How We Orchestrate Signal-Driven Sales Development

Here's exactly how our sales development process works, from identifying the right accounts to closing the deal. This is the unsexy, tactical breakdown of what we actually do.

Stage 1: Defining ICP and Buying Signals

Everything starts with getting obsessively specific about who we're targeting and why.

Before any outreach happens, we nail down:

• The types of companies we want to engage
• The roles and buying committees involved
• The problems we're best positioned to solve

But here's where most companies stop and we keep going.

We don't just use generic triggers like "they got funding" or "they hired someone." We build bespoke buying signals that actually indicate readiness for our solution.

How We Do This:

Using Clay alongside our internally built AI workflows, we:

• Aggregate firmographic and technographic data
• Identify conviction signals specific to each client's business
• Focus on what actually matters, not just what's broadly available

Tech Stack:

• Clay: Data enrichment and signal aggregation
• Internal AI workflows: Pattern recognition and signal scoring
• Hubspot integration: Real-time signal alerts

Stage 2: Multi-Source, ABM-Led Demand Generation

Once priority accounts are identified, we activate multiple channels simultaneously.

Our top-of-funnel includes:

• Outbound BDR motion
• Inbound demand
• Paid Google and display advertising
• Contact-level advertising (in partnership with platforms like Influ2)
• Organic channels: networking, referrals, events, webinars, community

The key here is orchestration. Contact-level advertising plays a crucial role in:

• Warming up specific individuals inside target accounts
• Reinforcing outbound messaging with consistent brand presence
• Supporting multi-threaded buying committees before sales conversations even start

This isn't about more activity. It's about better-timed, better-informed engagement at every stage.

How Influ2 Structures Contact-Level ABM

Our partner Influ2 divides their ABM framework into three journey stages that align with the sales cycle:

Pipeline Generation Stage

This stage warms prospects for SDR outreach:

• Trust content + Value propositions: Broad creatives that identify pain points and build initial trust with prospects unfamiliar with your product
• High-impact ads: Personalized ads featuring SDR faces so prospects recognize their rep when they reach out
• Competitor targeting: Creatives based on technographic data showing how your solution addresses gaps competitors don't fill
• Past champions: Automated campaigns targeting former advocates who've moved to new companies that fit your ICP

As SDR outreach progresses, the ads become more personalized:

• "Putting a face to the name": High-impact ads that align with SDR email messaging, triggered when "contact status equals reaching out"
• "Last push" phase: After 15 days without response, urgency-focused ads with messages like "Am I getting lost in your inbox?"

Pipeline Progression Stage

• Once prospects book meetings, ads shift to increase show rates and build familiarity:
• Meeting show-up campaigns: Ads featuring the AE they'll meet, triggered by "meeting scheduled" status
• Trust content reinforcement: Case studies, testimonials, and reviews from similar companies
• No-show recovery: If prospects miss calls, they see ads with 1-minute product demos to re-engage

Adoption & Expansion Stage

Post-sale campaigns optimize product usage and identify expansion opportunities:

• New feature promotion: Ads introducing customers to new capabilities
• Adoption campaigns: CSM-led ads inviting underutilizing customers to optimize their usage
• Trust content with personalization: Case studies from similar companies, featuring the customer's designated CSM

The framework also includes ad hoc event promotion—pre-event ads introducing your team to attendees, speaking session promotions, and post-event follow-ups segmented by engagement level.

Each stage uses CRM triggers to automate ad delivery based on prospect behavior, ensuring the right message reaches the right person at the right time.

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How Punch! Uses Contact-Level Ads

We don’t treat contact-level advertising as a standalone demand gen tactic. We use it as a sales acceleration layer that supports our BDRs and customer teams at specific moments in the buying journey.

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

1. Post-Discovery Call Reinforcement

After a prospect has a first discovery call with one of our Business Development Managers, we activate a highly targeted ad sequence.

What we do:

• We serve ads featuring the actual BDM they spoke to
  
  
• The creative reinforces the key themes discussed on the call
  
  
• The CTA encourages booking the next conversation
  
  

Why it works:
The prospect already knows us. They’ve already said “yes” once. Seeing the same face and message outside of email creates familiarity and continuity, not pressure. It reduces drop-off between first and second meetings and keeps Punch! top of mind without additional outbound touches.

This is sales follow-up, just not trapped in an inbox.

2. Warming Leads Before Outbound

We also use Influ2 to support early-stage outbound by warming up known leads and target lists before direct sales outreach begins.

What we do:

• Target high-intent leads and priority accounts with a relevant lead magnet
  
  
• Use educational, value-driven ads tied to the problems we solve
  
  
• Delay SDR outreach until the prospect has been exposed to Punch! messaging
  
  

Why it works:
When our BDRs reach out, it’s no longer a true cold open. Prospects have:

• Seen our positioning
  
  
• Engaged with our thinking
  
  
• Developed light brand recognition
  
  

This changes the dynamic of the first conversation. Reps don’t need to explain who we are, they can focus on why the conversation is relevant.

3. Direct Mail + Contact-Level Ads

We’re currently running direct mail campaigns where contact-level advertising is baked into the experience, not layered on afterward.

What we do:

• Send physical mail to carefully selected prospects
  
  
• Run Influ2 ads to those same individuals before and after delivery
  
  
• Align messaging across physical and digital touchpoints
  
  

Why it works:
Direct mail on its own can feel random. Ads on their own can feel ignorable. Together, they create recognition and intent.

