Sales strategies are shifting, but that doesn't mean outbound sales are on the way out. Outbound sales are critical to almost any business development plan because they often pack the biggest impact. However, many professionals view outbound sales through an outdated lens. They consider this sales method as high-volume, low-quality lead chasing and envision sending out a barrage of cookie-cutter emails with hopes of hearing back from a few.

Sean Callahan, a content developer for the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions blog, says outbound sales can be successful when three key factors are incorporated. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today we share his thoughts for making this essential sales method work in today's world.

Lay groundwork with inbound sales. Inbound sales includes activities such as o ptimizing and refining your LinkedIn profile , seeking out and engaging with relevant content in your niche and teaming up with marketing to develop sales content for specific needs. Callahan says that even during downtime, when you have no specific contacts to reach out to or follow up with, sales reps can always put in productive work toward strengthening their inbound drawing power.

Develop a plan for qualified, value-driven outreach. Callahan says that the information gleaned through the previous step will help greatly toward making this one successful. With savvy inbound tactics in place, you may have received a few relevant prospects. Collaborate with your marketing team to help create customized content for each stage of the sales funnel . Looking at how you came across a particular prospect will help you personalize your content and message. Callahan also suggests doing your homework to determine which channel the individual prefers. Always try to earn the prospect's time and attention by providing them something upfront. Whether it's a piece of useful content, a word of advice or even an empathetic dialogue, the value-first mindset puts you on the right path toward a trusting relationship.

Build relationships and grow your network. Outbound sales should never be viewed as a one-and-done tactic. Relationships and trust are gold in modern sales. Outbound selling, traditionally, is not oriented toward these outcomes. But when you infuse inbound elements, put value first and reach out with relationship-building in mind, you can adopt a new set of techniques that proactively fill your pipeline while avoiding the ill will and endless rejection resulting from aimless canned outreach.

Try these outbound sales call script examples:

"Hi [Name], I loved your comment on my post about [X]—super thoughtful. Lots of people are feeling your pain. If you're interested in a deeper dive on this topic, we've got a great guide with a lot of expert insights."

"Hey there [Name], I noticed you checked out my LinkedIn profile the other day. If you'd like to learn more about me or anything I do, feel free to send me a note or give me a call. No pressure!"

"Hello [Name], we came across your company's LinkedIn Page and noticed you're talking a lot about [X]. If you're interested, we recently put together some research on the subject. I'd love to hear your thoughts."

"Good morning [Name], our mutual connection, [acquaintance's name], suggested that it might be a good idea for us to get in touch. Would you be willing to let me know a little bit more about what your team is trying to accomplish and where the snags are?"

To thrive in a modern selling environment, try incorporating this mix of inbound and outbound sales techniques.

Source: Sean Callahan is part of the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions (LMS) content team. He contributes to the LMS blog and write guides to help B2B marketers do their jobs better. Callahan co-authored the book, The Big Data-Driven Business: How to Use Big Data to Win Customers, Beat Competitors and Boost Profits.