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Long gone are the days when generic email outreach would produce meaningful responses. Anyone who has been in sales more than a week quickly learns that in order to close more deals they need to invest heavily in their top of funnel activities. Top of funnel refers to the contact and conversations that happen early on in the sales funnel.
Keeping the top of the funnel active is both a function of outreach volume and response rate. Focusing purely on volume however is a race to the bottom. It’s hard to sustain quickly burning through prospect lists over the long run, especially if it leads to few meetings.
The best sales professionals do some kind of personalization in their outreach. Not only is it a great way to stand out from the noise of cold outreach, but it significantly improves the email response rate. The goal of personalization is to show the recipient that you intentionally reached out to them and to some extent did your homework.
Personalization types
Here are 4 types of personalization that can be added to any outreach email.
- Personal information - While it’s important not to cross the line by utilizing “creepy” information that may or may not be publicly available, there is plenty of personal information that is fair game. Referencing a person’s LinkedIn bio, career progression, received recommendations, alma mater or recreational activities are a great way to show that you took the time to learn about them.
- Bonus: finding something the person recently posted about, participated in (e.g. speaker at an event) or promoted makes it even more newsworthy.
- Company information - Making comments that relate to information about the company where the prospect works is a great way to show that you did your research and understand who they are and what they do. Product information, the company’s value proposition or some unique selling point all work well.
- News - Referencing the latest updates related to the company in question is a great method for combining personalized information with “why now.” Using articles, press releases, fundraising news, or even blog posts creates an implicit impetus for the outreach beyond the sale. Bonus: news is also a great way to personalize reaching back out to someone as an update can be sufficient reason for reconnecting.
- Geography - If you’re struggling to find any of the above information you can always resort to information related where the prospect is based. It’s not the most personal and it’s not the most relevant, but it does show that you looked them up and connected the dots. Certain areas have strong sports team fandom, so referencing the main team in the area can be an easy people pleaser. Otherwise references to landmarks, famous food or even the weather can work as well.
Specific Examples Of Personalized Icebreakers
Reference to past blog post
To personalize your email outreach, start by referencing a past blog post that your customer or subscriber may have engaged with. This not only shows that you are paying attention to their interests, but also helps to build a deeper connection with your consumers.
By segmenting your email campaign based on past behavior, you can also tailor the content you send to them, resulting in higher engagement and potentially driving more traffic to your website. Don't be afraid to experiment with different approaches, as the result could lead to greater success in your email marketing efforts.
Acknowledgment of recent award
Acknowledging a recent award or recognition is a great way to build trust and credibility with your customers. It shows that you are an established business and that you have taken the time to prove your worth.
After acknowledging a recent award, it's important to tailor the email outreach based on the recipient's experiences, location and preference. By doing so, it shows that you have taken the time to personalize the communication and make it more valuable for them. Another way to personalize the outreach is by mentioning any recently purchased products or services that align with their interests. To implement effective personalization strategies, it's important to research the recipient's interests and adjust the tone accordingly.
Reference to shared interest
Several techniques can be used to personalize email outreach, one of which is referencing shared interests. Using a graphic to showcase the shared interest can help your brand stand out amongst other generic emails. Offering a unique promotion or discount related to the shared interest can increase conversion rates.
Comment on past job experience
One reason to comment on past job experience in email outreach is to connect with the audience on a personal level. This can increase open rates, click-through rates and overall revenue. By sharing job statistics, you can make the reader feel more informed and invested in your service. This, in turn, can lead to higher click-through rates and increased revenue for your business.
By providing personalized content, you also increase the chances of the recipient reading and engaging with your message, as well as feeling valued by your company. Ultimately, a personalized email outreach service can provide the audience with a sense of trust and loyalty towards your brand, resulting in increased revenue and higher click-through rates.
Congratulation on a recent promotion or event
Personalize your email outreach by not only congratulating the individual on their recent promotion but also taking the time to research their social media profiles and mentioning something related to their interests or hobbies.
Additionally, utilizing surveys can help tailor your email content to the individual's specific preferences and needs, making them more likely to engage with your company.
Furthermore, researching the individual's company and mentioning specific achievements or projects can show that you value their work and have taken the time to do your research.
