Utilizing Email Marketing for Sales

We analyzed 4 million recruiting emails sent through Gem. Most get opened. But only 22.6% get replies. Half those replies are "thanks, but no thanks." We dug into what actually works. Here are 8 factors that drive REAL responses: 1. Strategic timing beats everything else - 8am gets 68% open rates. 4pm hits 67.3%. 10am lands at 67% - Most recruiters blast at 9am when inboxes are flooded - Avoiding peak times alone can boost your opens by 7-10% 2. Weekend outreach is criminally underused - Saturday/Sunday emails get ≥66% open rates consistently - Why? Empty inboxes. Zero competition. Candidates actually have time - Yet few recruiters send on weekends. Their loss is your gain 3. Keep messages between 101-150 words - Shorter feels spammy. Longer gets skimmed - You need exactly 10 sentences to nail the essentials - Every word beyond 150 drops performance 4. Generic templates kill response rates - Generic templates: 22% reply rate - Personalized outreach: 47% increased response rate - Even adding name + company to subject lines boosts opens by 5% 5. Subject lines need 3-9 words - Include company name + job title for highest opens - "Senior Engineer Role at [Company]" beats clever wordplay - 11+ words can work if genuinely intriguing, but why risk it? 6. The 4-stage sequence is optimal - One-off emails are dead. Send exactly 4 follow-up messages - You'll see 68% higher "interested" rates with proper sequencing - After stage 4, engagement completely flatlines. Stop there 7. Get the hiring manager involved - Having the hiring manager send ONE follow-up boosts reply rates by 50%+ - Yet most recruiters don't use this tactic - Weekend advantage: Minimal competition for attention 8. Leadership involvement is a cheat code - Role-specific timing (tech vs non-tech) matters - Technical roles: 3 of 4 best send times are weekends - Engineers check email differently than salespeople. Adjust accordingly TAKEAWAY: These aren't opinions. This is what 4 million emails tell us. Most recruiting teams are stuck in 2019 playbooks wondering why their reply rates won't budge. Meanwhile, recruiters who implement these 8 factors see dramatically better results. The data is right there. The patterns are clear. The only question is: will you actually change how you operate? Or will you keep sending the same tired emails at 9am on Tuesday? Your call.

We grew an email list from 0 to 500K subscribers in just 10 months. If I were starting from scratch today, here's exactly how I'd do it again: 1) Nail the Lead Magnet: The fastest way to grow your email list is by offering something valuable in exchange for an email. Think of it like this: people won't give up their email for nothing. Create something they can't ignore: a discount, exclusive content, or a tool they can’t find elsewhere. For us, offering free travel guides was a game-changer. 2) Optimize for Opt-Ins Everywhere: Your website, blog, and even social media accounts should work like opt-in machines. For example: - Add pop-ups and fly outs on key pages. - Place CTAs above the fold. - Use scroll-triggered modals when visitors are engaged. We tested endlessly, and this attention to detail paid off big. 3) Tap Into Paid Growth Early: Ads get a bad rep, but when done right, they’re a growth accelerant. We launched targeted ads promoting our lead magnet and built a funnel that turned traffic into email signups. Paid campaigns helped us scale fast while testing which offers resonated with our audience. 4) Partner with the Right People: Collaborations can grow your list faster than any single effort. Whether it’s co-branded giveaways, email swaps, or shoutouts, find brands or creators that share your target audience. A well-executed partnership will unlock exponential growth. One really unique thing we did: We bought a bunch of viral social accounts and rebranded them for our business. This was huge in kickstarting massive and sustainable growth. And we fast-tracked the social proof we needed to build trust and scale quickly. 5) Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity: A big list is meaningless without engagement. From Day 1, we focused on high-value emails to ensure subscribers opened, clicked, and stayed. Here’s a pro tip: Consistency wins. Sending emails weekly or bi-weekly keeps your list warm and engaged. 6) Build a Content Machine: Pair email growth with an organic content strategy that feeds your funnel. Blog posts, social media, and SEO aren’t just good for traffic—they create trust. The more valuable content you share, the more people will want to hear from you. 7) Leverage Cheap Marketing Channels in Ways Others Haven’t: This is going to ruffle some feathers but we absolutely dominated cold email for user acquisition. To the tune of 6 figure subscriber acquisition. No one was doing cold email for B2C the way we did it. This proved to be the most scalable yet cheapest acquisition channel we had. — To recap: - Offer something valuable for free to grow your list. - Use every channel—paid and organic—to drive opt-ins. - Build relationships with partners who already have your audience. The result? A system that scales. Your list is the one asset you fully own—start building it ASAP!

