STOP PUSHING AND START LISTENING

Engagement over volume is the new mantra. Discover how listening and understanding your prospects can transform your outreach strategy.

"Traditional outbound is broken." That’s how SaaS founder, Srivatsan Venkatesan, put it, and it couldn’t be more true.

Cold emails, mass ads, and generic outreach are no longer just ineffective—they’re actively turning people off. The landscape has shifted. Today, outbound is all about engagement, not volume. It’s not about blasting your message to as many people as possible but instead creating conversations that matter.

In the past, the goal was to get in front of prospects by any means necessary, hoping something would stick. But today, success in outbound requires a completely different approach: one that starts with insight and understanding. Many companies now turn to platforms like LinkedIn to engage with potential leads, not by pitching but by becoming part of the conversation.

The first step? Stop pushing and start listening. Take the time to understand your prospects before reaching out. What challenges are they facing? What conversations are they already having? Whether through thoughtful comments on their posts or sharing content that speaks directly to their pain points, the idea is to add value before making an ask.

Outbound has become more personal. SaaS companies, in particular, are leveraging data to craft outreach around specific pain points rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s no longer about saying, “Here’s what we do,” but rather, “Here’s how we can help with your problem.”

Traditional outbound also brings a heavy price tag. Consider this: 86% of people skip TV ads, and 44% of direct mail never gets opened. That’s a lot of wasted effort and budget spent on channels that don’t deliver meaningful results. By shifting away from these interruptive methods, companies can better allocate their marketing spend to strategies that actually engage their audience. It’s about optimizing resources for real impact, not just throwing money at campaigns that rarely translate into key performance metrics.

This shift toward engagement doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistency—showing up regularly, staying relevant, and providing value at every touchpoint. When done right, outbound moves from a cold pitch to a conversation that leads to meaningful connections and stronger results.

The game has changed. Outbound is no longer about sending messages en masse and hoping for the best. It’s about building trust, creating value, and focusing on real solutions.