Using social listening tools can also help gather information on the individual and their industry, allowing for more in-depth and personalized communication.
Sending a personalized birthday message can help build a stronger relationship with the individual and improve their perception of your company.
Acknowledging each individual as a unique person and not just a contact in your database can improve the overall effectiveness of your email outreach.
Furthermore, customizing email content based on industry-specific information and trends can show that you are knowledgeable and invested in their field.
Investing time and money into personalized email outreach can ultimately lead to higher conversions and a stronger ROI.
Continually seeking feedback and finding ways to improve your personalized outreach can help keep your communication relevant and effective.
Recognition of current company challenges
To personalize your email outreach, research your targeted audience's company challenges and incorporate it into your outreach process. Craft a compelling subject line that speaks to their pain points and highlights your solution's features.
Avoid a "salesy" tone and focus on engaging the reader with a personalized message that resonates with them. Incorporate their names and mention their individual role in the company to make it sound more personal. Use page and sound to make it visually appealing and easy to digest.
Follow up with a detailed report on how your strategy can help solve their challenges. Incorporate paid media to increase visibility and drive traffic back to your website. Lastly, ensure timely and efficient delivery to maintain a positive experience.
Benefit Of Personalization
Increase the response rate of your emails
To increase the response rate of your emails, consider using behavioral data to personalize the content based on the recipient's preferences.
Another way to personalize email outreach is by incorporating client-side data like their website behavior and actions taken on your previous emails.
A common pattern seen in successful email outreach is the use of personalized subject lines that grab the recipient's attention and create interest.
Personalized emails have been seen to generate higher open and click-through rates than generic messages.
A trend in email outreach is to move away from mass-mailing and towards targeted emails that resonate with the specific audience.
New ideas for personalizing emails include sending birthday or anniversary greetings, offering personalized promotions, and recommending relevant products or services.
Giving credit to the recipient's accomplishments and milestones in the email body creates a personalized touch that resonates with the reader.
Customizable solutions that allow recipients to select their preferences or update their information add another layer of personalization to email marketing.
Establish a relationship with prospects
Opportunities to establish a relationship with prospects are ample, given the widespread reach of online platforms and increasing use of personalized marketing techniques.
Offline resources such as industry events or workshops offer valuable face-to-face interaction and networking opportunities to enhance personalized outreach.
Email clients such as Outlook provide numerous tools and plugins for customizing and automating email campaigns with recipient’s name, company and other personal information.
Newsletters and email updates can be tailored to recipient interests and preferences using advanced segmentation, generating higher engagement and traffic.
Personalized marketing techniques utilizing customer data and targeting increase conversions and engagement, and continue to evolve with advanced technology.
Effective use of CRM integrations and analytics position your company to deliver bespoke messaging and improve customer experience.
Every interaction with a prospect is a chance to make a positive impression and compel an action, making personalization key to effective outreach.
Create an opportunity to stand out from other cold emails
Configuring personalized subject lines and email content can be a game-changing factor when it comes to standing out from other cold emails. By incorporating targeted content marketing, you can increase the potential lifetime value of your desired audience.
Offering a special discount or promotion as a reward for opening and engaging with your email can also be an effective way to personalize your outreach.
Make it easier to start building trust with prospects
To build trust with prospects, ask for their permission before sending too much information out to them via email. Understanding their psychographics, such as their values and interests, can also help tailor the outreach to their preferences.
Offering personalized promotions based on their behavior and preferences improves the chances of conversion. Targeting specific groups with relevant messaging is more likely to result in engagement and a positive response. Keeping an updated email list with accurate and recent information is crucial to ensuring successful outreach.
Including a professional and trustworthy image in the email can improve the perception of the sender. Establishing a trusted domain and email address can also increase the likelihood of the emails being opened and read.
Conclusion
Getting in the habit of adding personalized icebreakers to your cold outreach will generate a significant and positive ROI. The best personalization however combines personalized information with context and relevance. Nothing beats a short, personalized email that relates the information used to the need your product/service can address.
Suffice it to say, personalization is on a spectrum. The reality however is that the vast majority of people engaging in cold outbound aren’t personalizing their outreach. This means it takes very little effort to create better emails and get noticed by your recipient.
Figure out what personalization works best for you and your sector and don’t be afraid to experiment.
