The outbound vs inbound debate in B2B is mostly a false choice. The real question is: which one makes sense for your stage, your ACV, and your target market?

When outbound is the right answer

Outbound is the right choice when you have a high ACV (£10K+ annually), a defined ICP with identifiable accounts, and a sales motion that involves a human conversation. These deals don't happen because someone found a blog post — they happen because a rep had the right conversation with the right person at the right time.

For B2B SaaS, services, and agencies targeting mid-market or enterprise buyers, outbound is typically the fastest path to predictable revenue. See how to build predictable revenue in B2B for the full framework.

When inbound makes more sense

Inbound works when purchase decisions are largely self-serve, when your buyers are actively searching for solutions, and when the ACV is low enough that a high volume of leads is required to hit revenue targets.

The false promise of inbound-only B2B

Many B2B companies chase inbound because it feels more scalable and less intrusive. The problem is that inbound takes 12-18 months to produce meaningful results, requires significant content investment, and doesn't let you target specific accounts or industries.

If you need revenue in the next 90 days, outbound is the answer. Before launching it though, make sure you have the right foundations — starting with a proper GTM system and a well-defined ICP.

Why the best B2B companies use both

The most effective GTM strategies use outbound to drive immediate pipeline while building inbound to reduce CAC over time. The mistake is trying to do both at once without enough resource. Most early-stage B2B companies should focus on outbound first — building a repeatable playbook and scaling without the founder — and then layer in content and inbound once the core motion is working.