Zone of Indifference

Here's the 10-10-80 Rule.

(This Rule helped us 7x Scorpion's revenue from $20M-$150M)

10% of your target market is actively buying (inbounds)

10% are loyal to their current solution (not your target)

80% are in the Zone of Indifference (prospecting gold)

What is the Zone of Indifference?

Here are 3️⃣ examples to illustrate.

1️⃣ You have an iPhone X and know you'd take brilliant photos with the iPhone 13 but haven't made the time to get the new one.

➡️ You're in the Zone of Indifference.

2️⃣ When changing CRMs would 10x efficiency, but you haven't prioritized making a switch.

➡️ You're in the Zone of Indifference.

3️⃣ When your sales manager misses yet another quarter and you know you should upgrade, but you put it off again.

➡️ You're in the Zone of Indifference.

Right now, 80% of your target buyers will not become inbounds because they don't feel enough pain to change.

80%

Good news!

That's what great outbound sales and marketing campaigns are for. 💡 So... Are you just sitting around waiting for your target buyers to come inbound? Or are you proactively going outbound and helping your buyers prioritize a needed change (to your product)?

Have a great day!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 10-10-80 Rule?

A breakdown of any target market into three groups: 10% actively buying and coming inbound, 10% loyal to their current solution and unlikely to switch, and 80% sitting in what's called the Zone of Indifference.

What is the "Zone of Indifference"?

The state of knowing a change would genuinely help, upgrading a phone, switching CRMs, replacing an underperforming manager, but not having prioritized making that change yet, despite being aware it's worth doing.

Why doesn't the 80% in the Zone of Indifference become inbound leads on their own?

Because they don't feel enough pain yet to actively prioritize a change. Without that urgency, they simply continue as they are rather than seeking out a new solution themselves.

How does outbound outreach actually address this large 80% segment?

By proactively helping buyers prioritize a change they already know would help but haven't gotten around to making, rather than waiting passively for that pain to build up on its own before they eventually come inbound.

What's the practical question worth reflecting on based on this rule?

Whether current growth strategy is passively waiting for buyers to come inbound, or actively going outbound to help the 80% sitting in the Zone of Indifference finally prioritize a needed change.