Inbound Growth vs Outbound Sales
What is the difference between Inbound Growth and Outbound Sales? Side-by-side definitions, formulas, and benchmarks for two of the most-watched SaaS metrics.
Definitions
What is Inbound Growth?
Inbound Growth is a demand generation motion based on attracting prospects through channels such as content, organic search, and marketing automation.
Full Inbound Growth definition →
What is Outbound Sales?
Outbound Sales is a sales motion where the company proactively prospects and reaches out to target customers.
Inbound Growth vs Outbound Sales at a Glance
| Inbound Growth | Outbound Sales | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Marketing | Sales |
| Formula | — | — |
| Benchmarks | — | — |
| Calculator | — | — |
When Each Matters
Inbound Growth and Outbound Sales answer different questions. Inbound Growth is a demand generation motion based on attracting prospects through channels such as content, organic search, and marketing automation. Outbound Sales is a sales motion where the company proactively prospects and reaches out to target customers. In practice, healthy SaaS operators watch both, because each one catches failure modes the other misses.