Episode Summary

Get ready for an absolute masterclass in outbound selling.

On this episode of B2B Power Hour, we sit down with Belal Batrawy, the founder of Death to Fluff and a LinkedIn sales star. We dive into the differences between novice and expert outbound sellers, how to develop better messaging, and Belal’s top tips for prioritizing your list.

One of the biggest goldmines for outbound sellers is the job description of their ideal buyer. Read through 15-30 job listings and make note of patterns, special terminology, and company goals. Use that language in any outreach — it will take you a lot further than generalized cold emails.

Belal also goes in-depth on the science and importance of activating your buyer’s limbic brain — the part of the brain where decision-making starts. When sellers understand the psychology behind decision-making, they can use it to their advantage. This boils down to eliciting an emotional response, whether it’s laughter, anger, fear, or excitement.

Ultimately, having a good list and working it the right way is one of the most crucial skills of outbound sales. Leverage follow-ups and calls with positive responses that didn’t happen at the right time, and get creative about reactivating these lost opportunities. It also doesn’t hurt to befriend a top-performing AE — they always have the best lists.

If you want to know how to take your outbound sales to the next level, this episode is the perfect place to start.

From the essentials of outbound to the makings of a top-tier AE, you’ll walk away with an invaluable outbound selling toolkit.

What he does: As the founder of Death to Fluff and a LinkedIn sales star, Belal helps outbound sellers cut the fluff and optimize their time to see top-tier results.  

Key quote: “If you’re a seller and you don’t know about [the limbic brain], you need to start reading it immediately … because you cannot become an elite practitioner of sales if you don’t know how people make decisions.”

Where to find him: LinkedIn | Website

B2B Power Plays

Top takeaways from this week’s conversation

🧠 Understand the psychology behind decision-making

Have you ever heard of the limbic brain? It's the part of your brain where decision-making starts — yes, this is backed by science.

Accessing your buyer's limbic brain is a unique and powerful skill for any outbound seller. You can activate the limbic brain by forcing someone to think only about option A or option B. Of course, there are thousands of solutions to every buyer’s pain points, but a successful seller only needs to present two options: the side you want to be on and the side you don’t.

📝 Pay close attention to job descriptions for your buyer's role

Job descriptions are a seller’s goldmine. One of the best ways to research a new buyer persona or industry is by combing through job descriptions of their roles.

Read through 15-30 job descriptions, taking note of:

  • Any patterns in job functions, tasks, and company goals
  • Industry-specific terminology, which will help you speak their language
  • The most important functions of that role
  • The title this role reports to. Reading job descriptions for their boss gives you insight into the goals they’ll want to meet

📞 Tips for prioritizing your outbound list

A good list is crucial to reaching the next level of outbound sales. Here’s how to prioritize your list, especially if it's gone stagnant:

  • Fortune is in the follow-up. Follow up with previous calls where you had positive responses but it wasn’t the right time. Bonus points if you follow up a bit early to check in and stay at the top of your buyer's mind.
  • Build relationships with top AEs. This is where you’re going to find the best lists. Offer to work whichever lists they need help with and stay on their good side.
  • Lean into lost opportunities. Reach out to lost opportunities after 6-8 months just to check in.  

Episode Highlights

Inflection points from the show

[3:44] How selling has changed: Belal breaks down the most significant, data-backed change in sales: the consistent increase in the number of people involved in decision-making.  

[6:14] Top-tier AEs vs. novices: The biggest difference between top-tier AEs and beginners? Experts are more courageous and provocative with their messaging.

[7:43] The limbic brain: Belal explains the crux of emotional selling: activating the limbic brain, AKA the part of your brain where the decision-making process starts.

[10:33] Being provocative: Belal gives an example of a provocative sales message and shares how to turn a boring statistic into an extraordinary one.

[16:23] Learn from the masters: Develop better messaging by becoming an apprentice of an elite seller.

[25:40] Nailing sales calls: Whether you’re making cold calls or working qualified leads, always stay focused on the outcome of the call.

[31:51] Job descriptions are goldmines: Read through job listings of your buyer’s persona to identify any patterns, industry-specific terminologies, and common company goals.  

[35:21] Improving the 1%: So much of an SDR’s day is getting no response. Belal talks about how to improve the small portions of your day that are in your control and why they matter.  

[40:52] Good lists matter: The most important thing in outbound is a good list. Even if you were a bad seller, you would still do just fine with a really good list.

[42:18] Prioritizing outbound lists: Take advantage of follow-ups and lost opportunities when prioritizing your outbound list. It also doesn’t hurt to befriend a high-level AE. They always have the best lists!

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