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Key takeaways
✔️ 3–5% of your market is ready now, the rest need nurturing
✔️ Senior buyers want short, clear emails or a better channel
✔️ Standing out is easy, most reps still do not bother
✔️ Buyers are 77% informed, treat them like it
✔️ Bad personalisation kills trust, context wins
✔️ Look up the funnel for real signals, do not rely on late clicks
✔️ Quality beats activity every time
✔️ Human conversations still close the deal
In this Podcast episode of GTM Insider, trumpet CEO Rory Sadler sat down with Rob Harlow, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Sopro, to unpack what modern prospecting really looks like and what too many teams still get wrong.
With over 80 million outbound emails sent through Sopro’s engine, Rob has the data and the real-world perspective to show what is working now, and what is not.
Below, we have pulled out 8 key insights from the conversation.
1. Decoding the randomness of outreach
Too many reps blast contacts in a two-week sprint, then move on. But most buyers are not ready yet. Rob says only 3–5% of your total addressable market is ready to reply at any given time.
“Broadly speaking, we know that three to five percent of people are gonna be ready to reply at that point, which out of your entire addressable market is tiny.”
Rob Harlow, Sopro
That is why staying visible beyond that first push matters. Use intent signals like repeat site visits to re-engage at the right time. Tool like trumpet allow you to see, who visit your Digital Sales Room, when, and what they clicked on. This vital information allows you to tailor you follow ups.
2. Email insights: Keep it short for senior executives
Senior buyers are busy, so stop sending them essays.
“The more senior someone is, typically the shorter the emails they like to receive... two to three short paragraphs is where it needs to be.”
Rob Harlow, Sopro
If your solution is complex or unfamiliar, email might not even be the best channel. In that case, Rob suggests communities, webinars or 1 to 1 consults instead.
3. Stand out from the crowd: The bar is low
Most reps still blend in. Personalised video, voice notes, or even a GIF can cut through, but only if they feel real.
“I think right now the bar is low in terms of standing out from the crowds, breaking through the noise, doing something different.”
Rob Harlow, Sopro
Rob’s team uses raw Loom videos lower in the funnel, paired with proposals and virtual sales rooms, to show they care enough to personalise properly.
4. The new buyer: 77% informed before sales engagement
Today’s buyers self-educate long before they book a demo.
“Buyers are 77% of their way through their research before actually engaging the sales rep.”
Rob Harlow, Sopro
They check your site, scroll LinkedIn, ask peers, so if your first outreach is generic, you are too late. Start warm, assume prior knowledge and build trust.
5. The true north star in sales metrics
Activity for the sake of activity kills quality. Rob argues that revenue teams should focus on meaningful intent, not just hitting outreach quotas.
Success comes from combining signals, relevance and human judgement, not just more dials.
6. We know it's AI
Bad personalisation does more harm than none at all.
“Within the first kind of two seconds you’ve made the decision: this is AI.”
Rob Harlow, Sopro
Referencing a prospect’s university? Nobody cares. Rob’s team uses AI to draft first, then layers in live context, like recent conversations, website actions, or multiple stakeholders, to make it real.
7. Understanding true buyer intent: Look up the funnel
Real buying intent does not appear on your pricing page, it starts long before that.
“Ultimately, if you can look at intent as being the fact that you’ve just bought a data set that says the sales director from Amazon is searching for a product in your category, great, but it’s too late by that point.”
Rob Harlow, Sopro
Instead, track upstream signals, like new hires, promotions, funding rounds or rapid team growth. Spot the shift early and get in first.
8. Human conversations still win
Automation is powerful, but it is not everything. When a prospect is engaged, real conversations, especially over the phone, still close deals.
Buyers want real connection, not just a polished sequence.
Final thought
Prospecting in 2025 is about working smarter, not harder. Get your signals right, ditch the spam, and show up like you have done your homework, because your buyers certainly have.
Listen to the full Podcast here on Spotify.
FAQs
➜ How can I spot real intent?
Upstream changes like new hires, funding rounds, promotions or team growth matter more than pricing page clicks.
➜ Is personalisation worth it?
Yes, but only when it is real. Shoe-horned LinkedIn facts do more harm than good.
➜ What is the best channel?
It depends on your buyer. Email works for simple pitches. For complex solutions, try communities, video or 1 to 1 consults.
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