Do you know that? The inbox is overflowing with generic cold calling emails, which you delete immediately after the first three words. The sad truth: That's probably what 90% of your own outbound efforts look like — at least if you follow the classic approach.

While many companies are still trying to score points with mass and generic templates, we at Scalantec have one completely different way hammered in. After hundreds of campaigns and tens of thousands of outreach attempts, we've developed a process that actually works — one that yours Triple the response rate can and fill your calendar with qualified initial meetings.

Our 8-step master plan: This is how modern B2B outbound sales work

Step 1: ICP definition — Who is really your ideal customer?

Most sales teams skip this step or just do it superficial. A big mistake! Without accurate ICP (Ideal Customer Profile), you're wasting time and resources with leads that will never convert.

At Scalantec, we develop ultra-precise profiles through a structured process:

• Detailed questionnaire At the start, to really understand our clients' business
• In-depth discovery meeting for all details and nuances of the business model
• Systematic analysis of the most successful existing customers and their similarities
• Common ICP definition based on all collected data
• Specific buyer persona with specific pain points and motivations
• Mapping of decision-making processes within ICP companies

Practical tip: Take a look at your last 5-10 successful deals. What do these companies have in common? Which triggers led to the purchase? These patterns are worth their weight in gold.

Step 2: List Building — The List is the Message

Forget simple LinkedIn searches and purchased lists. Modern B2B lead generation combines various data sources and uses technology to find the perfect contacts.

Our list-building approach is highly individual and depends heavily on the specific business of our customers:

• B2B companies: Access via specialized databases such as Apollo, Clay, LinkedIn and other data providers
• Local stores: Google Maps API or Google Maps Scraping for geographically relevant leads
• E-commerce companies: Specialized databases such as store leads to identify suitable online shops
• Niche areas: Combination of various data sources and specialized scraping methods

What makes the difference: We orchestrate these tools with Clay — an ingenious no-code data orchestration platform that allows us to create tailor-made lists based on the specific requirements of our customers.

Step 3: In-depth research — The decisive difference

After we have identified the right companies, the decisive step begins: tailor-made research. This is the real value that differentiates your outreach from mass mailings.

The research is extremely individual and depends on what is relevant for your particular use case. We use a variety of sources and tools to gain insights:

• Company-specific news to relevant keywords
• Advertising strategy analysis: Where and how does the company place ads?
• Financial insights from annual reports and annual reports
• Case studies and references from the company website
• Technology stack analysis: Which software does the company use (particularly relevant for competitor software)
• Logistics insights: Which partners does an e-commerce store work with?
• Content marketing channels: In which podcasts or media is the company present?
• Website traffic analysis via tools like SEMrush
• Personal insights: Relevant background of decision makers (e.g. training at pharmaceutical companies)
• Buying Signals: Financing rounds, growth phases, job postings

We orchestrate all of this information with Clay to create complete, relevant context for every lead — the basis for truly compelling outreach messages.

Step 4: Cold emails that actually convert

The truth is, an average cold email has a response rate of less than 1%. Our campaigns regularly achieve 3-8% — How do we do that?

The decisive difference: Hyper-relevance, not superficial personalization. Many try to personalize with phrases like “I've seen you work as a marketing manager” — but that's completely superficial and irrelevant.

A truly relevant message must:

• Create a clear connection between research and your offering
• Provide specific, comprehensible added value for the recipient's specific situation
• Prove that you've done your homework (without being intrusive)

Example: Instead of “I saw you working at XYZ...” we write: “I just read in AstraZeneca's Annual Report that you've brought Oncology Drug ABC from phase 2 to phase 3. Since you're responsible for patient recruitment in Oncology, I thought we could talk together because I could help you get patients for clinical trials. As a result, you will complete clinical trials on average 30% faster — just as we have already successfully done for your market partner Boehringer Ingelheim.”

Step 5: Email infrastructure and deliverability

A critical step that many companies in the B2B outbound overlook: the right email infrastructure. Dangerous mistakes lurk here that can jeopardize your entire communication.

Important: Never do cold outreach from your corporate domain! This is a fundamental mistake that many companies make. The risk of damaging the reputation of your main domain and therefore all Letting emails end up in spam is too big.

Our proven approach for optimal deliverability:

• New dedicated domains set up for outbound activities
• Maximum two email addresses Register per domain
• Email warming process carry out over at least three weeks
• Limited volume: Maximum 15-20 emails per email address per day
• Technical configuration: Set up DMARC, DKIM, SPF, and other authentication protocols correctly

At Scalantec, we build this basic infrastructure for each individual customer to guarantee maximum deliverability.

Step 6: Meaningful automation — technology as a multiplier

Automation is critical — but not to replace personalization, but to scale it.

Our automation strategy includes:

• Fully automated research process for deep, individualized insights
• Multi-touch outreach sequences: LinkedIn connection → LinkedIn message → Follow-up → Email
• Intelligent fallback logic: Automatic switch to email when LinkedIn requests aren't accepted
• Orchestrated campaigns with a maximum of three emails with relevant, personalized content plus one “breakout email”
• Human-in-the-loop: Despite automation, a person checks every message before it is sent
• Workflow automation: Clay+Make.com for seamless process integration

Step 7: Reply Management — The Decisive Moment

The moment a potential customer answers is worth its weight in gold — and yet this critical stage is often neglected.

Our approach for effective response management:

• Response rate: Answers within a maximum of 24 hours, ideally significantly faster
• Answers appropriate to the situation: Tailored responses depending on the type of response from the potential customer
• Follow-up strategy: When referring to other persons responsible, ask immediately for specific contact details
• Professional rejection: Always remain friendly and professional even with negative feedback
• Real time notification: Automatic forwarding of all replies to dedicated Slack channels via Make.com

At Scalantec, we offer reply management as an optional service — but many customers also take this step themselves.

Step 8: Continuous optimization — The forgotten game changer

The last step is the one that almost everyone neglects: systematic optimization based on data.

At Scalantec, we rigorously test:

• A/B testing for various hook variants and message formulations
• Multi-channel strategies (email + LinkedIn + optional: phone)
• Timing and frequency of outreach attempts

Practical example: For a SaaS customer, we found that the third follow-up with a short case study video increased the response rate by 42% increased — a detail that we only discovered through systematic testing.

The result: Predictable pipeline growth

What happens when you use this process consistently? A FinTech customer was able to complete his pipeline within three months redouble — without hiring additional sales staff.

The decisive difference was not a magic trick, but the consistent application of a well-thought-out, technology-supported process. While competitors are still working with Excel lists and generic templates, modern teams use the combination of strategic expertise and advanced technology.

Want to know how this approach can work for your business?

At Scalantec, we've implemented this process for dozens of B2B companies — from SaaS startups to established industrial companies.

If you want to know how we can also fill your sales pipeline with qualified leads, Arrange a non-binding consultation. We'll show you exactly how our approach can be applied to your specific business.

Arrange a consultation →

Nicolas Schell is co-founder of Scalantec and an expert in B2B sales and sales automation. With experience from positions at Celonis, Presize and Edgeless Systems, he has developed a practical approach for successful sales campaigns. His particular expertise lies in the use of modern tools such as Clay, with which he develops data-driven processes for lead generation and personalization. Nicolas combines his knowledge in data analysis, prompt engineering and AI to optimize sales processes at the highest level.

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