SaaStr Receives Generic Emails From Human Sales Rep
A sales rep from a leading B2B software company sent generic emails to SaaStr, highlighting the problem with human-led outbound sales at scale. SaaStr uses agents for most of its outbound sales, with 20+ agents handling $20M in revenue.
Original reporting · saastr.com
Original: “Why You Don’t Want Humans Doing Outbound Anymore”
Read “Why You Don’t Want Humans Doing Outbound Anymore” at SaaStr →
How this was written. Hustle Bucks wrote this article with a language model from SaaStr’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from SaaStr’s report
- SaaStr received generic emails from a human sales rep, highlighting the limitations of human-led outbound sales at scale.
- The company uses 20+ agents to handle $20M in revenue, with agents playing a key role in evaluating vendors and managing the sales process.
- Agents can provide greater personalization and attention to detail in outbound sales, but require careful management and oversight to ensure effectiveness.
- SaaStr has implemented processes to ensure the effectiveness of its agent-led sales approach, including agent review of outbound emails and use of public footprint data.
- The use of agents in sales is likely to continue growing, with potential benefits including improved personalization and reduced errors.
A sales rep from a leading public B2B software company sent two emails to SaaStr within 48 hours, offering generic information and failing to tailor the pitch to the company's specific needs. This experience highlights the limitations of human-led outbound sales at scale, according to SaaStr.
The emails were likely sent through a sequence tool, which allowed the rep to send multiple emails without reading them. This lack of personalization and attention to detail is a common problem in sales organizations, where reps may be handling hundreds of accounts and relying on automated tools to manage their workload.
SaaStr, on the other hand, has found success with agent-led outbound sales, using 20+ agents to handle $20M in revenue. The company's AI VP of Marketing, 10K, plays a key role in evaluating vendors and managing the sales process, and has even taken over tasks such as building LinkedIn and X campaigns.
The use of agents in outbound sales allows for greater personalization and attention to detail, as agents can read every account record before sending an email. This approach has led to significant improvements in pitch quality and response rates, with Agentforce win-back campaigns achieving 72% open rates.
However, agents are not a silver bullet, and require careful management and oversight to ensure they are effective. SaaStr has learned that better data and prompt changes can improve pitch quality, and that agents should be reviewed and corrected regularly to prevent errors.
The company has also implemented a number of processes to ensure the effectiveness of its agent-led sales approach, including having an agent review every outbound email before it goes out and feeding the agent the prospect's public footprint. These changes have helped to improve the quality of pitches and reduce the risk of errors.
As the use of agents in sales continues to grow, it is likely that more companies will adopt similar approaches to SaaStr. The company's experience highlights the potential benefits of using agents in outbound sales, including improved personalization and attention to detail, and reduced errors.
Questions and answers
What was wrong with the emails sent by the human sales rep?
The emails were generic and failed to tailor the pitch to SaaStr's specific needs, with one email even referencing the wrong year.
How does SaaStr use agents in its sales process?
SaaStr uses 20+ agents to handle $20M in revenue, with agents playing a key role in evaluating vendors and managing the sales process, and using tools such as Agentforce and 10K to build campaigns and pitch prospects.
What benefits has SaaStr seen from using agents in its sales process?
SaaStr has seen improved personalization and attention to detail in its pitches, as well as reduced errors and improved response rates, with Agentforce win-back campaigns achieving 72% open rates.