By the time a prospect receives the package:

• They’ve already seen Punch! digitally
  
  
• The mail feels deliberate, not intrusive
  
  
• Sales outreach feels contextual, not aggressive
  
  

This is orchestration, not gimmicks.

4. Client-Facing Ads Triggered by Commercial Signals

We’re also expanding contact-level ads deeper into the pipeline and customer lifecycle.

What we’re implementing:

• Ads triggered when contracts are approaching renewal
  
  
• Client-facing messaging that reinforces value delivered
  
  
• Ads aligned to expansion or upsell conversations
  
  

Why it matters:
Retention and expansion don’t start with a QBR. They start with consistent reinforcement of value.

These campaigns:

• Support commercial conversations already happening
  
  
• Keep Punch! visible to multiple stakeholders
  
  
• Reduce reliance on a single champion inside the account
  
  

It’s the same ABM logic, just applied post-sale.

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Stage 3: Outbound Execution by Our BDR Team

Once accounts and signals are live, insights go directly to our BDR team.

Their job: book highly qualified meetings using the same ABM principles we deploy for clients.

Our Outbound Approach:

• Multi-channel: Email, LinkedIn, LinkedIn video, phone
• Multi-touch: Creating as many relevant touchpoints as possible
• Insight-led: Grounded in real signals, not generic templates

Supporting Tech Stack:

• Clay: Data enrichment and signal generation fed directly to BDRs
• ORUM: Parallel dialing to increase live conversations
• LinkedIn & video tools: Personalized, human outreach at scale
• Barney: Corporate gifting to introduce reciprocity and stand out physically

The goal is simple: remove friction for the BDR team so they spend more time having meaningful conversations, not wrestling with technology or hunting for context.

Stage 4: Discovery to Solution Alignment

Once a meeting is booked, we shift from outbound velocity to consultative selling.

Discovery Call:

Every opportunity starts with a structured discovery conversation:

• Understanding the customer's challenges and priorities
• Identifying pain points and blockers
• Learning what they've tried historically and why it hasn't worked

This stage is about listening, not pitching. (I know, revolutionary concept.)

Solution / Pitch Meeting:

Based on discovery, we move into a tailored solution discussion:

• Mapping challenges directly to outcomes
• Showing how Punch!'s approach fits their reality
• Involving additional stakeholders where required

No generic slide decks. Everything is contextualized to what we learned in discovery.

Stage 5: Mid-Funnel Acceleration 

Post-pitch, momentum matters.

We use a combination of sales enablement and ABM tactics to keep stakeholders engaged and aligned:

Our Multi-Threading Approach:

• Digital Sales Rooms (via Trumpet): Centralize content, proposals, next steps, all in one place the buying committee can access
• Contact-level advertising: Continues reinforcing messaging across the buying committee
• Outbound follow-up: Email, LinkedIn, phone
• Barney gifting: Maintaining warmth and demonstrating intent through physical touchpoints

This stage is about ensuring no deal depends on a single champion. B2B buying committees average 6-10 people. We need threads to multiple stakeholders.

Stage 6: Closing 

As opportunities progress, the process becomes increasingly tailored.

We get creative based on what matters to the account:

• Attending the same events or conferences
• Sending thoughtful gifts ahead of board meetings
• Aligning timing with internal decision cycles
• Meeting prospects where they already are, physically and digitally

At this point, sales becomes less about process and more about earning the win.

Example tactics we've used:

• Custom ROI models specific to their use case
• Facilitating peer conversations with existing customers
• Strategic gifting timed to key decision milestones
• Creating content that addresses specific committee concerns

Why This Integration Works

This entire motion succeeds because ABM, advertising, and sales are deeply integrated:

• Advertising warms and validates accounts
• Signals prioritize effort
• Sales teams engage with context and confidence
• Buyers experience consistency across every touchpoint

The Results:

When executed properly, this approach delivers:

• 30-40% faster sales cycles (prospects are pre-educated)
• 2-3x higher win rates (multi-threaded engagement)
• 25%+ larger deal sizes (entire committee aligned early)
• Reduced single-point-of-failure risk (not dependent on one champion)

The Complete Tech Stack

Here's what makes this scalable:

Signal Intelligence:

• Clay: Data aggregation and enrichment
• Custom AI workflows: Pattern recognition for conviction signals
• CRM integration: Real-time alerts and routing

Sales Execution:

• ORUM: Parallel dialing for live conversations
• Barney: Strategic corporate gifting
• Trumpet: Digital sales rooms
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Social selling and research
• Sales engagement platforms: Multi-touch sequencing

Orchestration:

• Shared dashboards: Everyone sees the same account intelligence
• CRM workflows: Automated handoffs and follow-ups
• Regular syncs: Technology doesn't replace communication

The key isn't having every tool. It's having the right tools that talk to each other and support your specific buying motion.

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The Bottom Line

Signal-driven sales development isn’t about adding more tools or more activity, it’s about orchestrating intelligence, timing, and relevance across every touchpoint. When buying signals, contact-level advertising, outbound execution, and consultative selling all work in sync, sales stops feeling like interruption and starts feeling like alignment. That’s how we reduce friction, accelerate decisions, and consistently win high-value B2B deals.

If you want to see how contact-level advertising can supercharge your sales motion, get in touch with our partners at Influ2 to explore what’s possible.