outbound-motion

---
name: outbound-motion
description: >-
  Designs the outbound GTM motion: which signals to prioritize, how to score and
  sequence accounts, and what the first-touch cadence looks like. Produces a
  motion spec — a decision framework for the outbound program, not a campaign
  execution tool. Use when the team is deciding to invest in outbound, or when
  the current outbound is generating low-quality pipeline.
triggers:
  - /outbound-motion
  - user asks how to design or fix an outbound program
  - team is starting outbound for the first time
  - outbound response rates or pipeline quality are poor
  - user asks about signal-based outbound, ABM, or SDR motion design
role: workflow
version: 1.0.0
sources:
  - "Outbound GTM motion design synthesis (research synthesis, 2026-06-13)"
  - "Winning by Design — outbound sequence design principles"
feeds:
  - pmm/gtm-brief
related:
  - pmm/icp-research    # ICP card is required input: trigger event, deciding language, alternatives
  - growth/signal-prioritization  # which signals to use is a separate, upstream decision
---

# Outbound Motion

**Role:** Outbound architect. You design the motion — signal sources, account scoring, sequencing logic, and first-touch framework — before anyone writes a message or dials a number. An outbound program designed without this spec produces spray-and-pray volume; one designed with it produces trigger-qualified pipeline.

---

## Before starting

Confirm (ask or infer):

- **ICP card available?** Required: trigger event (Layer B), deciding language (Layer D), alternatives (Layer C). Without trigger event, outbound has no timing signal.
- **Current inbound signal** — is there any inbound motion (PLG, content, SEO) that the outbound can amplify? Best outbound programs run on top of inbound signal.
- **Sales motion** — SLG (AEs close), MLG (community-to-sales), or hybrid? This determines sequence length and touch cadence.
- **Budget for signal data** — will the team buy third-party signals (intent, job postings), or work from first-party signals only?

```
IF icp_card.trigger_event = undefined →
  BLOCK. Return:
  "Outbound without a trigger event is cold calling. A trigger event is the specific
   condition that makes an account worth reaching out to NOW — not just firmographic fit.
   Run /icp-research and return with Layer B (trigger event) populated."

IF sales_motion = SLG AND average_deal_size < $5000 →
  WARN. Return:
  "Outbound economics at <$5K ACV with SLG motion are typically negative unless
   you are targeting enterprise expansion (not new logos). Confirm: is this motion
   targeting new logo acquisition, or expansion within existing PLG accounts?"
```

---

## Inputs

| Input | Required? | Description |
|-------|-----------|-------------|
| ICP card | Required | Trigger event, JTBD, deciding language, alternatives, motion fit |
| Sales motion | Required | SLG / MLG / hybrid |
| Signal data available | Required | First-party only vs. third-party intent data available |
| ACV / deal size | Required | Economics viability |
| Current inbound baseline | Recommended | What is acquiring accounts today; outbound should amplify |

---

## Contract

This skill guarantees:
- Motion spec is grounded in ICP trigger event — not "fits our target market"
- Signal prioritization is explicit: which signals rank an account as ready-to-contact
- Sequence logic is designed for the specific sales motion (SLG ≠ MLG ≠ hybrid)
- First-touch framework uses deciding language from ICP Layer D — not generic pitch
- Output is a spec, not a campaign; copy and execution are downstream

---

## Decision logic

### Phase 1 — Signal stack design

Outbound timing is determined by signals. The goal: contact accounts when the trigger event has recently occurred or is about to occur.

**Signal tier framework:**

```
Tier 1 — First-party (own these; highest precision):
  - Product trial or free tier activation (if PLG layer exists)
  - Pricing page or demo page visit (if tracked)
  - Job posting for a role that signals the trigger (e.g., hiring Head of Reliability = trigger for your infra tool)
  - Existing contact at account engages with your content
  Priority: Always use. These are the highest-intent signals.

Tier 2 — Third-party intent (buy or monitor these):
  - Intent data topic surges on relevant keywords (your category, key pain terms)
  - G2 or Capterra category research activity
  - Competitor review site activity
  Priority: Use if budget allows; validate signal-to-close rate before scaling spend.

Tier 3 — Trigger event proxies (derive from public signals):
  - Funding announcement in the last 60 days (expansion trigger for many B2B products)
  - New VP/Director hire in the buyer's department (new leadership = open to new tools)
  - Company headcount crossing a threshold (e.g., 50 → 100 = new operational complexity)
  - Tech stack change detectable via BuiltWith or similar
  Priority: These are lagging signals; use to qualify accounts but not as primary timing signal.
```

```
IF only Tier 3 signals are available AND first-party signals = none →
  WARN. Return:
  "Outbound based only on firmographic triggers (funding, headcount) has lower
   precision than signal-based outbound. Response rates will be lower.
   Recommended: pair Tier 3 triggers with at least one Tier 1 signal (product/content
   engagement) for qualification before sequencing."
```

### Phase 2 — Account scoring model

Score accounts on signal recency and signal stack depth, not just firmographic fit.

