How to fix your outbound in 2026

Hi!

Welcome to Sparksense's Newsletter! Every month, I personally bring you insights to fuel your sales strategies, drive business growth, and succeed on your entrepreneurial journey. My focus is clear: to equip you with actionable takeaways. Anticipate valuable advice on prospecting, smart selling, and sealing deals that matter for Deep Tech Entrepreneurs!

This month, we’re confronting a fear I hear everywhere: “Outbound doesn’t work anymore.”

Outboxes aren’t broken because sales died, they’re tighter because the rules changed. Inbox providers like Google, Microsoft Outlook, and Yahoo now strictly enforce SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, meaning emails without proper setup often never make it to the main inbox at all. 

At the same time, industry voices like Forbes still recommend outbound emails and calling as essential parts of B2B outreach when done right: scalable, measurable, and powerful. 

This edition is not another list of “tactics to get replies.” It’s a reality check on why outbound feels harder, what changed, what still works, and how founders adapt.

What is outbound in business context 

Before deciding whether outbound works for your business, we need to reset what outbound actually is.

What outbound is not:

• Not 1000 emails sent at once.

• Not LinkedIn connection spam.

• Not “let’s send volume and see who replies.”

Those approaches fail faster in 2026 not because outbound is broken, but because inboxes, buyers, and markets are more selective. Our rule at Sparksense: outbound is deciding relevance upfront, not asking prospects to do that work for you.

If your outreach relies on the recipient to figure out whether this matters to them, you’re outsourcing your thinking, and your pipeline will reflect that.

Quick self-check: Do you need outbound?

Outbound is usually the right choice when:

• Your average contract value (ACV) is high.

• Your sales cycle is long.

• Your buyers are niche and hard to reach.

• Your product requires education, not instant understanding.

On the other hand, inbound tends to work better when buyers already know the problem, value is easy to explain, and volume matters more than precision. We explain this further in our Inbound vs Outbound Startup Guide. 

When outbound is the right tool, though, it only works one way in 2026: fewer accounts, clearer ICPs, and relevance decided before the first touch.

A useful reference point here is M-Star, Sparksense’s client who uses a combination of both inbound and outbound. Their primary growth engine was inbound. They educated a highly technical audience through scientific papers, webinars, podcasts, and events. Outbound came into play after that foundation was in place. As John Thomas, President & Co-Founder, explains:

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How to make outbound work for you

If outbound is the right strategy for your business, execution is what decides whether it works or drains your pipeline. In 2026, there is no room for vague setups or “we’ll refine later” thinking. Here’s what actually makes outbound work: 

Outbound is about talking to the right few. The practical rule that holds everything together: decide if it’s relevant before you reach out.

Build a toolkit for your outbound 

The goal of your outbound toolkit is simple: understand your customer better before you reach out. At Sparksense we use tools like Perplexity and Claude to:

• Understand what a company actually does

• Spot trigger events and market context

• Map org structures beyond job titles

• Identify who owns the problem you solve

• Validate assumptions before outreach

Make sure your toolkit helps you clearly answer why this company, why this role, and why now.

Anabrid gets real sales with Sparksense outbound

In selling hybrid computing the market involves two key enablers: the end user, such as large pharmaceutical or research organizations that require complex simulations, and the buyer, often a High Performance Computing (HPC) or cloud provider that supplies and operates the infrastructure.

With Sparksense, Anabrid focuses on identifying both sides of the equation early. This targeted outbound approach allows Anabrid to position itself as a strategic performance and efficiency advantage in environments where energy use, speed, and scalability matter.

Tap into hidden market opportunities in … Critical systems & deep tech infrastructure

Are you struggling to gain traction or compete with industry giants? We help startups find hidden market opportunities by connecting them with second-tier players that hold untapped potential.

Exail Technologies develops advanced systems for defense, maritime, aerospace, photonics, and space applications. The company operates at the intersection of precision engineering, sensing, navigation, and laser technologies and supports critical missions from deep-sea operations to outer space. 

Relevant Technologies: Photonics, Laser Systems, Navigation & Positioning, Robotics, Defense Tech, Space & Maritime Systems.

Let’s meet at upcoming industry gatherings

A&T Torino | Turin, Italy | February 11–13, 2026

A&T Torino is a focused industrial trade fair for automation, testing, and digital technologies. The event attracts decision-makers, managers, and technical experts from large and mid-sized industrial companies looking for practical, ready-to-apply solutions. Expect a strong B2B audience, a performance-driven exhibition format, and high-quality leads.

Photonic Integration Week | Valencia, Spain | February 23–25, 2026

Photonic Integration Week is a niche, high-signal event for the photonic integrated circuits (PIC) ecosystem. It brings together researchers, startups, foundries, and industry leaders working on integrated photonics. Expect technical depth, real industry discussions, and strong networking across the European photonics value chain.

MWC Barcelona | Barcelona, Spain | March 2–5, 2026

MWC Barcelona is the world’s leading event for connectivity, mobile, and digital innovation. It brings together global tech leaders, policymakers, and enterprise decision-makers to shape the next wave of AI, infrastructure, and business transformation. Expect high-level keynotes, strong deal flow, and deep insight into where connectivity and enterprise tech are heading next.

4YFN | Barcelona, Spain | March 2–5, 2026

4YFN is an event focused on scaling innovation and connecting founders with investors, corporates, and ecosystem enablers. It gives startups access to 100,000+ global attendees.. Expect a high-energy, international B2B audience, strong investor presence, and direct exposure to decision-makers across tech, telecom, and digital industries.

Mark your calendar and let's connect at these game-changing events! If you are thinking of going - contact us here or email me directly.

Want to know more about Sparksense? Let’s talk to find out how we can help take your sales to the next level. Book a call with me today!

Thank you for reading! Wishing you all the best of Sales Successes in 2026! And if you have any questions please feel free to email me directly.

Ride your Wave!

Hervé Flutto,

Managing Director & Founder of Sparksense LLC.

About Sparksense LLC.

With 200 global clients supported over the last 8 years, Sparksense is the trusted Sales Team for B2B Tech Startups. With a smarter outreach, Sparksense’s team of over 30+ advisors has ignited sales for hardware and software solutions across Europe, North America and Asia – thanks to its robust, proven business development skills and relevant market access to decision makers across key industries.

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