outbound sales

Definition

A proactive sales approach where the company reaches out to potential customers rather than waiting for inbound interest. It's the difference between fishing with a net and hoping fish jump into your boat.

Example Usage

After months of hoping for viral growth, the startup hired an outbound sales team and immediately started landing enterprise deals through cold email and LinkedIn.

Origin

Sales methodology terminology, contrasted with inbound marketing strategies popularized in 2000s-2010s

Fun Fact

Many VC-backed startups avoid outbound sales early because it doesn't scale easily, but it's often the only way to prove enterprise product-market fit.

Source: Sales and go-to-market terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

soft circle

Verbal commitments from investors to participate in a round that aren't legally binding, giving founders a sense of momentum that may evaporate when term sheets arrive. It's Schrödinger's capital raise.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

loss ratio

The percentage of a VC fund's investments that return zero, typically 50-70% despite everyone's confident pitches. The number partners don't mention at LP meetings unless forced.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

greenshoe option

A provision in IPO underwriting allowing underwriters to sell additional shares if demand exceeds expectations, typically up to 15% more. Named after the first company to use it, because finance people hate straightforward names.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

change of control

Any transaction that transfers majority ownership or control of a company, typically triggering various contractual provisions like vesting acceleration, payment obligations, or approval rights. The legal definition of when your startup stops being yours.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

give-to-get

The VC expectation that founders will make introductions, provide advice, and help other portfolio companies in exchange for investment and support. Networking as a contractual obligation.

🚀 Startup / VC

Beginner

MVP

Minimum Viable Product: the absolute least you can build before showing it to humans, which somehow always ends up being the final product. It's the software development equivalent of serving someone a raw potato and calling it a restaurant soft launch.

💻 Tech / IT🚀 Startup / VC

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