What is Paid Prospecting?

A couple of years ago, when I first started this company, we originally were called Request for Meeting. A bunch of you out there probably still think that we sell meetings at Pitchfire. That’s not what we do. Today I want to explain what is paid prospecting and why are working on this solution?

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Let's start with the problem.

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The Decline of Traditional Prospecting and Marketing

Back when I worked at LeadIQ, we used to ask sales teams about their average reply rates and connect rates on cold calls and cold emails. The first year we asked, the average connect rate on a cold call was around 10%, and the average reply rate on a cold email was 6%. But as we got closer to 2021, those numbers just dropped.

I'm not saying that cold prospecting doesn’t work anymore. It still does, but it’s like driving on the highway at rush hour—it’s slow, frustrating, and often inefficient. On top of that, marketing costs are increasing. Some companies pay as much as $10,000 just to produce a meeting with a client. If one deal closes, it might make sense, but for every deal that doesn’t, that cost adds up fast.

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So can you just buy meetings?

We originally built a marketplace where companies could pay prospects to take meetings.

Here’s what happened...Five minutes in, both sides knew it was a bad fit. The prospect felt obligated to sit through it, and salesperson kept pushing forward, wasting everyone’s time.

Most buyers—especially younger ones—aren’t comfortable saying “no” to a salesperson’s face. Today...they literally break up with people over text haha.

So instead of an outright rejection, they waste 30 minutes nodding along when they could be doing something else.

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A Better Way: Paying for a Response

Instead of paying for access (ads, LinkedIn InMail, etc.) or meetings, the sweet spot is paying for a response.

• Immediate clarity – Find out right away if someone is interested (or not).
• Respect for time – If it’s not a fit, both parties move on.
• Better engagement – Prospects who respond are actually engaged
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So what is paid prsopecting?

Paid prospecting is a more ethical, efficient, and cost-effective way for companies to build pipeline, by rewarding prospects for engaging with your business.

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Best Practices for Running a Paid Prospecting Campaign

Want to try paid prospecting? Here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Use Paid Prospecting for Marketing-Qualified Leads (MQLs)

If someone downloads an eBook, attends a webinar, or registers for a demo, they’re already interested.

• Instead of chasing them with endless follow-ups, offer a small incentive—$25, $50, or even $100—for a quick response.
• It’s often more cost-effective than traditional nurture campaigns.

2. Target the Right Accounts

The key to success? Smaller, high-quality lists.

• Don’t blast 20,000 people with offers.
• Instead, target specific industries or job titles (e.g., VP of Sales at mid-market SaaS companies).
• Focus on companies using certain tools or decision-makers who actually have a budget.

This increases response rates and ensures you're reaching the right people.

3. Don’t Rely on Paid Prospecting Alone—Layer It with Other Strategies

Think of paid prospecting as a supplement to your current efforts, not a replacement.

• Still make calls.
• Still send emails.
• Still do social outreach.

The most effective approach is combining these efforts.

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4. Measure and Optimize

• Track your response rates.
• If you’re paying $70 per response and converting 30% into meetings, how does that compare to your other channels?
• Adjust your budget accordingly—scale what works and cut what doesn’t.

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Paid prospecting isn’t about replacing traditional sales efforts—it’s about optimizing them. It helps sales teams focus on engaged prospects. It eliminates time wasted on non-responsive leads. It gives you clear, measurable results.

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Want to experiment with paid prospecting?

You don’t have to commit capital unless you get rejected all the time. The best sales conversations happen when both parties actually want to be there.

Need help getting started? Book with us here.

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