Inbound Sales Strategy

I warmed up a prospect for 3 months on LinkedIn before our first call. They signed a £75K deal in 3 days. Modern selling demands a new approach: cold outreach fails, warm relationships win. Think about it... That prospect had consumed 47 of my posts. Watched my videos. Read my articles. Engaged with my content. By the time we jumped on that first call? They already trusted me. They already knew my approach. They already understood the value. I didn't have to sell them. They'd already sold themselves. Here's my framework for turning content into closed deals: 👇 1. Build trust at scale BEFORE the pitch Stop spraying and praying with cold messages. Start building relationships through value. Each post builds trust. Your insights mark credibility. Stories create connection. Your content is doing the heavy lifting while you sleep. 2. Let buyers self-educate on THEIR timeline Modern buyers don't want to be sold to. They want to discover solutions themselves. ↳ 70% of the buying journey happens before they talk to sales ↳ They're researching you before you even know they exist ↳ Your content is either attracting or repelling them Give them what they need to make informed decisions. 3. Recognize the REAL buying signals Forget MQLs and SQLs. Think about PQLs (product qualified leads) Here's what actually matters: - Multiple engagements across different posts - Bringing colleagues into the conversation - Asking specific, detailed questions - Moving from public comments to private messages These aren't leads. These are pre-qualified buyers. 4. Keep momentum BETWEEN meetings Here's where most deals die: The 167 hours between your calls. While you're chasing other prospects, your buyer is: ↳ Getting cold feet ↳ Talking to competitors ↳ Forgetting why they were excited Smart sellers stay present even when they're not there. This is where tools like Consensus come in. They let buyers explore demos on their own time. Answer their questions at 10 PM. Share materials with their team. Stay engaged between touchpoints. It's how you keep social selling momentum right through the demo stage. https://lnkd.in/ePVWw-Bi 5. Close with confidence, not pressure When trust is already built? When value is already proven? When buyers are already educated? Closing feels natural, not like a battle. The best deals I've ever closed felt inevitable. Because the relationship started months before the opportunity. Here's what this approach delivers (in my experience): ✓ Significantly faster sales cycles ✓ Much higher close rates ✓ Bigger deal sizes (pre-sold = less negotiation) ✓ Happier customers (they chose you, not the other way around) Stop thinking of social selling as "nice to have." Start treating it as your primary sales strategy. Your next big deal isn't in your CRM. They're scrolling LinkedIn right now. What content are you creating to catch them? #ConsensusPartner

how to prepare for the next wave of buyers: (tap into their minds before others catch on!) gen z is here to stay. and rising in the corporate channels. we differ from any other generation because we are native to online (while older gens may be considered social media immigrants of sorts) we have grown up posting, commenting, and most important of all: trusting/buying from creators. the shift here is not just about products. but about the people behind them. we watch founders post. we follow creators who use tools in real workflows. we see brands acting human, not corporate. now my gen z peers are landing in decision making roles. and the gap is obvious. polished messaging and focusing only on the sale doesn’t work here. to speak to gen z fluently, brands have to:  • show up on social consistently  • be present in communities  • test ideas in public  • partner with creators people already trust less hiding behind perfection. more just showing up as is. because for gen z, social is not marketing. it’s how trust is formed.

Why is the B2B buying experience like a hostage negotiation? Here is what we in SAAS tell buyers: "You're interested? Great. Fill out this form. Wait 2-3 business days. Sit through a call where we ask you questions you already answered on our website. Then maybe we'll show you the product." That's not a buying experience. That's a hostage negotiation. Your buyer has already been on your pricing page twice. Read your integration docs. Looked at a case study in their industry. They're on your site right now with real questions and real budget. A nd you're telling them to wait until Tuesday? Try that in any other context: Walk into a store. Pick up a product. Have a question. And someone hands you a clipboard and says "fill this out, we'll have someone reach out in 2-3 business days." You'd walk out. I'd walk out. Everyone would walk out. But that's the standard B2B playbook. And we celebrate a 3% form conversion rate like it's a win. What about the other 97%? They left. With their budget. To a competitor who answered their question faster. Here's the shift that's happening right now. The best websites are replacing the form with an always-on AI Inbound Agent that does what a great salesperson does: reads the room, knows the product, and helps the buyer on their terms, on their timeline. A VP of Marketing lands on your site from a competitor's pricing page. The agent reads the signal: "Looks like you're comparing options. Here's how we stack up on the things that matter most for your team size. Want me to walk you through it?" A technical buyer digs into your integrations page. The agent meets them there: "I see you're on HubSpot. Here's exactly how the integration works, and here's a company your size that set it up in a day." A great Inbound Agent can answer any question, any time - including offering a walk through of your product. Plus it should be able to do great discovery to save buyers & AE's time. We're building this at Warmly, & the results are hard to argue with. When the agent replaces the form: - Meetings booked in minutes, not days - Reps walk into calls with full buyer context instead of starting from scratch - The 85% that used to bounce? They're engaging and converting The "Book a Demo" button was built for a world where the only way to experience a product was to have a human walk you through it. That world is over. The best B2B websites won't have a single demo request form within two years. The agent is the demo. The experience is the pitch. The scheduled call with an AE is the close. Your buyers are not going to wait. The question is whether your website makes them!

