How to NOT Maximize ROI for Signal-Based Selling
Save time and resources by learning from the failures (and successes) of renowned GTM operators
NEW RULE: Stop reacting and commenting on LinkedIn posts
Engaging with LinkedIn posts these days is like raising your hand for a salesperson to slide into your DMs.
How many of us have gotten one of these gems?
“Saw you commented on _____; wanna buy my stuff?”
If the buyer genuinely shows intent, do you have to name the intent?
When you get a retargeted ad from Nike on Instagram, the ad doesn’t say:
“Saw you liked content about sneakers…wanna buy some Nikes?”
Paolo Poli, Founder of The Media Engine, recently launched an impressive app that uses automation to scrape LinkedIn commenters, profile viewers, and post reactors.
What's the issue with treating LinkedIn engagers and profile views as leads?
1️⃣ Senior executives and people who work at larger companies have less patience for stalking. Running this play can potentially shrink your TAM because you’re turning these people off.
2️⃣ It's not enough to follow up with someone who reacted or commented on a post—that's only one intent signal. One intent signal is usually insufficient to warrant a seller's action.
3️⃣ We are seeing a decline in performance of this tactic because sellers frequently overuse it, and buyers are changing their behaviors. For example, buyers know not to click links in emails because that action is being tracked and will trigger more outreach from a salesperson.
4️⃣ Senior executions are the least likely to engage with content and most likely to turn on the feature that keeps their views of other people's profiles private. See the below image as an example.
GTM strategies are not meant to last forever - including this play.
🔨 A better way: Overlap/stack rank signals to inform how, when, or if to engage.
How BuilderBinder, an early-stage SaaS company, put this play into action:
1. Tracked 16 different signals, such as website visitors, third-party content engagement, new followers, profile views, event attendance, proximity to the network, and de-anonymized Google searches.
2. Tested what signals and messaging increased conversion rates at all funnel stages -- this included testing mentioning the signal and not mentioning the signal.
3. After three months, they identified 7 signals that truly indicated buying intent.
3. Every week, they pay close attention to those 7 signals to generate new high-intent leads, and now have a proven sales enablement plan to operationalize.
Best practices from seasoned GTM leaders:
Andy Mowat, VP GTM at Carta
Brendan Short, Founder of The Signal (subscribe to this newsletter for fantastic GTM insights!)
Trinity Nguyen, CMO at UserGems
Here is the body of Trinity’s email
📈 Question for fellow GTM practitioners: Is there any data on outbound campaigns that mention the signals vs. do not mention the signal?
Try this: Don’t mention the signal in your next campaign, and see how it impacts reply rates.