**Score components:**

```
Signal recency score (0–40):
  Tier 1 signal in last 7 days:    +40
  Tier 1 signal in last 30 days:   +25
  Tier 1 signal in last 90 days:   +10
  No Tier 1 signal:                +0

Signal stack depth (0–40):
  3+ signal types present:         +40
  2 signal types:                  +25
  1 signal type:                   +10

Firmographic fit (0–20):
  Matches ICP headcount + industry: +20
  Matches one dimension:            +10
  Neither:                          +0

Threshold for outreach:
  ≥ 60: CONTACT (timing is right)
  40–59: WATCH (monitor for Tier 1 signal before contacting)
  < 40: HOLD (wrong time; do not add to sequence)
```

### Phase 3 — Sequence logic

Design the sequence based on sales motion:

| Motion | Max touches | Cadence | Channel mix |
|--------|-------------|---------|-------------|
| SLG (AE-driven) | 8–12 | Day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 | Email + LinkedIn + phone (if ACV > $20K) |
| MLG (community to sales) | 4–6 | Day 1, 4, 10, 21 | Email + community engagement + LinkedIn |
| PLG expansion (existing user to team) | 3–5 | Day 1, 7, 21 | In-product + email |

**Sequence structure rules:**

```
Touch 1 (Day 1): Signal acknowledgment. Reference the specific trigger event.
  NOT: "I'm reaching out because your company fits our ICP."
  YES: "Saw [company] recently [trigger event context]. [One sentence on why
       that timing matters for what you do]."

Touch 2–3: Add evidence. Case study of a customer who had the same trigger.
  Use deciding language from ICP Layer D — the exact words, not paraphrases.

Touch 4–5: Offer value before asking. Resource, benchmark, or insight.
  Gate: does the recipient get value from this touch even if they never buy?

Touch 6+: Break-up or soft re-engage.
  "If the timing isn't right, I'll circle back when [specific future trigger]."
  Not: "Just checking in."
```

### Phase 4 — First-touch message framework

```
Structure (≤ 150 words):

  Line 1: [Signal reference] — WHY you're reaching out NOW
    Example: "Noticed [Company] raised a Series A three weeks ago — congrats.
    Often that's when infrastructure reliability moves from 'nice to have' to
    'the CTO cares about this.'"

  Line 2: [Deciding language from ICP Layer D] — mirror their problem in their words
    Example: "Most infrastructure teams at your stage tell us the problem isn't
    performance — it's the 2 AM page when a deploy introduces a slow query."

  Line 3: [Proof point] — one specific, named customer outcome
    Example: "[Customer] went from 4-hour incident response to 8 minutes."

  Line 4: [Specific ask] — small, low-friction
    NOT: "Would love to set up a 30-minute call."
    YES: "Worth a 15-minute call this week to see if the timing makes sense for you?"
```

---

## Output format

```
## Outbound motion spec — [date]

ICP trigger event: [from Layer B]
Sales motion: [SLG / MLG / PLG expansion]
ACV: [$range]

### Signal stack
  Tier 1 signals available: [list]
  Tier 2 signals available: [list or "none"]
  Tier 3 triggers: [list]

### Account scoring threshold
  CONTACT threshold: [score] and above
  WATCH threshold: [score range]
  HOLD: below [score]

### Sequence design
  Max touches: [N]
  Cadence: [Day 1, X, Y, Z]
  Channel mix: [email / LinkedIn / phone]

### First-touch framework
  [Completed template: signal reference + deciding language + proof point + ask]

### What this motion is NOT designed for
  [Explicit exclusions: persona types, channels, account types outside scope]
```

---

## Anti-patterns

| Anti-pattern | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound without a trigger event | No timing signal = random spray into the target market | Block until ICP Layer B (trigger event) is defined |
| Generic opening lines ("I saw your company does X") | Reads as template; no signal of timing relevance | Reference a specific, recent, verifiable trigger event |
| Optimizing sequence for volume of sends | More touches ≠ more pipeline; over-sequencing burns accounts | Cap at 8–12 touches; design for relevance, not persistence |
| Measuring outbound success by reply rate | Reply rate includes "please remove me" | Measure: qualified meeting booked rate per 100 accounts sequenced |
| Reaching out without deciding language | Generic pitch; buyer doesn't recognize themselves in the message | Use exact phrases from ICP Layer D — the words customers used, not your copywriting |
| Running outbound before inbound is established | Inbound validates your channel; outbound amplifies it | Confirm organic ICP signal before investing in outbound motion |

---

## Validation criteria

- [ ] ICP trigger event (Layer B) is defined and reflected in sequence touch 1
- [ ] Account scoring model includes signal recency component (not just firmographic fit)
- [ ] Sequence length is appropriate to sales motion (SLG / MLG / PLG)
- [ ] First-touch message uses deciding language from ICP Layer D — quoted, not paraphrased
- [ ] Output format declares signal stack, scoring threshold, sequence design, and first-touch framework
- [ ] "What this motion is NOT designed for" section present

---

## Benchmarks (2025–2026)

| Benchmark | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average B2B cold email reply rate | 2–5% | Salesloft / Outreach benchmarks 2025 |
| Signal-triggered outbound reply rate (vs. cold) | 3–8× higher | Demandbase / 6sense intent data research 2025 |
| Average qualified meetings per 100 sequenced accounts (cold) | 2–4 | Winning by Design 2025 |
| Optimal sequence touches before diminishing returns | 8–12 | Outreach benchmark data 2024 |
| LinkedIn connection acceptance rate (cold) | 25–35% for VP+ | LinkedIn platform data 2025 |

---

## References & Sources

**Tier-1 frameworks:**
- Winning by Design — sequence design, cadence principles, value-before-ask structure
- MEDDIC / SPICED — qualification in outbound context

**Tier-2 operator synthesis:**
- Outbound GTM motion design synthesis (research synthesis, 2026-06-13): signal stack tiers, scoring model, sequence logic