Outbound Marketing often gets a bad reputation, whether through memories of cold calls, inbox spam, or intrusive interruptions. But in this episode, we explore why outbound remains a valuable part of the sales and marketing toolkit, particularly for SMEs. We discuss how to approach it thoughtfully, blending technology, creativity, and human touch to create a consistent and scalable process that actually works.

We also reflect on how outbound has evolved, from the “shoe leather” days of door knocking to today’s AI-driven outreach, and consider where the balance lies between automation and authenticity. The conversation covers multi-channel strategies, experimentation, and the importance of aligning sales and marketing efforts so that outbound becomes a meaningful way to build connections rather than a box-ticking exercise.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Introduction & listener feedback

00:02:40 – Outbound marketing explained

00:08:30 – Outbound vs inbound

00:10:00 – The role of AI in outbound

00:16:30 – Sales or marketing responsibility?

00:19:00 – Multi-channel strategies

00:22:00 – Direct mail & creative outreach

00:29:00 – Scaling outbound for SMEs

00:32:00 – GDPR & deliverability

00:33:00 – Next week: referrals

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why outbound marketing still matters for SMEs
• The perception problem: outbound as “spam” vs outbound as opportunity
• The resurgence of outbound as inbound becomes harder
• Balancing automation, AI, and genuine personalisation
• Multi-channel approaches: email, LinkedIn, phone calls, direct mail
• Practical tips for structuring campaigns, sequences, and messaging
• Who “owns” outbound, sales or marketing?
• GDPR and deliverability considerations for SMEs

Who Is This Episode For:

This episode is aimed at business owners, sales leaders, and marketers within SMEs who want to build a sustainable growth strategy. If you’re looking for practical, realistic ways to reach new audiences without wasting time, money, or goodwill, this discussion is especially relevant.

Quotes to Remember:

“Outbound gets you in front of people who aren’t looking, and that’s why it still matters”.

“Don’t treat outbound as a massive overhead; find a way of doing it that you can keep consistent”.

“There is no silver bullet; you have to experiment and find what works for your market”.

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Use outbound to complement inbound, not replace it.
2. Focus on personalisation, even small touches like humour or relevant details can cut through.
3. Build multi-channel campaigns (email, LinkedIn, phone, direct mail) rather than relying on one tactic.
4. Keep sequences going longer than three emails, but vary the content to add value, not noise.
5. Treat outbound as a system: automate where possible, but stay human where it matters.
6. Ensure GDPR compliance and email deliverability settings are in place before scaling.

🎧 Listen on YouTube & Apple Music here:

https://anchor.fm/wellmeadow

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