Personality Data: The Key to Successful Cold Outreach on LinkedIn

Does your cold outreach strategy include LinkedIn? If not, it should. LinkedIn is a goldmine for actionable lead generation, with?four out of five?LinkedIn members influencing business decisions — not to mention LinkedIn users have?twice the buying power?of the average internet audience. The only downside to LinkedIn outreach? It can be hard to cut through the noise.

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, prospects are inundated with cold outreaches in every inbox — making sales reps everywhere reevaluate their outreach strategy to ensure their pitch stands out from the rest.?

The most important thing you can do to spice up your LinkedIn cold outreach and cut through the noise??Make it personal. Studies show that personalizing a subject line?increases open rates by 50%, and?71% of consumers?are frustrated when messaging isn’t personal or relevant to them. By taking the time to?understand your prospect and tailor your outreach to their specific personality type, you’re significantly increasing your chance of getting a response — as well as a sale.??

Personalizing your pitch can be tricky in the game of cold outreach — especially when you’ve never met your prospect. Luckily, tools like?Crystal?can help you make each message intentional, relevant, and personal as you work through your LinkedIn outreach. Read on to discover how.?

The role of personality data in cold outreach.

It would be a huge time-saver if there were a perfect formula for LinkedIn cold outreach — but there isn’t. Why? Because no two prospects are exactly the same. What works for some industries may not work for others, and certain individuals may love what others dislike. That’s why personality data is hugely important to the success of any pitch.?

Top sellers spend an average of?6 hours per week?researching their prospects because they know?personalization pays off.?Understanding your buyer — beyond just their name and job title — can often make or break your pitch. You can infer quite a bit about a person and their needs or interests based on their job title and industry, but this information isn’t going to help you understand the natural personality of your buyer.?

Traditionally, the only way to fully understand a buyer’s personality is by having a pre-established relationship with them or asking them to take a personality test. Since this information is hard to come by in the game of cold outreach, many sales reps throw in the towel — but they don’t have to. Adaptive selling tools like?Crystal?can help you gain insight into the personality types of individual buyers without ever meeting the prospect or requiring them to take a personality assessment. The software works by analyzing publicly available information on websites on their LinkedIn profile to determine exactly what type of prospect you’re pitching to.?

Use personality data to understand your prospects.?

While there are many effective ways to assess the personality type of your buyer, Crystal uses the DISC Framework to classify prospects into four distinct personality types: D (dominant), I (imaginative), S (stabilizing), and C (conscientious). Below is a breakdown of common personality traits within each of the categories in DISC, and what kinds of language would likely resonate with each:?

D Personality Types: Captains, Drivers, Initiators, Architects

• Motivated by control over the future and personal authority
• Tend to prefer instant, concrete results and having an advantage over competition
• Communicate clearly and succinctly — use language that is concise and confident, and avoid small talk.?

I Personality Types: Influencer, Motivator, Encourager, Harmonizer

• Motivated by innovative, unique, creative ideas and excited by the future
• Tend to prefer building new relationships and experiences
• Communicate in a casual, expressive way — engage in some small talk before diving into your pitch.?

S Personality Types: Counselor, Supporter, Planner, Stabilizer

• Motivated by peace, safety, and others’ wellbeing
• Tend to prefer security, reliability and trust
• Communicate in a friendly and genuine way — avoid language that is overly pushy or salesy.?

C Personality Types: Editor, Analyst, Skeptic, Questioner

• Motivated by logic, information, and problem-solving
• Tend to prefer accurate information and quality solutions (quality over quantity)
• Communicate in a business-like, fact-based way — use language that is quick and to the point, and avoid asking irrelevant personal questions.

Tailor your LinkedIn cold outreach using Crystal.

Using personality data to facilitate empathetic communication with prospects is a surefire way to stand out from the crowd. Crystal makes it seamless to relate to your prospects in authentic, meaningful ways — while?increasing lead conversion?in unprecedented ways.

By understanding how your prospects naturally behave, communicate, and make decisions, you can tailor your LinkedIn pitch to make them feel seen and understood — without ever meeting them. For example, a Supporter (S) is less likely to engage in a discussion about facts and data, and would likely prefer to engage in a more personal, get-to-know-you conversation. Conversely, an Analyst (C) would prefer to learn more about specific, concrete information — so lead it would be better to lead with stats.?

Crystal allows you to seamlessly connect on this hyper-personal level with our?Chrome Extension. Once the extension is downloaded to your browser, Crystal analyzes the information on your prospect’s LinkedIn profile and gives you the necessary information you need to craft your perfect pitch.?

Get a head start on your LinkedIn outreach using these examples.?

Once you know the personality type of your buyer, you’re ready to begin your LinkedIn outreach. Get a head start on your pitch by using these templates, each crafted specifically for the different DISC personality types.?

Pitching to Dominant Types

D-Types love concise messages that get straight to the point. If your prospect is a D-Type, you should shoot them a quick, informative email that highlights why your product or service will give them an edge over their competition.?A sales pitch to a D-Type could look like:?

Hey Amanda,?

My name is David and I’m a sales rep for . I checked out your profile on LinkedIn, and I love the work you’re doing for . I’m very impressed with your growth in 2022 — however, our platform can offer you a competitive edge that can take you even further in 2023. I’d love to have a quick 15-minute conversation about what we can do for you in the new year. Shoot me a quick email if you’re interested and we can set up a time.?

Thanks,

David?

Pitching to Influential Types

When you pitch to an I-Type, you should send an email using a casual, friendly tone and show an interest in what they’re doing for their company. I-Types are relational, so you should engage them in some small talk before getting into your pitch.?A sales pitch to an I-Type could look like:?