By 2035, Gen Z will control half of India's spending. You're missing out on a huge opportunity if you're not targeting them the right way! Gen Z is  India’s largest generation with 377 million members. They contribute 43% to the total consumer spending. By 2035, their spending will rise to $2 trillion, according to a recent report by Snap Inc. and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Here’s what makes Gen Z unique, and how brands can adapt: 1️⃣ Trend-driven, not brand-driven: Gen Z is 1.7x more likely to prioritize trends over brand loyalty, even if it means trying lesser-known brands. It's an opportunity for newer brands. ↳ Keep a pulse on social and cultural trends, and cut down your time-to-market. 2️⃣Immersive visual experiences: 80% of Gen Z prefer immersive content. They don’t just want to see your product—they want to experience it before they buy. ↳ Use AR, virtual try-ons, and interactive content in your customer journey—both online and offline. 3️⃣ Shopping is a social experience: 64% of Gen Zers share product snaps from trial rooms. Contrary to popular belief, Gen Z share and communicate a lot - but largely with their squad. ↳ Partner with micro-influencers and create shareable content that promotes your product. But don’t make it pushy or salesy. 4️⃣ Authenticity matters more than ever: 76% of Gen Z say they would drop a brand that misleads or doesn’t align with their values. ↳ Build trust by supporting causes that matter to them. Be clear and honest about your values, and make sure your actions back them up. 5️⃣ Phygital (physical + digital) is the future: Nearly 54% of Gen Zers are on their phones while shopping in-store. They may start their search online, visit a store to experience the product, and then complete the purchase online. Even for Myntra, the base of Gen Z users has grown from 8m users to 16m and is 25% of their buyers. AOV is lower at ₹500-600 but higher frequency of purchase. ↳ Build integrated omnichannel experiences (not just multichannel presence) to engage them across platforms. While 45% of brands recognize Gen Z’s power, only 15% are adapting. The brands that act now will lead tomorrow. What strategies have you found effective for marketing to Gen Z? #GenZ #Marketing #Trends #DigitalMarketing

Gen Z does NOT care about your sales funnel… because they’re building their own. 1. The buyer journey is no longer linear (it probably never was) Today’s buyers are consuming at least 13 pieces of long-form content before making a purchasing decision. They’re researching you on YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, and TikTok long before your sales team even knows they exist. So no, they’re not following your funnel linearly. They’re curating their own research process. 2. Social listening is your competitive edge. Gen Z is having public conversations about your brand, your competitors, and your entire category on social. Listening first is how you earn the right to speak. → Spotting cultural shifts before they hit mainstream → Understanding what they care about before crafting a message → Responding while it still matters, not weeks later 3. Your buyers expect YOU on social. GenZ are 77% more likely to purchase and interact with your brand when a CEO or executive has a presence on social. Be visible in the spaces where decisions are being made. They want to find you on their own terms, make sure they can.

40-60% of deals end with no decision. Want to change that? Here’s why this happens—and how you can fix it. Most deals stall because buyers feel overwhelmed. They’re anxious about: → Making mistakes → Budget constraints → Implementation complexity But here’s what many salespeople miss: Buyers don’t wake up thinking, “I need this product.” They feel symptoms first: → Frustration from missed goals → Stress over inefficiencies → Pressure from their team If you don’t speak their language, they won’t listen. Here’s how to break through: ✅ Start with their symptoms Talk about their daily struggles and emotional pain points. Show them you understand their reality. ✅ Use open-ended questions Ask things like: “What’s your biggest challenge right now?” or “How does that problem impact your team’s performance?” ✅ Summarizing builds trust Reflect back what you’ve heard. For example: “So what I’m hearing is that you’re spending too much time on manual tasks, and that’s causing delays for your team?” ✅ Co-develop value Instead of pitch mode, invite buyers to explore solutions with you. Ask: “If we could solve this, what would success look like?” ✅ Shift from features to impact Focus on how your solution makes their life better. For example: “Here’s how we’ve helped teams cut manual work by 50%—free up time for strategy and growth.” ✅ Show proof Use case studies, testimonials, and data to build credibility. People trust results, not words. ✅ Offer low-risk steps Demo your solution or give them something they can experience firsthand. Let them see how it works for their unique situation. By address buyer anxieties early and speaking to symptoms, you’ll move deals forward—with confidence. What’s your go-to strategy for help buyers feel understood? Share your thoughts below. #SalesTips #EmpathyDrivenSelling #BuyerAnxieties #SalesPipeline

