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Building a high-converting outbound sales team from scratch is no small feat. As someone who’s been in the trenches and scaled organizations to impressive heights, I can tell you it takes a combination of strategy, data-driven decision-making, and a strong focus on mindset. Let me share some key insights I’ve gained from my conversation with Megan Prince, CRO of Zeni.ai, who has successfully 10x’d their ARR in just a few years.
The Power of Outbound Sales
Many companies today are tempted to rely heavily on inbound marketing and wait for leads to come to them. However, Megan emphasized the importance of a strong outbound motion:
“I look at it in the way of inbound would be considered reactive versus outbound is controlling your own destiny. And it’s somewhat proactive. Actually, it’s a hundred percent proactive.”
At Zeni, about 65% of their revenue over the last three years has come from outbound efforts. This proactive approach allows them to control their growth rather than being at the mercy of inbound leads.
Building Your Outbound Engine
To create a high-performing outbound team, you need the right tools and processes in place. Here’s what has worked well for Zeni:
- Multi-channel approach: Their outreach includes cold calling, voicemails, text messages, emails, videos, and LinkedIn communication.
- Tech stack: They utilize tools like Orum for cold calling, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Avoma for call recording and analysis, and Ample Market for data mining and email generation.
- Persistent sequences: Their outreach sequences span 20-30 days and include over 20 steps. This aligns with data showing it often takes 12-18 touch points to convert a prospect into a customer.
The 2:1 BDR to AE Ratio
One unique aspect of Zeni.ai’s approach is their non-traditional ratio of two BDRs to one AE. This structure is driven by their focus on unit economics and the efficiency of their BDR motion. Megan explained:
“It comes down to unit economics… Where with our BDR motion, when we first started, it was actually closer to 9 to $10,000 for CAC as far as outbound goes. And so our goal was to get it as efficient as possible.”
By investing heavily in their BDR program, they’ve been able to significantly reduce their customer acquisition cost (CAC) for outbound leads.
Data-Driven Decision Making
One of the most impressive aspects of Megan’s approach is her reliance on data to drive decision making. She tracks over 50 different metrics related to the BDR motion, including:
- Point of sale revenue per headcount per quarter
- Total activities to convert one customer
- Dials per customer
- SQLs per customer
- Average SQL per ramp BDR head
- Demo set per customer
- Value per SQLs
- Show rate
- Set to customer rate
This level of data tracking allows her to make informed decisions about hiring, resource allocation, and performance improvement.
The Importance of Mindset
While data and processes are crucial, Megan also emphasizes the importance of mindset, especially for a young team engaged in high-volume outbound activities. Some practical exercises they use include:
- Gratitude journaling: Team members write down three things they’re grateful for each day.
- Intention setting: They set three intentions for the day.
- Positive affirmations: They write three “I am” statements daily.
“We teach the law of vibration, where it puts you in a better mood and it makes it so you’re probably more enjoyable to talk to from a prospect perspective, says Megan.”
These practices help maintain a positive mindset, even on challenging days, which translates to more effective interactions with prospects.
Building with Empathy
When asked for her single biggest piece of advice for sales leaders building an organization from the ground up, Megan emphasized the importance of empathy:
“Leading with care and empathy will make your team want to go further for you, go to war for you… Yes, the data is important. Yes, the coaching, the sequencing is important. But if somebody doesn’t know how much you care about them and they’re on your team, then it’s going to be hard for them to want to work for you long term, says Prince.”
This balance of data-driven decision-making and empathetic leadership is key to building a sustainable, high-performing sales organization.
Building a high-converting outbound sales team is no easy task, but with the right approach, it can be a powerful driver of growth for your business. By focusing on proactive outreach, leveraging data for decision-making, investing in your BDR team, and fostering a positive mindset, you can create an outbound sales engine that consistently delivers results.
Included is a podcast that covers these very strategies with Megan Prince. I encourage you to listen to it.
Key Moments of This Episode
00:00:00 – The Importance of Cold Calling in Modern Sales
Discusses the decline in email conversion rates and the effectiveness of cold calling for customer acquisition. Highlights the need for persistence in outreach, with 9,000 activities and 12-18 touchpoints typically required to convert a customer. Emphasizes the value of human interaction in sales processes.
00:01:30 – Introducing Megan Prince: From Door-to-Door Sales to Chief Revenue Officer
Megan Prince shares her journey from door-to-door sales to becoming CRO at Zeni, a company providing automated bookkeeping for startups. She discusses her experience growing Zeni’s ARR by 10x and the importance of outbound sales strategies in the company’s success.
00:04:58 – Building a Successful Outbound Sales Strategy
Megan explains Zeni’s outbound sales approach, including their tech stack (Orum, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, etc.) and 20-step sequence over 20-30 days. She emphasizes the importance of persistence, data-driven decision making, and maintaining a 2:1 BDR to AE ratio for optimal unit economics.
00:34:10 – Key Metrics and Mindset for Sales Success
Megan discusses critical metrics for tracking BDR performance, including point of sale revenue per headcount and total activities to convert customers. She emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision making and cultivating a positive mindset through gratitude journaling and intention setting for sales team success.
00:40:44 – Leadership Advice for Building a Sales Organization
Megan’s key advice for sales leaders: lead with care and empathy to inspire team loyalty. She stresses the importance of balancing data-driven strategies with genuine concern for team members’ well-being. Megan also shares her preferred methods of contact and personal insights.
About Megan Prince
Megan Prince is a dynamic revenue leader known for building and scaling high-performing sales organizations that have driven hundreds of millions in revenue. Currently the Chief Revenue Officer at a Zeni.ai, she specializes in architecting repeatable go-to-market strategies, cultivating customer-first cultures, and operationalizing excellence from the ground up. Megan’s journey began in the grit of door-to-door sales and accelerated quickly, rising to VP of Sales at a publicly traded company within six years. Along the way, she’s been honored as a 30 Under 30 standout, Director of the Year, and a multi-time President’s Club and Million Dollar Club achiever. What differentiates Megan is her focus on the inputs of driving culture, clarity and consistency as the true drivers of performance. She’s deeply passionate about developing talent, and is committed to helping others build intentional, high-impact careers.
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