Personalize Your Outreach - 111

Take a Personalized Approach to Your Cold Outreach Do you remember playing Mad Libs as a kid?  I remember long car rides and crazy stories.  This is not an approach you should take with your outreach to prospects, nor should you take this approach when drafting your proposals.  It is not personalized, and it is manufactured. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, Jody and I share some stories about guest requests we have received, including some good behavior and some bad ones.  We take these stories and connect the dots between this, and your cold outreach to prospects. Let us know how you personalize your outreach to new prospects.  Questions Discussed  How often do you receive requests to be on the podcast? What if, I don't know you, but I'm a fan, how do I ask to be on the podcast? How do you personalize outreach? How does this relate to sales?  Key takeaways The copy paste approach is lazy and is not effective. Typos can be repeated Context is lost Don't play the numbers game Psuedo customized is better than copy paste, but it is still not great. This may seem more personalized, but if you are just replacing nouns and verbs, your prospects will see right through things. Take a personalized approach to your outreach Reminder - being personal does not scale This approach takes thought, and a high-level understanding of who the person is on the other end. Let them know what compelling event led to the request. Include a clear call to action Provide Context - why did you reach out? When conducting outreach to Catalyst Sale about being a guest on the podcast, consider the following.. (this can apply to any outreach, really) What was the compelling event that led to the outreach? Answer this question - How can you help our audience? Demonstrate that you did the work - share what you have observed. Help by connecting the dots between the problem & the solution Suggest a discussion to see if there is the right fit Demonstrate you know what you are talking about Make sure your profile is relevant Build rapport, don't pitch Don't be I/me focused Be transparent Fit is critical Templates don't work - use guidelines or guideposts to frame your approach. DOs Make the communication personal Do the work, do the research Put the outreach in context Help connect the dots for the person on the other end Describe the value they may get or give Context is critical Context matters Show Links Catalyst Sale Live Chat Jennifer McClure Pam Boiros Why You, Why You Now Bo Burlingham EP 80 OODA Loop with Dave Berke Thank You  Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform.  Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit ---------------------- Subscribe to the Catalyst Sale Podcast Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Google Play Catalyst Sale In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal.  There is a Catalyst.  We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do.  Sales is a Thinking Process.