In talking with customers, I hear similar challenges as it relates to optimizing their inbound demand funnel. The good news, there are very achievable, proven steps you can take to improve. What are the most common challenges? - difficulty attracting or converting the right prospects into leads - limitations in effectively prioritizing and routing the best leads - an inability to follow up with lead volumes fast enough...and some times at all. 🤦 But with the right inbound strategy, you can attract more of your desired prospects, identify who are most likely to convert into ACV / revenue, lead-route to the right sales reps, and have faster response times. The below article has more details on each, but a few important call outs, many of which are made vastly easier and more effective by leveraging AI tools: - Starting with research is key. You need to understand what your ideal customer cares about so that you can develop content that is valuable for them. Importantly, understanding their buying situations or "category entry points" and the associated mental triggers they have is critical - Create content that you leverage across channels. Your buyers will not all use the same channels, so developing versions of your content most appropriate for those channels is key. At the same time, being "consistently distinctive" across channels over time in your themes, visuals, etc. will help you stand out for when they are ready to enter a buying process - Build a community with users, brand ambassadors as well as thought leaders (including your leadership team and experts) -- and help them generate or share content for you. Buyers generally value content more when it comes from other individuals or reputable sources vs your brand, particularly those they trust. - Ensure your landing pages / experiences are optimized for conversion. Testing, testing velocity, and institutionalizing learnings from tests are key drivers of success - Robust & real-time scoring and associated routing, based on attributes that are tied to your key down-funnel metrics (ACV / revenue, LTV, etc.) is a must - Immediate follow up. I received outreach from a potential customer saying he was amazed that he received a call from one of our SDRs 8 seconds after he submitted the form. We do that because speed REALLY makes a difference - Great, quality responses from your sales team oriented around solving your prospects problems - And of course, having tight alignment between sales & marketing on what you are solving for, how you are solving for it, and how you are measuring success is key...with open, honest & frequent communication between the departments Get the essential tools and tactics that your teams need for effective inbound lead generation 🔗: bit.ly/3SmPsfz

99% of sales teams sell as if their executive buyer is a Boomer with a cigar. They’re wrong. Gen Y and Z have officially taken over B2B as the Decision Makers. Here are 5 things most sellers get WRONG about today's buyers: BACKGROUND: Both Forrester and Gartner write about this shift. Gen Y (Millennials) and Gen Z who were born after 1981... Are now 71% of the B2B Buying Group. Yes, you read that right. Not a suit-and-tie top-down DM who’s calling the shots. These are digital and social power users. With far different expectations as buyers. A generational shift has taken place and it changes everything for sellers: ——— 1. They find buying friction unacceptable You can’t afford to show up unprepared. You can’t just leave it up to them to figure out why to buy from you based on generic demos and follow-ups. You have to become a valuable resource or you’re toast. They self-research, they self-serve, and they consult with their peers above all else. 2. They are not convinced by financial value alone As opposed to older buyers, it’s not only about the ROI. You have to build MORE VALUE into the business case. How you reduce risk, create functional value (i.e. making tasks easier), experiential value (i.e. customer experience), and symbolic value (i.e. a sense of status or belonging). 3. They decide in groups; The sole DM concept is dead Even though there’s always an economic buyer who can vote on a purchase, these modern buyers prefer to decide in groups. They are working to achieve consensus, not make top-down decisions. This is why closing is so hard right now and multi-threading is necessary. 4. They make great champions who want to co-create This was refreshing to see. Forrester says that these younger buyers want to co-create/innovate with them on how to solve their problems. That's why building a committed champion/s is how both Enterprise AND SMB deals should run today. 5. They are far more likely to ghost you if you don’t get them Even though they make great champions, they are: a) more than twice as skeptical of seller’s claims, and b) highly comfortable doing their own research. This goes back to point # 1 (you have to do 10x better so they find you valuable), and # 4 (you have to make them champions). ——— How much we all love nostalgia! But the world is changing. It belongs to Gen Y and Z. Time to come up with a new sales playbook.

