Thomas Oakes, Author at Referral Program Pros

How to Create a Go-to-Market Plan (With Template and Examples)

You’ve got a great product or service. You know it works. You’ve seen the results. Your existing clients love it. But when it comes to getting it in front of new people? That’s where things fall apart. A go-to-market plan is the bridge between “we have something great” and “people are actually buying it.” I’ve […]

LinkedIn Lead Generation: 15 Proven Tactics to Fill Your Pipeline

Most people treat LinkedIn like a digital resume. They set up a profile, add their job title, maybe connect with a few colleagues… and then wonder why nothing happens. But here’s the thing – LinkedIn isn’t a resume platform. It’s the most powerful B2B lead generation tool on the planet. 880 million professionals, all organized […]

Email Warmup: Why It Matters and How to Do It Right

Here’s a mistake I see all the time. Someone buys a new domain, sets up a fresh email account, and starts blasting 100 cold emails on day one. Then they wonder why their open rate is 8% and their replies are nonexistent. Your emails went straight to spam. And the reason is simple: you skipped […]

Email Deliverability: How to Land in the Inbox (Not the Spam Folder)

You could write the best cold email in the world. Perfect subject line. Perfect personalization. An offer so good nobody could ignore it. And it won’t matter – if it lands in spam. Email deliverability is the invisible foundation of every outreach campaign. If your emails aren’t reaching the inbox, nothing else you do matters. […]

How to Build an Ideal Customer Profile (And Why Your Outreach Depends on It)

If I could give you one piece of advice that would immediately improve every part of your sales and marketing… It would be this: get ruthlessly specific about who you’re selling to. Not “small businesses.” Not “companies that need marketing help.” Not “anyone in B2B.” I mean specific. Industry, size, role, pain point, timing, budget. […]

Outbound Marketing in 2026: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Where to Start

There’s a myth floating around that outbound marketing is dead. That nobody reads cold emails anymore. That LinkedIn outreach is “spam.” That the only way to grow is inbound, content, and paid ads. That’s wrong. Outbound marketing isn’t dead. Bad outbound marketing is dead. The spray-and-pray, bought-list, pitch-on-first-touch approach? Yeah, that’s done. And good riddance. […]

50+ Cold Email Templates for Every Industry (Copy, Paste, Customize)

I’m going to save you a lot of time. You don’t need to stare at a blank screen trying to write the perfect cold email. You need a starting point – a proven template you can customize in 5 minutes and start sending today. That’s what this post is. After sending millions of outbound messages […]

Lead Generation Strategies That Actually Fill Your Pipeline

Let me guess. You’ve tried the Facebook ads. The SEO blog posts. Maybe even bought a list and blasted it. And the result? A handful of leads that ghost you after the first call. I’ve been there. And after 15+ years of building outreach systems for B2B companies, I can tell you – the problem […]

Go-to-Market Strategy: The Complete Playbook for B2B Outreach

You’ve got a great product or service. You know it can help people. But when it comes to actually getting it in front of them? That’s where most businesses stall out. They build a website, maybe post on social media, and wait. And wait. And wait. That’s not a go-to-market strategy. That’s just hoping. I’ve […]

Word of Mouth Marketing: How to Turn Happy Clients Into Your Best Growth Engine

Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing. But most businesses leave it entirely to chance. Here’s how to build a system for it. Here’s something every business owner knows but most don’t act on: People trust recommendations from people they know more than any ad, email, or sales pitch you’ll ever send. […]

Sales Follow Up Email: 15 Templates That Get Replies (+ When to Send Them)

Most salespeople give up after one or two emails. The ones who follow up consistently? They close the deals everyone else leaves on the table. Let me give you a number that changed how I think about sales. 80% of deals require at least 5 follow-ups. But 44% of salespeople give up after one. Read […]

Lead Generation Agency: What They Do, What They Cost, and How to Pick the Right One

Thinking about hiring a lead generation agency? Here’s what you need to know before you sign anything — from someone who runs one. Let me save you some time. If you’re reading this, you’re probably in one of two spots: You’ve been doing outreach yourself and you’re exhausted You know you need leads but you […]

How to Cold Message on LinkedIn (Without Getting Ignored)

Most LinkedIn cold messages get ignored. Not because cold messaging doesn’t work — but because most people do it wrong. I see it every single day. Someone sends a LinkedIn connection request. The prospect accepts. And then — within seconds — they get hit with a wall of text pitching a service they never asked […]

Cold Email Subject Lines That Actually Get Opened (57 Examples That Work)

Your email could be perfect. But if your subject line doesn’t get the open, nobody will ever read it. Here’s a stat that should make you uncomfortable. The average cold email open rate is somewhere between 20-40%. That means at least 60% of your emails are never even seen. And the number one reason? The […]

Lead Generation Packages: What They Include, What They Cost, and How to Choose the Right One

Thinking about outsourcing your lead gen? Here’s what you actually need to know before you buy a package — from someone who builds them. I talk to founders and sales leaders every week who are in the same spot. They know they need more leads. They know they can’t keep relying on referrals and word-of-mouth […]

How to Find High-Ticket Clients (Without Chasing or Discounting)

Most people think finding high-ticket clients requires some secret playbook. It doesn’t. It requires a shift in how you position yourself, where you show up, and how you start conversations. Let me tell you what I see every week. A consultant, coach, or agency owner tells me: “I want to land bigger clients. Higher-ticket deals. […]

Inbound vs Outbound Referral Marketing: What’s the Difference (And Which One Should You Use)?

Most people think referrals just “happen.” They don’t. There’s a system behind every great referral engine — and it starts with understanding the difference between inbound and outbound. Let me start with a quick story. A consultant I work with was getting 2-3 referrals a month. Good referrals, from happy clients. He was grateful for […]

How to Find Someone’s Email on LinkedIn (The Right Way)

You found the perfect prospect on LinkedIn. Now you need their email. Here’s every method that actually works — and a few you should avoid. Most people think LinkedIn is just for connecting. But here’s the thing… LinkedIn is the best prospecting database on the planet — if you know how to use it. The […]

LinkedIn Profile Optimization for Consultants: How to Turn Visitors Into Clients

Your LinkedIn profile is your landing page. If it reads like a resume, you’re losing clients before you even get a chance to talk to them. Here’s something I see all the time. A consultant reaches out to a prospect. Great message. Relevant, personalized, helpful. The prospect is interested. They click on the consultant’s LinkedIn […]

Author: Thomas Oakes