Email outreach for relationship-first marketing

📧 What if I told you the best outreach emails… don’t ask for a meeting? Everyone's complaining about email outreach being "impossible" these days. But here's what I've discovered... It's not the channel that's broken. It's the approach. Most people start with what THEY want: "Can I get 15 minutes?" "Would you like a demo?" "Are you the decision-maker?" And then they wonder why their inbox is a ghost town. The real problem? You're asking for too much, too soon. I've been testing a different strategy in this "wild west" landscape of cold email outreach, and the results have been fascinating. Instead of the big ask upfront, I've been: ✅ Using AI to generate 3 specific email marketing improvements specifically for their brand ✅ Sharing these insights in the initial outreach (yes, giving value BEFORE asking for anything) ✅ Ending with: "Do you mind if I share a 3min Loom video of how this would apply to [Brand]?" That's it. A micro-commitment with clear value attached. And guess what? Reply rates have skyrocketed. This works because you're: → Demonstrating relevance immediately → Giving before taking → Making the smallest possible ask → Creating curiosity about what else you might know Cold email isn't about volume or perfect subject lines. It's about the value exchange. When you lead with specific, personalized insights that actually help them, you stand out in a sea of "just checking in" messages. So before sending your next batch of outreach emails, ask yourself: "Am I giving something valuable first, or just asking for what I want?" The answer will determine whether you're sending emails or actually starting conversations.

How many times have you logged on to Linkedin and found yet another email that starts with: "Hey [First Name]," followed by a generic pitch that does not concern your interests or needs. Sound familiar? We've all been there. And it's frustrating. As a fractional CMO/Consultant, I've seen this happen repeatedly. Businesses think they're doing personalization right but need to do better. It's not enough to use someone's name or company. 👉🏾 True personalization is about understanding their challenges, goals, and needs. For example, on LinkedIn, scroll through their feed and see what they post, talk about, like, and comment on. This helps as a starting ground on how to approach them and what to discuss. So, instead of sending a LinkedIn message that says: "I'd love to connect and learn more about your business," try something like: "I noticed you're working on [specific project]. I have some ideas on how you could [achieve a specific goal]. Would you be open to a quick chat?" See the difference? It's not just about being personal; it's about being relevant. And when you're relevant, you're not annoying — you're helpful. 👉🏾 So, think about this the next time you craft a personalized outreach campaign. →"Would I find this message valuable? →Does it address my specific needs and interests?" If the answer is no, it's time to return to the drawing board. 👉🏾 Also, tools like Crystal Knows help you fine-tune your message and tone when reaching out to maximize the impact of every conversation. Let's aim for genuinely helpful messages, not just another annoyance in their inbox. What do you think about personalized outreach? #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #leadgeneration #ABM

6x increase in booked calls using our cold email outreach. If it’s your story then keep reading! Back in June, you were diving into email outreach for your tech startup. You did the hard part—found your prospects, crafted your message, and hit send. Then you waited... and waited. Nothing. Your inbox was dead silent. You wondered, "What went wrong?" Well, here’s the deal: only 8.5% of cold emails get responses in 2024. Not exactly inspiring, right? But you’re about to learn a trick: personalization. Multi-point personalization (using more than just a name) can improve reply rates by 142%. That’s the boost that turns crickets into conversations. So, what will you do? Stop sending cookie-cutter emails. Reference specific challenges your prospects face and add a touch of personality to stand out. Think of it like fishing—generic bait gets you nothing, but personalized bait? That’s when you start reeling them in. Engage your prospects with these strategies: 1. The Cocktail Party Effect: Our brains perk up when we hear our name. Use theirs for instant attention. 2. Relevance Theory: Tailor your messages to address their specific pain points or goals. 3. Social Proof: Highlight your successes with similar companies. 4. Reciprocity Principle: Share valuable insights upfront. 5. Loss Aversion: Frame your offer around what they could lose by not engaging. Now, imagine your reply rate hitting 15%, with 50% of those replies leading to booked meetings. Not bad for someone who was ghosted by their inbox just weeks ago. Bottom line? Personalization is your best friend. Make it relatable, make it real, and watch as your emails turn into meaningful connections. Are you ready to stop sending cookie-cutter emails and start driving real conversations? Comment “Personalization” below. Let’s talk! #ColdEmailSuccess #EmailOutreach #LeadGeneration #PersonalizationWins

We grew 3x in the last quarter compared to the previous year—and it all started with identifying what wasn’t working. Growing more than 3x in the last quarter was exciting, but it also highlighted something important: when everything is growing, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s actually working and what’s not. One major takeaway for us was email outreach. The old approach of sending lots of emails to large lists just isn’t working anymore—especially after the updates from Google and Outlook earlier this year. Most emails now either land in spam or promotions, which makes them less effective. So, we changed the way we think about email. Here’s what we learned: → Less is more. Instead of sending emails to 100 accounts and hoping for a couple of responses, we focused on just 12 or 13 accounts. These were companies that were clearly interested—they were visiting our website, engaging with LinkedIn ads, or checking out our category on G2. → Signals matter. We combined data from multiple places—website analytics, email engagement, social media interactions, and even third-party platforms—to identify accounts that were already aware of us and had a potential need. → Multi-channel works better. Email alone isn’t enough anymore. We paired it with personalized LinkedIn messages, connection requests, and even founder-led outreach to build a relationship across multiple touchpoints. By narrowing our focus and personalizing our approach, we got more responses and stronger leads with far fewer emails. It also made outreach feel more meaningful—both for us and the people we were reaching out to. Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to build on this approach and explore other channels, like calling, to make our outreach even stronger. If you’re rethinking your own approach to email or outreach, I’d be happy to chat about what’s worked for us! #marketing #sales #outreach