Don’t listen to the LinkedIn influencers – outbound sales isn’t dead. It’s just stuck in the past. Did you know that sales reps spend only 28% of their time actually selling, with the rest lost to things like deal management and data entry? Too many teams are still relying on brute force: more dials, more emails, more noise. But the numbers are clear: it takes 18 calls on average to connect with a buyer, and most reps give up after just two attempts (Gartner Insights).
That’s why Ryan Reisert stands out. He’s not your typical sales coach. With only 3% of buyers actively looking for a solution at any given time, Ryan understands that outbound success requires more than persistence—it requires strategy. He’s built a system that makes outbound sales more efficient, more human, and more aligned with the way buyers actually buy. It’s not just about booking meetings—it’s about starting meaningful conversations and building real trust.
Why should you care? Because Ryan’s approach proves that outbound sales, when done right, isn’t that big of a grind. It’s a strategy that delivers results without burning out your team. If you’re tired of spinning your wheels and want to see how outbound can actually move the needle, you’re in the right place. Let’s dig in.
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Meet Ryan Reisert: The Outbound Sales Innovator
Not everyone dreams of becoming a salesperson. Ryan Reisert didn’t either. In fact, he was on track to be a math teacher before stumbling into sales. Lucky for us, he brought a math and engineering mindset to the world of outbound sales—something that’s helped him flip the game on its head.
Ryan’s journey started during the 2008 financial crisis, a time when most industries were shrinking. He moved to San Francisco, packed with ambition and a knack for problem-solving, and started working in ad tech and MarTech companies. It was here that he uncovered something that would define his career:
“Sales is marketing is sales. At the end of the day, we’re trying to solve an equation: target, message, channel, timing”
Rya Reisert – The B2B Playbook
This unique perspective has been the foundation of Ryan’s success as both a practitioner and entrepreneur. He co-authored Outbound Sales, No Fluff, which has been recognized by BookAuthority as one of the best sales books available (BookAuthority). He’s also built and sold companies like Phone Ready Leads, a system he describes as “Disneyland’s FastPass for outbound sales”. The numbers back him up: his methods have helped reps cut their dials by 80% and increase meeting conversion rates by 37% (LinkedIn Profile).
What sets Ryan apart isn’t just his track record, though—it’s how he’s redefined what outbound sales can be. Outbound sales isn’t about grinding through a list. It’s about using data to work smarter and focus on quality conversations that lead to real outcomes.
Ryan Reisert is proof that sales isn’t just an art—it’s a science. And when you combine both, you get something very powerful.
The Power of the “Buckets” Framework
Most sales teams think outbound success is all about dialling more numbers and booking meetings as quickly as possible. But Ryan Reisert sees it differently. Instead of treating every lead as equal, he designed a smarter, more structured approach to outbound sales: the “Buckets” framework.
“Buckets is my process for defining clear stage definitions and exit criteria at the top of the funnel… It helps operationalize time and focus on where conversations actually happen”
Ryan Reisert – The B2B Playbook
The framework organizes leads into four distinct stages—Uncontacted, Working, Priority, and Scheduled. Each stage provides reps with clarity on who to target and how to allocate their time. Most people just try to go straight from uncontacted to scheduled, but there’s so much insight in the stages in between. This structured progression not only makes the sales process more manageable but also ensures reps are focusing on the leads most likely to convert. Supporting this idea, research from Gartner highlights the importance of structured lead segmentation for improving outreach effectiveness, particularly in complex sales environments.
One of the key insights behind the framework is simple yet powerful:
“People who pick up the phone tend to pick up the phone again”
Ryan Reisert – The B2B Playbook
By tracking which leads respond to calls and prioritizing those “picker uppers,” sales teams can dramatically improve their efficiency. Ryan’s data shows that by following this method, reps can go from 100 dials for 5 conversations to 100 dials for 25 conversations—saving time and effort while increasing results.
The numbers speak for themselves. On a typical list, reps might connect with only 5% of leads. But when using the “Buckets” framework and tools like Phone Ready Leads, that connect rate jumps to 25%. By segmenting and validating phone numbers, reps hours of wasted effort and ensure they’re only calling the numbers that are likely to pick up.
For Ryan, the real power of the “Buckets” framework is in how it transforms the way sales reps think about outbound. It’s not about grinding through a list; it’s about working smarter and turning outbound sales into a precision process.
Success isn’t just about dialling more—it’s about dialling better.
Sales is Marketing: Aligning Strategies
Sales and marketing often operate in silos, but Ryan Reisert believes this separation is a missed opportunity. For Ryan, the two functions are deeply intertwined: “Sales is marketing is sales. At the end of the day, we’re trying to solve an equation: target, message, channel, timing,” he explains.
Whether it’s a marketing email sent to a large audience or a cold call made by a salesperson, the goal is the same: to educate prospects, activate the market, and move them toward a buying decision.
This alignment is critical because, as Ryan points out, both teams ultimately rely on the same foundation.
“Once you have the buying journey mapped out and your messaging down, sales and marketing should be saying the same thing to your prospects”
Ryan Reisert – The B2B Playbook
Sales may operate on a one-to-one basis while marketing communicates one-to-many, but their success hinges on delivering a unified message. A Gartner report supports this, noting that consistent messaging across sales and marketing channels reduces customer confusion and increases trust (Gartner Insights).
