How Modern Sales Teams Are Automating Outreach Activity

Sales used to be a fairly straightforward concept - you just had to have the gift of the gab and a mass of self-confidence. These days, the world of sales is of course totally different, with super-fierce competition and trends that change at lightning speed. This means that to even have a hope of keeping up with the competition, today’s sales teams need to be agile, with the ability to reach prospects faster and more effectively.



Many teams are choosing to work smarter by introducing automation tools into their outreach. But although this can be a great way of speeding up dull and repetitive tasks, there’s one problem - it also takes the human touch out of the equation.  Believe me, this is something that customers notice.

So, what’s the solution? Glad you asked - what we need are some mega-tools that can balance speed with authenticity and that’s what we’re going to be looking at today.

When Sales Outreach Grows Up

We all know that outreach automation isn’t an especially new thing - but the way we approach it is. The B2B landscape is a very different one from ten or even five years ago and buyers are now much more savvy and selective when it comes to handing over their cash. Because of this, old-fashioned cold calls and manual email campaigns are just no longer getting the job done and sales teams start to struggle as response rates plummet. This is generally because all those old-school automated messages are being drowned in inboxes full of the same stuff from your competitors.

We’ll let you into a secret - automation isn’t there to take over the entire task - rather it should be seen as a tool that will do some of the heavy lifting when used alongside real-life humans. Tools like Sparkle for sales outreach take over the irksome jobs, leaving your team free to focus on more creative work. Much faster than the antiquated manual processes, these tools help you reach prospects at scale without sacrificing that all-important human connection.

What’s the big deal for automation?

As with anything else, rapid advances in technology mean that sales trends are constantly shifting and, in this section, we’ll take a look at some key trends and components to look out for right now in order to stay competitive.



Yep, you guessed it - AI is now a pretty big deal for sales teams and that’s not going to change any time soon. As we gain access to more buyer intent data with increased privacy regulations, the use of artificial intelligence is a no-brainer for sales departments. This tech is more sophisticated and infinitely faster than us mere mortals and now include features like automated email personalisation and intelligent follow-ups. This means that you can now produce faster and more comprehensive campaigns while staying on the right side of the law.

Balancing automation with personalisation

As we’ve already said, automation is a tool, not a human replacement, and forward-thinking sales people treat it as such. By using outreach platforms to handle repetitive tasks, time can then be redirected toward better customer connections through personalized messaging - and this, to be sure, is always best left to the humans!

The anatomy of an outreach platform

So, sounds good so far, right? Not so fast - these platforms are by no means a “one size fits all” kind of deal and, in fact, they’re made up of different components.

Smart segmentation

Like everything else, segmentation has evolved massively in recent years and it’s no longer good enough to have just your basic filters. The new generation of segmentation is super advanced so you need a platform that offers dynamic tools based on engagement data and buying signals. Smart segmentation is all about making sure that the right message reaches the right people every time and, for this, microsegmentation is essential. Irrelevant messaging is not only ineffective but it can actually harm your business and damage your reputation.

Multichannel integration options

To be effective, you need to be able to reach your prospects where they live - and that means bridging platforms. These days, people are forever hopping between email, telephone, SMS, social media and even video and if you’re not there with them, you’re missing out. You therefore need to find a platform that can cover every angle while maintaining a consistent voice - as well as providing you with great analytics to show you what’s working and what’s not.

It’s all about the data

I’m sure we don’t need to tell you that data analytics are pretty much everything these days and, to elevate your sales automation you need more than just the basics. Look out for platforms and tools that hand over real time metrics on opens, clicks, reponses, conversions as well as robust A/B testing capabilities. You also want tools that will pick up on the less obvious patterns and trends that may be of use to you.

Seamless CRM integration

It should go without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that your new tech needs to be compatible with your existing stack if you want to avoid unnecessary hassle and expense. Choosing a platform that integrates seamlessly with your CRM means that you won’t miss a beat as your data will flow smoothly without duplicate entries and without tiresome manual intervention; giving your reps complete visibility into prospect engagement history.

How automated outreach is transforming sales teams

The power of any sales team is in innovation and you need the tools to get you there. And there have been some great solutions developed in recent times.



For example, there’s a software resource called Sparkle which looks like something of a game changer.  It has AI-powered features that go way beyond basic automation, which means that Sparkle has quickly become a star in the outreach platform space. This tool uses artificial intelligence to learn from successful interactions, analyse prospect responses and adapt sequences accordingly to continuously improve your messaging. The result of this is more responsive campaigns and more productive engagements.

Going large with personalisation

Personalising at scale used to be a bit of a contradiction in terms - but not any more. Modern platforms now use dynamic fields that incorporate company details, recent events and industry specific language rather than just the basic names of traditional tools. Some of these even go next level to analyse prospect data and suggest authentic personalisation tips for high volume reach without losing personality.

Omnichannel tools go beyond email

For B2B businesses, email is still kind of a big deal - but it’s no longer the only kid on the block. Telephone and social media sites like LinkedIn are used by a great number of companies and so you absolutely need an outreach tool that has evolved to encompass multiple touch points while maintaining your tone of voice. This helps you to spread your net wider without losing any valuable connections as well as gathering more of that lovely data.

Reaching Out To The Future With Automation

Far more than just the latest trend, automated sales outreach is now the new standard for high-performing sales teams. As we’ve highlighted in this article, this is so much more than just firing off automated emails, tools like Sparkle can elevate your engagement with prospects with the personal touch that means so much.

FAQs

Is there any ideal balance between automation and personalisation ?

While every business is different, a good rule of thumb is to use the 70-80% automation approach. This usually works well as long as you laser focus the balance on great personalisation while letting automation deal with stuff like scheduling and follow ups.

How much does the software cost?

This can vary widely depending on the size of your  team and how much oomph you need from your tool but you can expect to pay between $30 and $150 per user per month for basic tools.

How long before I see a measurable ROI?

Again, this is a little bit “how long’s a piece of string” but many teams see initial results within about six weeks of implementation with full ROI realised within four months. The learning curve does, of course, vary per platform but most of these are designed for fast adoption and integration and offer plenty of support.