Inbound vs outbound
The Harp team ·
Inbound sales starts when a buyer comes to you: a form, a demo request, a reply to content. Outbound starts when you go to a buyer who has not asked yet. Most companies need both, in different proportions as they grow.
How they differ
- Control: outbound lets you choose exactly which accounts to pursue; inbound depends on who finds you.
- Speed: outbound can start this week; inbound compounds slowly.
- Conversion: inbound leads convert better because they asked; outbound needs better targeting and timing.
- What matters most: for inbound, response speed; for outbound, research and relevance.
Where AI agents fit
In outbound, agents do the research and writing that make cold outreach relevant. In both, they shrink response time: a reply or a demo request can be answered in minutes instead of hours. Harp focuses on outbound, and its reply handling covers the moment outbound turns into a conversation.
Questions
Should an early-stage company do inbound or outbound?
Usually outbound first, because it is controllable and fast to learn from; inbound builds alongside it over time.