How to sell to local businesses? (Part 2)

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Many people failed to get to PMF due to several reasons.
Not picking up phones to talk to customers and make the sell and here’re some contrarian facts I found:

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1. High effort doesn’t always equal high results

Some leads require 100+ calls just to get to a meeting or close a deal. Even with consistent outbound, connect and conversion rates stay low. These leads tend to drain resources and strain your ops team without clear ROI.

→ Be cautious about high-volume, low-conversion segments.

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2. Efficiency comes from clean data and channel fit

When teams use strong data (especially with verified contacts), the number of calls or emails needed to book a meeting drops significantly. Campaigns focused on warm outreach (e.g. email-first or multi-touch) tend to perform far better than pure cold call plays.

→ Better enrichment = fewer touchpoints = better outcomes.

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3. Open & click rates ≠ pipeline

Some campaigns show solid email open and click rates, but conversion remains low. This suggests a mismatch in targeting or message-market fit—even if top-of-funnel engagement looks healthy.

→ Focus on reply and demo rate—not vanity metrics.

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4. Outbound still wins—when structured

The most successful approaches have a clear outbound structure:

• Defined call-to-demo ratios
  
• Clear show and close rates
  
• Tight follow-up sequences

Even without strong inbound, these teams close deals efficiently because the process is repeatable.

→ Invest in process, not just effort.

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5. Field sales or high-touch channels = longer cycles

Some teams rely heavily on in-person or high-touch channels. These may work, but cycles are longer, and scale is slower.

→ Balance depth with efficiency depending on the stage.

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Final thought

The best results come from clear targeting, verified data, and structured outreach.
Poor targeting, bad data, or over-reliance on raw call volume leads to burnout—not bookings.