Strategy in Practice
When physical outreach earns the first meeting
What Upstart’s published customer story demonstrates about creating a credible reason for senior decision-makers to engage.
The Challenge
Reaching senior executives is difficult when conventional digital outreach blends into an already crowded environment. The first obstacle is often not persuasion—it is earning enough attention to begin a meaningful conversation.
The Approach
According to Sendoso’s published customer story, Upstart made direct mail a prominent part of its outbound motion and used it to support executive engagement. The public account describes the channel at a high level; it does not establish that any single tactic guarantees a meeting.
The Result
Upstart reported that 90% of its campaigns were led by direct mail and that more than half of its first meetings with high-level executives were generated through direct mail.
What This Demonstrates
Physical outreach can perform a distinct strategic job: interrupting the familiar pattern and giving a valuable prospect a reason to pay attention. Its usefulness depends on relevance and context, not novelty alone.
Smittinn Perspective
The strongest lesson is not “send something.” It is that the experience before the meeting matters. When an outreach moment feels considered and appropriate to the opportunity, it can make the next conversation easier to earn. Attention is the opening condition for growth—not the whole strategy.
Source
Third-party example: Sendoso / Upstart. Read the original published customer story.