Outbound Readiness Diagnostic

Optional · Company Website

What's your company website?

If you share it, I'll use it to cross-reference your answers against your actual marketing copy, and flag any gaps between what your site says and what you describe here.

Q1 · Offer Clarity

Complete the sentence:

We help

to

by

Q2 · Your Pitch

Imagine you're at an industry event and someone asks about your company. How would you describe what you do in 2-3 sentences?

Write it the way you'd actually say it in conversation. Don't overthink the format. This helps me understand how you naturally talk about your offer.

Q3 · Company Profile (ICP)

Describe the type of company you sell to.

Industry, company size (headcount or revenue range), geography, and what's happening in their business when they're most likely to need you.

Q4 · Buyer Roles

Who are the people involved in buying decisions at these companies?

Describe the decision maker (who has authority to say yes), the champion (who advocates for you internally), and any gatekeepers (who can block or slow the deal). If there's a buying committee, meaning multiple people who must align, describe who's typically in it.

Q5 · Proof

Do you have documented client results you can share with a cold prospect?

Yes: 3 or more case studies with specific outcomes (metrics, company names, timelines) Yes: 1–2 case studies or strong testimonials with specific results We have general testimonials, but nothing with specific measurable outcomes No documented proof yet

Q6 · Differentiation

If a qualified prospect asked "why should I choose you over your top competitor?" What do you say in two sentences or less?

Q7 · Competitive Landscape

When a qualified prospect doesn't move forward, what are you usually up against?

Select all that apply.

Status quo: they're doing nothing, or managing with spreadsheets and manual processes A direct alternative: another vendor who does something similar An internal or homegrown solution they think is good enough Skepticism about the category: they don't believe this type of solution works Budget or priority: they see the value but it's not the right time Other

Optional: describe the specific dynamic. Who or what are you really competing with?

Q8 · Deal Economics

What's your average contract value or monthly recurring revenue per client?

Under $500/month (or under $3,000 one-time) $500–$1,000/month (or $3,000–$6,000 one-time) $1,000–$5,000/month (or $6,000–$30,000 one-time) $5,000+/month (or $30,000+ one-time)

Optional: if you know your average client lifetime value (LTV), add it here, for example "$18,000 over ~2 years"

Q9 · Sales Cycle

How long is your typical sales cycle from first contact to signed contract?

Q10 · Market Size

Roughly how many companies in the world fit your ideal customer profile?

Fewer than 200: very niche, you know most of them personally 200–2,000: narrow niche, targetable with a focused list 2,000–20,000: solid addressable market for outbound 20,000+: broad market, plenty to work with

Q11 · Pain Urgency

What happens to your ideal customer if they don't solve this problem, if they do nothing for the next 90 days?

How do YOU see your offer?

1 = supplement: improves things, but they'd manage without it5 = painkiller: solves something that genuinely hurts them

How do your prospects likely see it, before any conversation with you?

1 = they probably don't feel urgency around this5 = they're already aware of the pain and actively looking for a fix

Q12 · Switching Costs

How much discomfort do you think your ideal clients feel when considering switching to a new solution, ideally yours?

Think from their perspective, not yours. Consider the risks they'd worry about: time to migrate, data loss, learning curve, internal approvals, contract lock-in, regulatory requirements, disruption to their team.

1 = easy switch, low friction5 = very difficult, high perceived risk

Optional: describe the specific switching risks your prospects face

Q13 · Prior Outbound Experience

Have you tried cold outreach before?

Yes: it worked well (consistent meetings from cold outreach) Yes: mixed results (occasional meetings, nothing consistent) Yes: it underperformed (low reply rates, few meetings) No: we haven't tried outbound yet

What did you try and what happened?

Q14 · Close Capacity

When you get a qualified meeting with someone who needs what you offer. Who closes that deal, and are they available right now?

Me (the founder): I close all deals and have capacity A dedicated salesperson: one person whose job this is We have a sales team (SDRs, AEs, or both) Nobody yet, but we're hiring for it We're figuring it out: no clear person who owns this We don't have capacity to take sales calls right now

When does that person start?

This changes the launch date, not the verdict. An engine built before anyone can work the pipeline wastes its first month.

Offer signed, they start within 30 days Interviewing now, likely 1 to 3 months out No process started, but we'll hire when the pipeline justifies it

How big is the team and how is it structured?

Team size

2–5 people 6–15 people 16 or more

Roles present (select all that apply)

SDRs / BDRs: dedicated to prospecting and booking meetings AEs / closers: dedicated to running and closing deals Hybrid roles: same people prospect and close

Current focus of the team

Mostly inbound: the team handles leads that come to us Mix: some outbound, some inbound Mostly outbound already

Q15 · Self-Calibration

If a qualified prospect took a meeting with you tomorrow, how confident are you they would buy within 60 days?

Optional: explain your score

Q16 · Brand Awareness

If a qualified prospect heard your company name today, before any conversation, how likely are they to already know who you are?

Optional: add context

Q17 · Mechanism Familiarity

How familiar are your prospects with the type of solution you offer, not your company but the category of approach itself?

1 = concept is new to them5 = they know exactly what this is

Optional: add context

Q18 · Inbox Saturation

How often do your ideal prospects receive cold outreach for offers similar to yours?

1 = rarely, they almost never get pitched this5 = constantly, every week

Optional: add context

Q19 · Channel Availability

Which outbound channels are you willing and able to use? Select all that apply.

Cold email LinkedIn outreach (you have or can get Sales Navigator or similar) Cold calling (you have or can have someone making calls) None of the above / not sure yet

What's your typical target company size?

This matters because larger companies have email security gateways that filter cold email.

Startups and SMBs (under 200 employees) Mid-market (200–1,000 employees) Enterprise (1,000+ employees)

Q20 · Outbound Offer

Every cold message needs an ask at the end. Most people ask for a call, and a call is a big step for someone who has never heard of you. The ask works better when you give something first. Best case, it is something that usually costs money and you can do it for free.

What can you do for a prospect for free that they would normally pay for?

Think smaller than your main service. A free audit or a free consultation does not count (people know a sales call when they see one).

If you build websites, you can redesign one page of their site and send it over. If you edit video, you can take one of their raw files and cut a finished short. If you run ads, you can design a new version of an ad they are already running. Each one takes little time from you and costs them money anywhere else.

If nothing fits, say so. Some work needs system access or a signed contract before anything can start, and that changes how we open.

Q21 · Anything Else

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Context that doesn't fit the questions above, recent changes in your business, specific concerns, anything that would help me give you a more accurate assessment.

Is your offer outbound-ready?

Get your report, $5