The collaboration between sales and marketing also plays a key role in addressing the “time lag” effect—a phenomenon Ryan knows all too well. The time lag effect in sales is real—someone you spoke to 6 or 12 months ago might finally be ready to buy because marketing kept educating them.
Marketing’s role in nurturing prospects through educational content ensures that when sales calls, the groundwork is already laid.
Ultimately, Ryan believes the goal of both teams should extend beyond booking meetings. The goal isn’t just to book a meeting. It’s to educate and build trust so that when the timing is right, you’re the first call.
By aligning strategies and delivering consistent, educational messaging, sales and marketing can create a seamless buyer experience. When done right, it’s not just about closing deals right now, it’s about building long-term trust with your market.
Timing is Everything in Outbound Sales
Outbound sales, like marketing, hinges on one critical factor: timing. Ryan Reisert explains it simply: “Outbound sales is just marketing. We’re trying to solve the same problem: target, message, channel, timing. Timing is everything”. While many reps focus on booking meetings immediately, Ryan emphasizes the importance of understanding where a prospect is in their buying journey and aligning outreach accordingly.
If just 3% of people in our market are actively buying at any given time, most of the outcomes you get in outbound sales are going to be ‘not now’ or ‘not me.’ The key is categorizing those properly so you can follow up when the time is right”. Don’t force meetings down people’s throats, but educate them for when the timing is right. This involves recognizing where prospects are in their journey and building trust over time.
This is why Adem Manderovic’s approach of ‘cataloguing’ or ‘surveying’ the market is so effective. In this process, instead of pushing for immediate meetings, sales teams focus on gathering valuable insights about their prospects, such as their current provider, pain points, and contract renewal timelines.
Adem’s method aligns perfectly with this philosophy. By cataloguing prospects and feeding that information back into the broader sales and marketing strategy, you create a foundation for highly personalized and well-timed outreach. This ensures that when prospects move from “not now” to “ready to buy,” your team is positioned as the go-to solution. It’s a long-game strategy that turns educated prospects into engaged buyers, proving that timing truly is everything in outbound sales. You can read more about Adem’s method of cataloguing the market here.
How Data Enhances Sales Efficiency
Outbound sales has traditionally been a numbers game: more calls, more emails, more effort. Ryan has redefined that approach by putting data at the centre of the process.
One of the key innovations in Ryan’s approach is Phone Ready Leads. With Phone Ready Leads, Ryan increases from a 5% connect rate to 25%. That’s one conversation every 3–5 dials instead of every 20–50 dials.” The system operates like “Disneyland’s FastPass for outbound sales,” transforming raw data into a prioritized list of contacts most likely to connect.
The secret behind this efficiency boost lies in predictive analytics. By analyzing millions of phone records, they’ve built a predictive algorithm that scores leads based on their likelihood to answer.
Be a Trusted Advisor, Not Just a Salesperson
Sales can’t be about pitching anymore. It’s about partnering. Ryan Reisert believes that success comes from shifting your focus from selling products to solving problems.
“Sales isn’t about pitching products; it’s about solving problems. If you’re not solving a problem for your prospect, they don’t need you”
Ryan Reisert – The B2B Playbook
To earn that trust, Ryan encourages salespeople to adopt the mindset of an advisor rather than a transactional seller. A trusted advisor doesn’t just sell a product—they offer insights, education, and solutions tailored to the prospect’s specific needs.
When you lead with value and act as a resource, you’re not just selling—you’re building trust.
Ultimately, it’s about focusing on outcomes, not outputs. Nobody cares how many calls you make or how many emails you send. They care about whether you can solve their problem.
By acting as a trusted advisor, sales reps can build credibility, solve meaningful problems, and foster lasting relationships. For Ryan, that’s what separates good salespeople from great ones.
Surveying and Cataloguing: Unlocking Market Insights
In outbound sales, success isn’t just about booking meetings—it’s about understanding your market. Ryan Reisert emphasizes the value of using conversations to gather critical information. Surveying the market, even running campaigns focused purely on gathering data, can yield incredible results.
“Sometimes the first objective isn’t to book a meeting but simply to get the information. I’ve run campaigns like that before, literally running surveys, and it can be an incredible strategy”
Ryan Reisert – The B2B Playbook
The value of cataloguing goes beyond sales. It’s about creating a feedback loop that empowers both sales and marketing teams. Cataloguing the market isn’t just about sales—it’s about feeding insights back into marketing to create more personalized and effective campaigns.
Turning Strategy into Sales Success
Outbound sales isn’t about hustling harder—it’s about working smarter. Ryan Reisert’s methods show us that outbound doesn’t have to be a grind. It’s a strategic process that, when done right, transforms cold outreach into warm, meaningful conversations.
From his “Buckets” framework to his emphasis on timing, trust, and data-driven decisions, Ryan’s approach is all about focusing on what actually works. “Sales is marketing is sales,” as Ryan says—it’s about aligning your efforts, understanding your buyer, and building trust at every stage of the journey. Whether you’re leveraging data to prioritize your leads, timing your follow-ups perfectly, or showing up as a trusted advisor, the goal remains the same: connect with your market in a way that solves real problems.
So, what’s next for you? Start by implementing the strategies you’ve learned here. Refine your processes with clear stages, align your messaging across sales and marketing, and start ‘bucketing’ your contacts to get in more conversations, more often. Stop wasting time on unproductive activities. Think bigger than meetings—focus on building trust and creating value.
Because when you shift from “doing more” to “doing better,” that’s when outbound sales stops being a chore and starts contributing to sustainable growth.
