Event-Based Cold Outreach: A 53% Positive Reply Rate Case Study
Our client is getting a 53% positive response rate by outreaching to companies exhibiting at industry conferences. Here is the exact strategy and the step-by-step system behind it.
The Case Study: 53% Positive Reply Rate
Our client helps exporters break into the German market. They outreach to companies exhibiting at industry conferences and have achieved a 53% positive response rate.
They are not using any fancy personalisation because mentioning that the company was or is exhibiting at an event is the personalisation. That context alone is enough.
Why Event-Based Outreach Works
In the sea of noise, this is highly relevant and not commonly done. The prospect recognises the event, knows you have context about their business, and the message feels earned rather than generic.
The Step-by-Step System
Step 1: Find Relevant Industry Events
Find large events where the exhibitors match your ideal customer profile. The event page will list exhibitors, and this is where you get your outreach list along with their company domains.
Step 2: Use AI to Gather Targeted Data
To scrape the exhibitor list, we have been using Instant Data Scraper. We have also been trialling ChatGPT's Deep Research feature, which works surprisingly well and is easy to use.
ChatGPT for deep research (slower but more thorough)
Instant Data Scraper (faster but requires manual filtering)
Both help you build a hyper-relevant prospect list without wasting hours.
Step 3: Upload Your Company List to Apollo
Upload the domains into Apollo to find decision-makers. Once you have found them, download the list using Apify for as little as $1.20 per 1,000 prospects.
Step 4: Export Decision-Makers
Focus on titles like CEO, CMO, or Director, depending on your service. Do not waste time on gatekeepers or wrong contacts. Apollo helps you filter for people who can say yes.
Step 5: Find and Verify Prospect Emails
Upload to Clay to find and verify emails. We use multiple tools to ensure deliverability and cross-reference across them for accuracy:
Prospeo
LeadMagic
Icypeas
Step 6: Launch Multi-Channel Outreach
Our client's copy is only 20 to 30 words. Short and simple. No fancy personalisation is needed because the event context does the work.
We use Lemlist and Smartlead for execution.
If the event is one you plan to attend, mention that in the outreach. If it is a past event you attended, reference something from it.
A Note on the Numbers
The 53% figure refers to positive replies as a percentage of total replies received, not total emails sent.
Build This System for Your Business
Looking to set up event-based outreach for your team? We offer a done-for-you (DFY) or do-it-yourself (DIY) option.
Book a call: www.navreo.ai/book-a-call
