Turning Cold Leads into Qualified Clients with Market Research Campaigns
Cold outreach still works when it starts a conversation instead of a pitch. In this Beyond 7 Figures episode, I sit down with our head of outbound, Jerson Mellizo, to show how a market research campaign invites prospects to share their expertise and warms the path into a consumption system. If your pipeline still depends on you, start with unpredictable revenue.
Outbound is not dead. The process is usually what is broken. Jerson has been doing this work with us for five years, and he has watched the approach change. Early on, the job was personalized first-line outreach meant to set a call. That produced conversations for a while. The shift that stuck is simpler to say than it is to practice: start a conversation, and do it only after the person already has some familiarity with you.
That familiarity is what we call preheating. Jerson walks it as a specific sequence, not a vibe. Retargeting, so they see the logo (he named AdRoll as the tool we use). Activity on LinkedIn, Instagram, or the other social platforms you are actually using. Viewing the profile, liking the post, and leaving a real comment before you send the first email, DM, or connection request. The point is know, like, and trust, in that order, before the ask.
I told the story of one of our agency clients. Their lead rate was 0.5%. After we added preheating, and without changing the message, it moved to 5%. We kept a human in the loop even where automation saves a few clicks.
The market research campaign sits on top of that. You still preheat. Then you invite the prospect to contribute their expertise to a report. The first message is about their point of view, not about how you can help them. Jerson tested two paths into the report: a live interview with him, or a form if they were too busy. Both get featured. The interviews had a higher completion rate. After the report goes out, the roundtable is the stage where you can show your own expertise. There is no sales pitch on that call. He said you have to be patient enough to wait for it.
We averaged 1-4 calls a day.
The campaign is a long game. One buyer had been in a campaign the year before. If you quit when they don’t buy at the interview, you miss the ones who buy later. That is why lead generation has to include a consumption path, not just a first conversation, and why this is one way to create demand without waiting on referrals.
If you want a next step from the episode, change the opener. Preheat first. Invite expertise. Prefer a real interview over a form. Use the report and the roundtable as the moment they consume, and let conversion come after trust. For a closer look at how buyers form a first impression before they ever take the meeting, see AI buyer research.
Jerson Mellizo is head of outbound at Predictable Profits. He also coaches in our Board of Directors program and helps with client experience. On this episode he said market research is currently his number one outbound strategy because it is built on consumption.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Outbound is not dead: The process behind the outreach decides whether it works.
- Start conversations, not pitches: Build a relationship before you ask for a sales call.
- Preheat your prospects: Use retargeting, social engagement, and personalized interactions to build familiarity before the first message.
- Let trust compound: Familiarity makes a cold prospect warmer before you write.
- Use market research campaigns: Invite prospects to share their expertise and contribute to an industry report.
- Make it about them: Ask for their insights before you introduce your own.
- Prefer real interviews: Jerson said interviews completed at a higher rate than sending a form to fill out alone.
- Make the roundtable count: Use the report and the discussion to deliver value and show your expertise, without a pitch on that stage.
- Play the long game: Consistent consumption can turn a first conversation into a client months, or even a year, later.
- Build a repeatable system: Small optimizations across the campaign compound.
Resources mentioned:
On the episode I pointed people to our Research to Revenue training for the playbook behind this campaign. You can also find me on LinkedIn or at Predictable Profits.
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FAQ
What is a market research campaign in outbound?
As Jerson Mellizo and I describe it in this episode, you invite cold prospects to contribute their expertise to an industry report, and later a roundtable, so the first touch is a conversation about their point of view, not a pitch.
How do you pre-heat a cold prospect before outreach?
Jerson’s list on this episode is retargeting, plus social engagement on platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram, profile views, and real comments, so the person already recognizes you before the first email, DM, or connection request.
Does a market research campaign replace a sales process?
No. It starts a relationship and feeds a consumption path that can turn an interview into a later qualified opportunity. On this episode I said some buyers come in sooner, and some come from a campaign run six months earlier or longer.
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