The Amigos Network | Inbound Sales Enquiries Rule!

Friday, May 31, 2024 by Shelley Hirst

The distinction between inbound and outbound leads often seems clear-cut with expectations concluding inbound is the holy grail for sales.

It's because inbound leads are traditionally seen as those who find and engage with your business through organic channels, driven by interest and curiosity. On the other hand, outbound leads are those targeted directly through campaigns that include cold emails, advertisements, or direct mail.

When sales will only get out of bed for perceived inbound leads this rigid and binary distinction can create poor follow-up, waste time and missed opportunities. Factoring in the merest hint of what we know about buyer behaviour, there's a need to trust brands and acquire information at their pace. An inbound lead, especially in B2B technology sales, will undoubtedly result from awareness and visibility over time. This interplay underscores the notion that it's not merely what you do, but it’s the way you do it, that determines success.

Interest sparked by outbound

Consider an outbound campaign designed to introduce a new product or service. This might be a cold email or a highly targeted social media advertisement. Initially, this is a classic example of outbound marketing.

Although their journey began with outbound marketing, their subsequent actions classify them as inbound leads. When the campaign is compelling enough and has longevity, it sparks curiosity and prompts recipients to seek out more information independently. They might visit the company’s website, follow social media profiles, or even engage with content by downloading a whitepaper or signing up for a newsletter.

Is this an inbound lead, or are other markers of intent required?

Engagement shift from outbound to inbound

The shift from outbound to inbound is particularly noticeable when potential customers take control of their engagement. When a well-executed outbound campaign generates significant awareness and interest, prospective customers start interacting with the business’s content on their terms—reading blog posts, watching webinars, or engaging with social media posts.

This transition marks a shift in engagement dynamics: what started as an outbound effort has now fostered inbound behaviour. This engagement shift is crucial, as it indicates a deeper level of interest and a more meaningful connection with the audience.

Behaviour-based qualification

The level of engagement following an outbound touchpoint can be a strong indicator of lead qualification. When an audience engages deeply with content—such as attending webinars, participating in discussions, or repeatedly visiting the website—it demonstrates a behaviour often associated with inbound leads.

These actions show that the audience is not just passively receiving information but is actively seeking out more, indicating a higher level of interest and potential for conversion. In such cases, despite the outbound origin, the lead’s behaviour aligns more closely with that of an inbound lead, showcasing the fluid nature of the customer journey.

Marketing and sales co-ordination

The blurring lines between inbound and outbound necessitate a seamless coordination between marketing and sales teams. Recognising when outbound efforts lead to inbound behaviour allows both teams to understand the customer journey more comprehensively.

This understanding is crucial for allocating resources effectively and optimising strategies. Marketing teams can craft outbound campaigns designed to trigger inbound engagement, while sales teams can prioritise leads based on their engagement levels, regardless of how their journey began.

Conclusion

The lines between inbound and outbound leads are fluid. A highly engaged audience initially targeted through outbound strategies should transform into inbound leads as they seek further engagement with the business.

Especially in the case of high-value B2B purchases, this evolution underscores the importance of the approach and that continual effort is required to create inbound engagement.

When this is achieved, businesses will create more effective and cohesive sales and marketing strategies catering for the dynamic nature of customer engagement.

Market Activation™ Solution Brief

Some more detail about how we approach demand generation to get outstanding results.

For more information and a live demonstration of lead progression and pipeline visibility, please book some time with us to show you.

Download (1.3 MB)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Market Activation differ from Demand Generation?

Demand Gen builds broad awareness and interest over time (e.g., whitepapers, webinars).
Market Activation identifies in-market buyers (via intent data, behavioural signals) and immediately engages them with tailored outreach (nurture tracks, one-to-one advisor sessions, community invites).

Market Activation talks about “Demand-as-a-Service”? What’s included in this?

Engagement Engine: Continuous, multi-channel publishing (articles, webinars, newsletters) to sustain interest
Demand Engine: Targeted outreach (email, ads, sponsorships) that scores clicks → qualified leads → sales-ready appointments.
Performance Dashboard: Real-time visibility into open rates, CTOR, CPL and lead progression via our online sales portal.

What role does The Amigos Network play in Market Activation?

Early Detection: Community discussions surface real-world challenges and project signals before formal RFPs.
Content Amplification: Thought leadership shared in The Amigos Network drives deeper engagement and social proof.
Peer Validation: Prospects get candid feedback from peers on your solutions, shortening the evaluation cycle.
Pipeline Catalysis: Warm introductions and referral paths within the community fuel high- intent conversations.

How do B2B communities like The Amigos Network fit into the sales process?

Top-of-Funnel: Build credibility through community content and events.
Mid-Funnel: Leverage peer case studies, expert Q&As, and live demos to answer deep technical questions.
Bottom-of-Funnel: Invite high-intent members to advisory councils or private 1:1 sessions, often the final nudge before purchase.

How does The Amigos Network create Intent Data?

Interesting content: We originate, curate, and syndicate different types of content we know our audiences want to engage with and tell them it’s there.
Sponsored content: We use sponsored content to drive engagement with individual brands.
Promotion: We promote that content via multiple channels such as email, social media, YouTube, and so on.
Identification: We ingest company-level engagement signals and combine it with known contacts that may be researching key topics.
Segmentation: Members are bucketed by level of intent (high, medium, low) plus ICP fit and company size.
Activation: High-intent members receive prioritised community invitations (events, focus groups, product deep-dives) to accelerate deals.

Is buying intent data worth it when you’re part of The Amigos Network?

Yes, if you blend purchased intent data with community signals and nurture streams, it makes a powerful mix, but it is not necessary for this programme.

Purchased data highlights who’s in-market.
Community engagement reveals what questions they’re asking, so your nurture can be hyper-relevant.
Result: A 2–3× lift in meeting acceptance and pipeline velocity vs. cold outreach alone.

Is buying intent data worth it?

It turns out that intent data is one of the best ways to find and target in-market buyers who match your ideal customer profile (ICP). Intent data shows at a company level who's actively interested in a product or service area. Depending on your investment, it will determine whether you can get named individuals.

Why would I buy intent data?

As a starting point to onward prospect engagement and pipeline building for the future. The best use of it comes from entering it into marketing nurture until such point it becomes a sales-ready opportunity.

Is intent data good for sales teams?

It depends. If it’s seen as a fast-track to dropping it into a sales queue, then ROI will be poor. It is valuable if given to marketing to nurture first and pass it through when it becomes high-intent, rather than “just showing an interest.”

Is it better to buy or create intent data?

Buying it is one approach, but it’s what you do next with it that counts. Dropping it into a sales queue and expecting a potential buyer to be asking “where do I sign” is unlikely to happen, especially for strategic or big-ticket purchases. Buying basic intent information should be the first step in a long-term nurture process designed to build an ongoing pipeline in a joined-up marketing and sales approach.

Is purchased intent data alone enough to fast track to sales?

No.

How should Sales and Marketing collaborate on intent in The Amigos Network?

Marketing owns the nurture tracks, community invites, educational content, and event promos.
Sales intervenes only at “high-intent + active community engagement” thresholds, with account-specific demos and peer introductions.
Outcome: Fewer wasted calls and a higher win rate on truly qualified opportunities.

How do we measure success for Market Activation in The Amigos Network?

Engagement Metrics: Community log-ins, event attendance, content downloads.
Intent Conversion: % of intent-scored members who join private roundtables or request demos.
Pipeline Velocity: Time from first community touch to opportunity creation.
Revenue Impact: Contribution of community-sourced deals to overall bookings.