I sat down with Lea Algazy, Head of Partnerships at Rep AI, to break down how combining Rep AI and Mailability.io is unlocking 50%+ of total store revenue through email with Klaviyo. The secret? Using Conversational AI data + real-time intent scoring to move beyond static email journeys. Here’s the 3-step strategy powering it: Step 1: Turn live conversations into data-backed email journeys - Rep AI’s chatbot collects emails through natural, high-intent on-site interactions. - Those subscribers are synced directly to Klaviyo, enriched with context and preferences. - Mailability.io applies a real-time Intent Score to each profile the moment they enter your system. Step 2: Score and segment based on real behavior - Every profile is scored individually, not just tagged - That allows brands to: • Re-engage shoppers who chatted in the past but didn’t convert • Identify moderate-intent profiles and warm them up • Pinpoint hyper-engaged users who just need one more nudge to buy - Profiles move in and out of Mailability’s AI segments and AI flows automatically, based on real-time behavior. Step 3: Personalize flows and campaigns at scale - Use the combination of Rep AI’s 500+ chat data points and Mailability’s Intent Scores and smart actions to send the right message, to the right message, at the right time, on autopilot. - Brands are using this to: • Warm up cold profiles and bring them into high-performing AI campaign lists and flows • Increase site activity by 71.5% by sending the right message at the right time • Trigger on-site engagement when high-intent users return, without missing the moment to increase email revenue by 32% It’s not about blasting more emails. It’s about aligning signals across your tech stack and letting real-time behavior guide every send. The full breakdown is in the slides. Curious how this might look inside your Klaviyo account? Let’s connect? https://lnkd.in/dCdwyQ2d

Most reps think they’re “doing outbound.” But their idea of a sequence is 6 emails, zero value, and a few sad bump messages. That’s not prospecting. That’s praying. Meanwhile, my clients are booking meetings with CROs at Fortune 500s — and here’s the sequence they use (10 touchpoints, built to convert): If your pipeline sucks, your sequence probably does too. Most reps don’t get ignored because they’re bad at writing emails. They get ignored because they rely on one channel. Because they give up after 2 touches. Because they confuse “checking in” with “creating urgency.” Here’s how high-performing reps actually break through: 1. The structure: 10 touchpoints across 20 days - 6 emails - 3 phone calls - 1 video on LinkedIn Every message with a purpose. Every channel working together. 2. The content: Stop bumping. Start teaching. Most sequences are noise. They repeat the same CTA (“just checking in!”), offer no insight, and get deleted by day 2. Instead, think in layers: Email 1 = POV tailored to the account Email 2 = Specific ways you help teams like theirs Email 3 = Case study or customer story Email 4 = ROI data, benchmarked Email 5 = Industry whitepaper or third-party research Email 6 = Product demo or experience preview Every email adds value. Even if they never reply, you become unignorable. 3. Phone still works. If you use it right. Don’t cold call. Warm call — immediately after the email drops. Reference your message. Be human. Don’t script. 4. Use LinkedIn like a human Day 1: Send a connection request (no note) Day 4: DM them after they connect Day 14: Drop a short video — selfie style, natural, no script This part matters most. Executives ignore cold emails but they watch DMs that feel real. 5. Automate the follow-up. Never the personalization. Yes, you can load this into Outreach or Salesloft. But if your content sucks, it doesn’t matter. Write once. Reuse the assets. Track opens. Follow up religiously. Be the rep who doesn’t disappear after 2 tries. I’ve helped reps use this exact sequence to book meetings with CROs at F500s. If you want coaching on how to build yours — the right structure, the right messaging, the right mindset — send me a DM. REMEMBER: Most reps fail not because they stop too late. But because they stop too soon. Build a real sequence. Say something worth hearing. And don’t quit at touch #3. This is the way. Be the 1%. Book the meeting.

Email still delivers strong ROI. What’s changed is how leading teams are using it. Here are 7 modern and practical email strategies you can use now and into 2026. 📩 1. AI-Driven Decisioning An example is “next best offer.” Use real-time, historical, and behavioral data to determine the most relevant content, offer, or CTA. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, tools like Movable Ink personalize content based on what users have or haven’t done. 📈 2. Product-Led Lifecycle Messaging Trigger emails based on what users do inside your product. If someone signs up but doesn’t activate, send a reminder. If they complete onboarding but skip a key feature, follow up. Email becomes part of the product experience. 🧱 3. Modular Templates + Guard Rails Stop building emails from scratch. Modular templates let teams assemble emails using approved, no-code blocks. Platforms like Knak help you move faster while staying on brand and rendering correctly across devices. 👁️🗨️ 4. Inbox Retargeting & Re-engagement If someone opens and scrolls but doesn’t click, you can adjust the next email. These behavioral signals help guide follow-ups. A scrolled-but-no-click email may call for a stronger CTA or tighter copy. 🧪 5. Automated Experimentation Go beyond A/B tests. Today’s tools can test dozens or even hundreds of variations at once, subject lines, images, layouts, and more. Platforms like OfferFit by Braze optimize automatically to drive better performance. ⏱ 6. Real-Time Triggers Send the right message the moment someone takes action, like signing up or abandoning a cart. It only works if your data flows smoothly and your systems are well-integrated, but the results are worth the effort. 💰 7. Revenue-Based Measurement Connect email to pipeline and revenue. If your data and attribution are in place, you can measure how nurture programs or product launches actually impact the business. Which do you think is most effective? What would you add? PS: Be sure to check out Knak to scale your email efforts, link in the comments. via Nick Donaldson #marketing #martech #marketingoperations #email

