Multi-channel prospecting: what it is and why you should use it

You may be a pro at engaging prospects exclusively by cold-calling them. Relying on cold emails alone may seem promising to you, as you garner good email open rates. LinkedIn may be the sole networking channel you depend on to connect with your ideal prospects. However, as the quarter comes to an end, your fellow SDRs elsewhere have more meetings booked than you, in spite of all your prospecting efforts. 

It sure makes you wonder what went wrong, doesn’t it? 

Well, it's the reliance on a single channel for generating leads. Be it phone, email, or social media, you can no longer count on just one of these, in this competitive selling environment! Clearly, surviving with a single-channel strategy is a thing of the past. 

Today, your buyers are present on multiple channels. And, you cannot sell to them using a single channel. It's when you combine multiple channels, that you can be where your buyers are, engage them, and book more meetings for the sales team. 

By utilizing various channels simultaneously, businesses can significantly enhance their outreach efforts and increase their chances of success. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the concept of multi-channel prospecting, its benefits, and how to develop an effective strategy.

What is Multi-Channel Prospecting?

Multi-channel prospecting involves using multiple channels to communicate with prospects simultaneously. These channels can include cold emailing, cold calling, and social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and more. The goal is to reach potential leads on the platforms they prefer, increasing the likelihood of a response and ultimately booking meetings.

The key advantage of multi-channel outreach is that it provides maximum exposure to prospects. By connecting with leads through various channels, businesses have a higher chance of grabbing their attention and receiving a response. This approach also allows for the building of relationships with the target audience, fostering rapport and trust.

Single vs Multiple-Channel Prospecting

The phone has been the go-to channel for salespeople across the world, for as long as it has existed. As a single prospecting channel, cold calling has helped SDRs generate plenty of quality conversations. Even today, its unmatched ability to build a strong rapport with leads sets it apart from all other channels. 

But depending on cold calling alone in today’s day and time cannot get you as many meetings as it did in the past. While the phone aids in forming a human connection, other sales channels such as emails, SMS, social media, and videos enhance your outreach efforts. This is multi-channel prospecting. Diversifying your outreach via these prospecting channels helps fill the gaps caused by other channels. 

You can leverage these channels to identify new buyers, warm up leads, build authority, and create relevance before getting on a call with them. Along with leads, multiple-channel prospecting also makes the phone call comfortable and engaging for both parties by building a relationship. 

The Benefits of Multi-Channel Prospecting

Implementing a multi-channel prospecting strategy offers several advantages for businesses. Let's explore some of the key benefits:

1. Increased Response Rates

By utilizing multiple channels, businesses can significantly boost their response rates. Each channel provides a unique opportunity to engage with prospects, increasing the chances of a meaningful interaction.

2. Enhanced Brand Visibility

Multi-channel outreach ensures that businesses have a broader presence across various platforms. This increased visibility helps in building brand awareness and recognition among the target audience.

3. Improved Relationship Building

Multi-channel prospecting allows businesses to establish and nurture relationships with their prospects. By engaging with leads on different platforms, businesses can create meaningful connections and position themselves as trusted advisors.

4. Personalized and Targeted Approach

Each channel provides an opportunity to tailor the messaging and content to suit the preferences of the target audience. This personalized approach enhances the effectiveness of outreach efforts and increases the likelihood of conversions.

Developing a Multi-Channel Prospecting Strategy

To implement a successful multi-channel prospecting strategy, businesses need to focus on three fundamental aspects:

1. Audience Awareness

The first step is to make your target audience aware of your brand. Engage with them on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, and participate in conversations relevant to your industry. This helps in establishing a rapport and creating familiarity.

2. Positioning as a Thought Leader

To build trust and credibility, position yourself as a thought leader in your field. Create high-value content, participate in webinars and podcasts, and showcase your expertise. This positioning establishes your brand as an authority and attracts potential leads.

3. Channel-Specific Outreach

Once your audience is aware of your brand and trusts your expertise, it's time to reach out to them through channels that work best for them. This can include sending personalized emails, making cold calls, and engaging with them on LinkedIn. Tailor your messaging and approach to suit each channel.

