Takeaways from Outbound Email Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Evolved

Outbound isn’t dead, but the spray-and-pray approach definitely is. Today’s high-performing GTM teams are swapping volume for precision fueled by smarter signals, AI-powered tools, and tighter cross-functional alignment.+

In Outbound Email Isn’t Dead—You’re Just Doing it Wrong, a Demand XChange session, I met with fellow email experts from ZoomInfo and Mailchimp to share how we’re rethinking outbound — from crafting open-worthy emails to mapping buyer intent with surgical accuracy. If you’re ready to ditch guesswork and go all-in on what works, this session recap is for you. 

Michelle Blondin shares how to make signals work for you

Signals have become the backbone of modern go-to-market strategies, but they only work if you know which ones matter. Michelle Blondin, Director of Demand Generation and GTM Plays at ZoomInfo, reminds us that identifying meaningful signals isn’t a one-and-done task. It’s an evolving process that requires tight alignment between marketing, sales, and ops. As Michelle put it, the magic lies in constant experimentation: testing ideas, layering data sources, and learning which combinations unlock real engagement.

In a market saturated with noise, guesswork won’t cut it. Marketers and sellers need to build outreach strategies on more than a hunch. They need intent, context, and timing. 

When GTM teams stay aligned on the signal mix and commit to ongoing iteration, they can transform data into direction and outreach into opportunities. “Start small,” says Michelle, “but build deliberately. You don’t need to boil the ocean — you just need a strong starting point.”

One of our best performing plays is a prior engagement play

Later in the session, Michelle shared a simple but powerful tactic anyone can run: reengaging leads who’ve shown past interest. Whether they attended a demo, were part of a previous opportunity, or clicked around your site a year ago, these folks already know who you are — and that familiarity is gold.

The key is to treat these reactivations as intentional plays, not one-off emails. Craft the right message, align it to the signal (in this case, prior engagement), and give your team the context they need to outbound with confidence. It’s a prime example of how signal-based strategies don’t always require complex tooling, they just require thoughtfulness and coordination.

Key takeaways:

• The most effective signals are the ones your team aligns on — and keeps refining.
• Start small with signal layering and build playbooks around what works.
• Prior engagement is a low-lift, high-reward signal that nearly every team can activate today.

Bianca Gause explains how to win the inbox

Subject lines are usually under 40 characters long, but they make a massive impact. As Bianca Gause, Marketing Manager at Intuit Mailchimp, explained during the session, your subject line is your first impression, and first impressions decide whether your email gets opened or ignored. 

But a great subject line is only the beginning. Bianca emphasized the importance of sender identity and tone. If your message looks like it came from a robot — or someone the recipient doesn’t recognize — it’s going straight into the trash. A friendly, familiar name and a human tone go a long way in establishing trust. At the end of the day, email isn’t just a channel, it’s a conversation. And nobody wants to talk to a spam bot.

Don’t segment by just demographics

According to Bianca, the secret to modern outbound success lies in how well you understand and act on your audience’s behavior. Basic segmentation by industry or job title isn’t enough. To really resonate, you need to factor in browsing habits, past purchases, and how they’ve engaged with your content. That’s what turns a generic campaign into a personalized experience.

It’s about creating a curated experience, not a chaotic one. That shift — from volume to value — is what sets high-performing email strategies apart.

Key takeaways:

• Subject lines and sender names set the tone, so make them personal and purposeful.
• Behavior-based segmentation creates more meaningful, relevant outreach.
• Shifting from volume- to value-based emails will set you apart.

Alignment is everything

Strong outbound doesn’t start with copy, it starts with coordination. The best-performing go-to-market strategies are built on shared goals and clear roles across marketing, sales, and ops. When everyone is aligned on what success looks like, teams move faster, plays hit harder, and signals don’t slip through the cracks.

Now, this isn’t just about internal harmony. It’s about setting everyone up to act on the highest-value opportunities. That starts by mapping the right signals to your ICP. Not every click, view, or download means someone is ready to buy. But after testing and learning which signals indicate serious intent and tying those signals to ideal-fit accounts, you stop chasing noise and start building real pipeline.

Set your team up for success with the best of the best

Outbound should never be about chasing everyone — it’s about chasing the right ones. Quality over quantity is the way forward. Try encouraging GTM teams to filter out low-intent distractions and double down on what matters most: high-fit accounts that are showing signs of readiness.

This clarity doesn’t just make campaigns more efficient, it makes follow-up more confident. When sales knows the leads in front of them were selected with precision, they don’t waste time questioning the data. They just dig in and start quality conversations, which leads to more seamless pipeline. Everyone wins.

Key takeaways:

• True GTM success starts with alignment across sales, marketing, and ops.
• Map meaningful signals to your ICP to focus your efforts on high-fit accounts.
• Clear roles and shared goals empower teams to move quickly and confidently.

Ready to rethink your outbound strategy?

Whether you’re refining your intent signal strategy, experimenting with AI-driven content, or trying to get sales and marketing on the same page (finally), one thing’s clear: outbound isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing it smarter. The teams winning today are aligned, data-driven, and obsessed with what works.

Watch the full session to hear more email must-knows.