Pipeline Velocity
Outbound creates predictable pipeline vs. waiting for inbound. Average B2B deal takes 3-6 months from first touch.
Step 1: Outreach Volume
Outreach Volume
10010,000
0.525
Outreach ROI
5.14x
414% return on investment
Net Profit
$14,500.00
Revenue minus campaign cost
Closed Deals
0.8
From 50 replies
Cost per Deal
$4,666.67
Acquisition cost per closed deal
Cost per Meeting
$233.33
15.0 meetings booked
Reply-to-Close Rate
1.5%
End-to-end funnel efficiency
Outreach ROI Benchmark
Above BenchmarkYour ROI5.14x
Bottom: 1.2xMedian: 2.8xTop: 4.5x
Related Calculators
Calculator Knowledge Base and Scientific Documentation
Quick Reference
Quick Reference
Cold outreach ROI measures the return on investment from outbound prospecting campaigns including cold email, LinkedIn outreach, and phone. A healthy B2B outreach ROI is typically 2-4x, meaning $2-$4 revenue generated for every $1 spent on outreach.
The Scientific Model
The Scientific Model
Outreach ROI Formula
Formula
This formula calculates the percentage return on your outreach investment by comparing revenue generated against all costs including tools, labor, and overhead.
Why this approach: Understanding true outreach ROI helps optimize channel allocation and identify whether inbound or outbound motions drive more efficient growth.
People Also Ask
People Also Ask
- What is a good ROI for cold outreach in 2026?
- For B2B SaaS, a good cold outreach ROI is 2.5-4x. Top-performing teams achieve 4-6x by targeting high-intent prospects with personalized messaging. ROI below 1.5x typically indicates poor list quality or messaging-market fit issues.
- How do I calculate cold email campaign costs?
- Include: email tool subscriptions, domain and warm-up costs, copywriting time (value at hourly rate), list building/enrichment costs, and a portion of SDR salary if applicable. Most underestimate true costs by 40-60%.
- What response rate should I expect from cold outreach?
- Industry benchmarks for 2026: Cold email positive reply rate 2-5%, LinkedIn connection acceptance 15-30%, LinkedIn message response 8-15%. Personalized outreach typically performs 2-3x better than templates.
- How do I improve cold outreach ROI?
- Focus on: 1) List quality over quantity (use intent signals), 2) Multi-channel sequences (email + LinkedIn + phone), 3) Personalization at scale, 4) A/B testing subject lines and CTAs, 5) Timing optimization based on engagement data.
Contextual ROI: The Intangibles
Contextual ROI: The Intangibles
Beyond direct ROI, effective outreach programs build pipeline for future quarters and gather market intelligence.
Market Intelligence
Outreach conversations reveal objections, competitor mentions, and buying criteria even when they don't convert.
Brand Awareness
Even non-responders see your name. Consistent outreach creates familiarity that aids future inbound conversion.
Feedback Loop
Response patterns inform ICP refinement, messaging, and product positioning more directly than passive channels.
Assumptions & Limitations
Assumptions & Limitations
Key Assumptions
- *Campaign costs include fully-loaded labor (time spent x hourly rate)
- *Revenue attribution is based on first-touch or primary-touch model
- *Results assume consistent outreach volume over the measurement period
- *Benchmark comparisons assume similar deal sizes and sales cycles
Limitations
- !Does not account for long-tail brand awareness effects
- !Multi-touch attribution may allocate revenue differently
- !Industry and deal size significantly affect benchmark relevance
Aggregated from 2026 industry-standard B2B performance research