By following this structure, businesses can transform their outbound efforts from cold sales pitches to mutually beneficial relationships.

Unifying Multiple Channels

Buyers nowadays have different options available in the market. SDRs everywhere are trying to attract them to their product. But, leaving the others behind, you can make them your customers by opting for a multichannel approach. Not only will the approach improve your outreach potential but by being present where they are, you can make a good first impression and also get more meetings booked.

Here’s a list of sales channels you should use alongside the phone, to kick start conversations: 

1. Email 

Email is by far the most effective and efficient prospecting channel that enables personalized outreach at scale. It lays the foundation for all your prospecting efforts and is thus used extensively for cold outreach. So, how do you stand out amongst the ton of cold emails in your prospect’s inbox? 

By awakening your creative side to succinctly describe what value your product adds to them. This will not only get you email opens but also be an opportunity to learn more about their business and build a rapport. 

Sales Engagement Platforms such as Outplay make these prospecting efforts more meaningful by integrating with various email providers on one platform. Using its email feature you can send high-performing emails, automate sequences, track engagement and improve communications wherever necessary.

2. Social Networking Channels

In this era of digital transformation, leveraging social networking channels aids in raising brand awareness, building relations, and increasing engagement. Hence, you should spend considerable time on social networking channels such as LinkedIn and Twitter amongst others. 

2.1. LinkedIn
 

LinkedIn is a major outreach channel that SDRs depend on for building professional connections. By sending personalized messages, you can utilize LinkedIn prospecting as a crucial touchpoint to establish trust before having a phone conversation with the prospect.

Moreover, by constantly sharing knowledge about the industry, company, and product, you get to use the platform to establish brand credibility, generate product awareness, and open doors to new connections.

2.2. Twitter
 

Twitter is a social media platform, and salespeople reaching out via this platform is not as common as LinkedIn prospecting. But with over 300 million active users, it is a great opportunity to generate leads via this prospecting channel. Imagine how many potential clients you can meet, the number of industry insights and sales cues you can gather. 

You’ll have to begin by generating valuable leads on Twitter by following the right people, reading, replying, and retweeting their tweets. Additionally, you’ll have to put in some effort on your end and build credibility by actively tweeting about your company and product. This will help build up your following. As the following increases, you can directly message your prospects and set up one-on-one conversations.
 

3. SMS

SMS is an important prospecting channel that brings down friction through the sales process. It helps potential customers reach you with product-related queries at their convenience. You can use it too to gather more information about them.

Since everyone has a phone these days, it is easily accessible and you can expect to get a quicker reply (as compared to an email). Moreover, it has a more personal and friendly touch to it and helps in keeping the conversation going and ensuring your prospects don’t go cold.
 

4. Video

Video prospecting is another way of cold outreach that can be done via email, text, or social media. A recent development, it has gained popularity for its creative way of delivering the sales pitch. You should use it too, to record a personal, one-to-one video for your prospect. Making it innovative, you can break through the noise and get guaranteed replies from your prospects.

Prospects are very selective of their time and will not watch a video that is too long. Hence keeping it as short as 30-60 seconds will ensure they watch it and stick around till the end. The focus therefore should be on pitching the product in the most concise manner and calling the prospect for further action.

Implement Your Multi-Channel Prospecting Strategy with Outplay

Buyers today are not what they used to be. They have evolved and so should you. As a modern-day SDR, you have numerous sales channels at your disposal, and multi-channel prospecting aids in utilizing them wisely. Because dependence on a single channel has the risk of burnout and affects both job performance and career growth.

A unified multi-channel strategy, on the other hand, drastically improves your ability to book more meetings. Moreover, today you have access to Sales Engagement Platforms such as Outplay that automate ​​multi-channel outreach and create opportunities faster.

Excited to use a multi-channel approach and book more meetings? Well, figuring it out yourself and mastering it can take years. However, here’s an eBook that’ll help you learn what worked for industry leaders and master the art of multi-channel prospecting - within days, as it is filled with outbound sequences that worked and gave them results.