Inbound vs Outbound - we tested both
You joined this list because you want Real Go-To-Market insights:
This month, we are giving you a double feature:
The Campaign: A breakdown of a Cold Email campaign selling AI training, where we learned why multi buyer persona within ona account is a must.
The Engine: How we turned a viral LinkedIn post (133k views) into a structured pipeline using HeyReach.
This is a technical breakdown. Grab a coffee.
The Outbound Breakdown
Case Study: Selling AI Courses (HR vs. IT vs. Sales)
The Setup:
Tech: Clay (Enrichment/Segmentation) + Instantly (Sending).
Volume: Highly targeted, segmented lists.
Segments: HR, IT, General Management, Sales.
The Hypothesis vs. Reality:
We assumed IT Directors could be the most interested in AI implementation. We were wrong.
The Results (Response Rates):
IT Department: 2.9% Response Rate.
Why? They are overloaded. They see AI as "another tool to maintain," not a benefit.
HR Department: 6.1% Response Rate (32% Hot Leads).
Why? They are responsible for "upskilling" but lack the competence to teach AI themselves. They need external help to fill their training calendars.
Sales Department: 7.7% Response Rate.
Insight: They cared about "removing admin work," not "AI" itself.
Top Outbound Insights
Insight #1: The >200 Employee Rule
Why did HR outperform IT by double? In companies with >200 employees, IT departments are guardians of infrastructure. When you pitch "AI Implementation," they hear: "Security risks and more tickets." HR Directors, however, have a mandate to "upskill the workforce" but lack the technical skills to teach AI themselves. They have a budget, a problem, and no internal solution.
Insight #2: The "Subsidy" Hook
We identified that lack of budget is the silent killer of training deals. To counter this before it was raised, we mentioned eligibility for EU grants/funding in the very first email. This neutralized the "too expensive" objection instantly.
Insight #3: The "Multiple Choice" Break-U
Our sequence had 3 steps. The highest conversion often came from the final email, where we didn't just say goodbye. We gave prospects a simple, clickable choice to categorize their silence:
Competence is already high.
Training is already done.
Simply no time
This lowered the friction to reply to near zero and revived "dead" leads who just didn't have time to write a full response.
The Inbound Engigne
Deconstructing the 2,500+ VC Database Viral Post
The Context: Why does this work?
We identified a massive shift in the market. Fundraising in 2026 is a different game. VCs are pickier, cycles are longer, and the "Spray & Pray" outreach method is dead. Founders needed a map to navigate this chaos.
The Asset Strategy (Data Engineering)
Most lead magnets fail because they are shallow. We went deep.
The Input: We analyzed ~14,500 EU Venture Capitals.
The Process: We used Clay to clean, merge, and filter this massive dataset. We removed the noise to find only those focusing on Seed and Series A rounds.
The Output: A single, filterable view of 2,500+ verified VCs, categorized by sector, ticket size, and investment thesis.
The Pivot: Assumption vs. Reality
Here is where it gets interesting.
Our Assumption: We thought this was purely a "fundraising tool" for startups actively looking for cash.
The Reality: Founders and CEOs used it much broadly as a Market Intelligence tool. They were analyzing investment trends. "Where is the money flowing? Which sectors are heating up?"
The Lesson: Your audience might be smarter than your content strategy. We gave them a phonebook; they used it as a market trend analysis too.
The Hidden Workflow (Manual vs. Machine)
The most common question I got: "Mateusz, did you hire an army of interns to reply to 2,600 comments?"
Here is the truth: The first iteration was manual. But when we hit 1,000 comments, we realized we created a monster. Manual replies were no longer an option. That’s when we built the machine.
The Automation Hack
We used HeyReach in a way most people don't utilize.
The Trigger: HeyReach allows for "Import from Post Reactors/Commenters".
The Action: We pasted the URL of our viral post. One click scraped every single person who engaged.
The Flow: These profiles were instantly pushed into a nurturing sequence.
The Real ROI (Time vs. Money)
Let's break down the cost of this campaign. It wasn't "free," but it was efficient.
Database building: 5 hours
Graphics & Copy: 4 hours
Initial Manual Replies: 10 hours
Total Investment: ~19 hours.
The Return: With 23 hot leads identified so far (assuming our average close rate at 24%), we generated a potential:
360 000 USD in sales opportunity
~80 000 USD in closable pipeline value
for less than 3 days of work.
Viral reach is vanity. Automated capture is sanity.
Lead Gen prediction
Why Lead Nurturing is the new Lead Gen worthy strategy (and how to wake up the dead)
Let’s be honest about your CRM. It’s likely full of leads labeled "Closed Lost" or "No Response" from 3, 6, or 9 months ago. They sit there, gathering dust.
Most agencies treat this as a graveyard. We see it as a goldmine. Why? Because the hardest part getting their attention and paying the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is already done.
The "Zombie Lead" Problem
The reason they didn't buy 6 months ago wasn't necessarily because your product was bad. It was usually timing. Maybe they didn't have the budget then. Maybe the pain wasn't big enough then. But businesses change fast. Budgets unlock, teams reshuffle, problems escalate.
The Wrong Way to Re-engage (The "Lazy Follow-up")
The worst email you can send to a dormant lead is:
"Hey, checking in. Are you ready to buy now?"
This is lazy. It assumes the lead has been thinking about you for 6 months (they haven't). It offers zero new incentive to talk. It’s annoying.
The Right Way: The "Context Switch"
To wake up a lead, you must change the context of the conversation. You need to re-invite them to the table not with an "ask," but with a "give." We call this Value-Based Nurturing.
Here is how we restructure the re-engagement message:
Acknowledge the Gap: "It’s been a while..."
Provide New Value: "Since we last spoke, we built X / solved Y for a similar client."
Low-Friction CTA: "Worth a peek?"
Real Examples of "Context Switches"
The "New Framework" Switch: "Last time we spoke, you were struggling with outbound. We just released a new Clay Framework that automates 80% of list building. Thought you might want to steal it."
The "Relevance" Switch (Case Study): "I saw you are focusing on the German market now. We just helped a similar SaaS generate 20 meetings/mo in the DACH region. Here is the breakdown of how we did it."
The "New Feature" Switch: "Back in Q1, you mentioned our reporting wasn't deep enough. We just launched a new Analytics Dashboard that solves exactly that constraint."
Why this works
You are not asking for a favor. You are updating their knowledge base. Even if they still aren't ready to buy, you position yourself as a partner who brings insights, not just invoices.
Stop looking for new leads exclusively. Look at the ones you already have, and offer them a new reason to care
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Use this data advantage to scout funding or build your pipeline before the crowd arrives.
