How To Know If Your Outbound Is Actually Working (Or Just Burning Money)

You've been running outbound for 3 months now.

Your SDR says things are "going well." Your agency sends you weekly reports with charts and graphs. Your inbox has replies.

But when you look at your calendar, you've only closed one deal. Maybe two if you're lucky.

So what's actually happening? Is outbound working or are you just burning cash?

Here's how to tell.

The Metrics That ACTUALLY Matter

Most people track the wrong things. They obsess over open rates and reply rates when those numbers mean basically nothing.

Here's what you should actually care about:

1. Qualified Meetings Booked

Not total meetings. Not "interested replies." Not "warm leads."

How many meetings got booked with people who actually fit your ICP?

If you're doing 50+ hours of outbound work per week and only booking 2-3 qualified calls per month, something's broken.

2. Show Rate

How many of those booked meetings actually show up?

If your show rate is under 60%, your targeting is off or your confirmation process sucks.

Good outbound gets 70-80% show rates because you're booking people who actually want to talk.

3. Cost Per Meeting

Add up everything you're spending on outbound—salary, agency fees, tools, your time—and divide by qualified meetings booked.

If you're paying $1,000+ per qualified meeting and your average deal size is $5k, you've got a problem.

4. Meeting to Opportunity Rate

How many of those meetings turn into actual opportunities?

If you're booking 10 calls and only 1-2 are turning into pipeline, your messaging is attracting the wrong people.

Good outbound should convert 40-60% of showed meetings into real opportunities.

Red Flags That You're Wasting Money

Your "positive reply rate" is high but your meeting rate is low

This means people are responding with "not interested" or asking questions but not booking calls.

You're generating activity, not results.

You're booking meetings but they're consistently unqualified

Your copy is probably too vague or your targeting is too broad.

You're getting interest, but from the wrong people.

Your show rate is under 50%

People are booking calls they don't actually want to take. That's a red flag for weak qualification or pushy booking tactics.

You've been "testing" for 6+ months

Testing is good. Testing forever is procrastination.

If you've been running outbound for half a year and still don't have a system that works, you're doing something fundamentally wrong.

What Good Outbound Looks Like

When outbound is working, it's obvious:

• You're booking 10-15+ qualified meetings per month consistently

• 70%+ of those meetings show up

• 40-50% turn into real opportunities

• Your cost per meeting is reasonable for your deal size

• You're not constantly "fixing" things or starting over

If that's not your reality, something needs to change.

Either your targeting is off, your copy sucks, your offer isn't compelling, or you're working with the wrong people.

The good news? All of those things are fixable.

But you have to be honest about what's actually working and what isn't.

Stop looking at vanity metrics. Start tracking what actually generates revenue.

Talk soon,

Lourenço