the nuances of this balance and how to make collaboration between marketing and outbound teams work seamlessly.
Why the Shift Towards Outbound?
When budgets are slashed, outbound often becomes the go-to strategy. As Matthew Feenan from a leading consultancy explains, "Reports are coming out saying that investments are down 78% compared to last year." This reduction forces companies to make tough choices about which departments to trim. Outbound teams, with their tangible pipeline contributions, often fare better than marketing teams struggling to show direct ROI.
Feenan adds, "Marketing is hard to demonstrate that sort of tangible pipeline attribution." Unlike marketing efforts that may generate quality MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) but don't always result in immediate sales, outbound teams can showcase direct results through booked meetings and closed deals.
The Attribution Dilemma
One of the biggest challenges in balancing outbound and inbound strategies is attribution. Marketing teams often produce valuable leads, but without proper follow-up, these leads don't convert. Conversely, sales teams can rally around their outbound efforts but may not give marketing credit where it's due.
"Marketing can sort of say, yeah, we're generating all these MQLs and say, well, they're not turning into anything. Well, that's sales' fault."
This blame game can deteriorate the relationship between teams, making collaboration a distant dream. Feenan emphasizes the importance of a holistic view, stating, "People need more to sway the needle sometimes. And just that email might push the button, but it could be all these times that they've seen it up until then that will actually cause that conversion."
Setting Realistic Expectations
Often, when new outbound or marketing teams are brought on board, there's an expectation for immediate results. However, as Ruta points out, many companies have long sales cycles—sometimes 6 to 12 months. "It's not gonna happen till the seventh email in the cadence or the second campaign that you do into that space," she notes.
Feenan echoes this sentiment by saying, "You can expect a SDR team to make some sort of traction straight away, but definitely six to 12 months before you start seeing them get up to full speed."
Fostering Collaboration Over Competition
To truly maximize outbound efforts, fostering collaboration between marketing and outbound teams is crucial. Feenan suggests, "Having that continuous collaboration, I'm just reinforcing that everything's going to work."
Here are some strategies to enhance collaboration:
- Weekly Sync Meetings: Regular meetings ensure both teams are aligned on goals and strategies.
- Shared Goals: Setting targets that require input from both marketing and outbound can unify efforts.
- Feedback Loops: Create channels where outbound teams can provide feedback on lead quality, helping marketing refine their strategies.
Aligning Incentives
Misaligned incentives can derail collaboration. If outbound teams feel that handling MQLs detracts from their primary goals, they may deprioritize these leads. Feenan advises, "Having an incentive on booking a meeting through an MQL. I guarantee your SDRs will go back through their list and work them to the bone."
By integrating incentives that reward collaboration, companies can ensure that both teams see the value in working together rather than in silos.
Senior Leadership's Role
Senior leaders play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between marketing and outbound. Feenan recommends, "Senior leaders could massively encourage that through having these sort of collaborative sessions."
Leadership should advocate for a unified revenue team approach rather than dividing teams into strict inbound and outbound silos. Ruta adds, "We need to get to a place where we can align ourselves better around those like core metrics. So it's like, there is one pipeline, there's one revenue. Let's all figure out how to hit the number."
Implementing Effective Campaigns
Specialized campaigns with clear messaging can significantly enhance outbound effectiveness. Feenan notes, "Very specialized campaigns with specific messaging is always going to go best." This approach ensures that SDRs have a clear focus and that leads aren't coming from a muddled mix of campaigns.
Ruta shares a successful tactic, "Setting some goals around how much of, let's say, the outbound meetings should be from marketing sourced." This not only legitimizes marketing-sourced leads but also integrates them into the outbound team's targets.
Breaking Down Silos Through Shared Experiences
One innovative way to foster understanding and collaboration is for team members to experience each other’s roles. Emma suggests, "If everybody at some point has a go [outsider call], I think you'll have a newfound respect for making any kind of outbound call."
This hands-on approach can break down barriers and build empathy between teams, leading to more cohesive strategies and better overall performance.
Case Studies & Real-World Examples
Implementing these strategies isn’t just theory. Companies that have embraced collaboration between marketing and outbound teams have seen remarkable results. For instance, Ruta mentions how having an SDR within the marketing team allowed for real-time feedback and alignment on campaigns, leading to higher quality leads and increased demo bookings.
Another example is Clear Review, where cross-functional collaboration led to more effective campaigns and a unified approach to hitting revenue targets.
Final Thoughts
Balancing outbound and inbound strategies is no small feat, especially in a down market. However, with the right approach to collaboration, realistic expectations, and aligned incentives, companies can create a powerful synergy that drives growth and revenue.
As Feenan aptly puts it, "It's all about that collaboration and making sure that everyone's feeling good about every bit of it."
So, before you decide to axe your marketing team in favor of outbound, take a step back. Evaluate how these two forces can work together to create a more robust and effective sales pipeline. After all, in the world of marketing, teamwork really does make the dream work.
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