Last week I spoke with an enterprise AE at F100 company who closed over $5M in 2023 (3x his quota). The surprising part? He generated 90% from Linkedin. Here’s what the enterprise social selling playbook looks like: 1. Community: Successful sales reps are constantly enhancing their community on Linkedin. They invite key prospects, customers and other stakeholders to their network. As an AE or Exec, it helps to stay in the same domain over time so you can engage with the same community but across different employers. The compounding effect of your network is exponential. 2. Content: Engage frequently with your community. Stay ahead of the curve and ensure your content reflects that. Not all content has to be original and unique. Most Linkedin users are looking to consume content that will help them be better at their job today. Share best practices, success stories and recommendations. If you stay in the same domain, the quality of your content will grow as you build trust within your community. 3. Signals: Get a good understanding of the triggers and signals that impact demand in your target segment. Use these signals to focus your attention on select individuals as they become active. 4. Offer Help: Be mindful of any request for assistance within your community. If you are going to stay in the same domain for long, expect your community to do the same. Offer to assist even if it does not directly help your business. Chances are these interactions will lead to deep relationships in the long run. 5. LinkedinOps: This is often an ignored part of social selling. For the same reason that Inbound leads perform so well (because they are warm), somebody that visited your profile also has a relatively high probability to respond in the first 24hr. It’s the job of LinkedinOps to run all active engagers through an ICP filter and then follow up on good fit candidates. 6. Outreach: I have seen some successful reps use personalization tools to find the right messaging or conversation opener for Linkedin outreach. It makes sense to do an outreach with the good-fit engaged audience within 24-48 hrs of the engagement. Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals. 7. Tracking: Track engagements and metrics. Score and rank your audience every week for good fit top engagers. Your top engagers are the ones who will likely take your call. Your LinkedinOps can help you with analytics. 8. Convert: Know when and how to move your conversation outside Linkedin. Linkedin is great for capturing demand signals or for generating trust. Look for the right moment to share a calendar link or an email to move the conversation to a different platform. TAKEAWAY: Your buyers are already on Linkedin. With a little discipline and LinkedinOps, you can close revenues while enhancing your brand and handling objections at scale. I've been helping GTM teams for 15+ years. Never before have they had access to such a powerful platform. Take advantage.

Your GTM strategy isn’t broken—It’s just outdated. Most B2B companies still treat GTM like a straight line… Marketing generates leads, SDRs reach out, sales closes. That’s not how buyers operate in 2025. A staggering 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels (Gartner). The best GTM teams aren’t running siloed motions. They’re building a connected system where outbound, and inbound marketing work together. Let’s dive in: 1) Marketing: Still optimizing for MQLs? You’re playing the wrong game. Marketing isn’t about filling the funnel. It’s the first outbound function. - Thought leadership from Exec profile(s) drives inbound SQLs. - LinkedIn and podcasts accelerate sales cycles with building trust. - Engaging your ICP before outreach makes deals warmer. How to execute: - Prioritize founder/executive-led content. People buy from people, not logos. - Stop reposting blogs—run LinkedIn-native demand plays from Exec insights. - Personalized engagement. Your buyers notice who’s in their comments. This is how you catch your prospects in the untapped part of the top of funnel for people who are solution and problem unaware. 2) SDRs: 2025 will see the need for unicorns. SDRs with a marketer skillset. Outbound isn’t just emails and cold calls anymore. The best SDR teams are using LinkedIn engagement, retargeted content, and intent-driven outreach to create warm conversations. This keeps them focused on the 20% of prospects that will book 80% of the pipeline with people who already know you and trust you/ have a need. Instead of blasting cold emails, try: - Engaging with ICP content first. - Following up with relevant content from Exec profile. - Sending intent-driven messages using trigger events to find active buyers How to execute: - Train SDRs to comment and interact daily. - Build multi-channel sequences (LinkedIn & email). - Use insights in DMs, not templates, in cold outreach. 3) Sales: By the time sales step in, buyers are often 70% through their buying cycle. The best reps in 2025 aren’t convincing—they’re being trusted advisors. In a world of an excess of information reps who challenge and guide their buyers towards the right info will flourish. How to execute: - Structure calls around pain narratives - Challenge buyer information requests and suggest better alternatives - Help the buyer to quantity impact, and seek to disqualify rather than qualify. The Future of GTM → A Unified Model When done right, marketing, outbound, and sales aren’t separate functions. They feed into each other, creating a demand loop that compounds. - At Atticus, we help B2B companies build GTM strategies that actually work—combining executive-led content, warm LinkedIn outbound, multi channel prospecting, and intent-driven sales motions. If your GTM feels broken, it’s probably not a lead problem. It’s a motion problem. What’s one thing you’re changing in your GTM playbook this year?