The #1 mistake I see in client relationships? (It took me years to learn this) Confusing contact with connection. Most professionals think staying “top of mind” means constant contact. So they: ❌ Send generic check-ins. ❌ Ask for meetings without clear value. ❌ Share the same articles everyone else does. Then wonder why response rates keep dropping. 20+ years in client relationships has taught me: The best way to stay memorable? Show up as someone who genuinely cares about them  (and their success). Instead of asking: ❌ “How do I stay visible?” Ask: ✅ “How do I show I care?” Here are my favorite 6 ways to show you care: 1. Spot Opportunities They Might Miss ↳ Share competitor moves and market shifts before  they hear it elsewhere. 2. Be Their Connector ↳ Introduce them to people who can help them grow. 3. Offer Insights They Can Use Immediately ↳ Send relevant research they can apply right now. 4. Celebrate Their Successes ↳ Spotlight their wins like they’re your own. 5. Invite Them Into Your World ↳ Include them in events and conversations that matter. 6. Check In With a Personal Touch ↳ Reach out with no agenda, just genuine care. Here’s the truth: Most people only show up when they want something. Top performers show up because they genuinely care. Because they know when someone’s ready to buy, they don’t research who’s available. They call those who’ve already proven they care. Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your take on it in the comments below. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

Just because a qualified person opts-in to learn from you doesn’t mean they are a “lead”. A key problem with the old B2B playbook is that too many companies treat every qualified form-fill as an MQL. But that focuses on the fraction of the market that’s “ready to buy” now (5%), while alienating the vast majority (95%) who aren't ready to buy yet. That's what 'lead nurturing' was supposed to solve. But the problem with traditional lead nurturing is that it too often relies on generic, product-centric content pushed through automated email sequences. This 'spray and pray' method rarely considers the individual's specific interests or where they are in their buyer's journey. And few marketers usually treat it as an “always on” education strategy, instead building relatively short sequences against specific goals. This approach misses the opportunity to build long-term relationships and ignores the non-linear nature of most B2B buying journeys Anthony Kennada, CEO of AudiencePlus, has been promoting a different approach: an audience-first strategy. It's about building a community around your brand, not just a list of leads. It's creating content and experiences that people actively seek out and engage with, regardless of whether they're ready to buy. And ideally that content is so good, they’ll subscribe to future content — giving you a valuable path to engage over time. An audience-first approach focuses on delivering value consistently, building trust, and fostering genuine relationships with your entire target market — not just the small percentage who are in-market right now. Here's why this approach works: 1️⃣ Buyers crave valuable content, not product pitches. They want to learn, grow, and connect with peers. Help them do that. 2️⃣ Subscription > lead forms. Don't gate everything behind a form. Let people opt into an ongoing relationship with your brand by managing subscriptions. 3️⃣ Quality matters more than ever. With content abundance, only the truly valuable stuff breaks through. Raise your game. 4️⃣ First-party data is invaluable. A subscription is a direct relationship that helps you understand your audience's real interests and challenges, as opposed to a dark funnel of anonymous buying. 5️⃣ AI can unlock new insights. You can mine those content journeys and engagement patterns to understand deal stories and golden paths. Stan Woods at Velocity Partners recently interviewed Anthony about this and more.  Check out the article in the comments. #B2BMarketing #LeadNurturing #MarTech #ContentStrategy #AudienceFirst #Subscriptions #MQLsareDead

In 27 months, I grew my SaaS startup from $1M-$10M ARR in with only 1 salesperson doing 100% OUTBOUND SALES. Here’s my 7-step playbook for building a lean, high-velocity cold email machine: Step 1) Make sure you have product-market fit - My thesis for 2023 and beyond is without word-of-mouth, nothing will work - But if you have strong word-of-mouth (from PMF), many things can help speed you up, including high-volume, low conversion outbound - which we ran Step 2) Identify your target audience - We used BuiltWith to ID domains who used complimentary tech - We then ran the site traffic with SimilarWeb - For us the winning combination was Shopify + Klaviyo above 10k/mo uniques Step 3) Get creative about getting email addresses - The *lazy* thing to do is pull directly from the data vendors - We find the contacts on Linkedin, then use Skrapp and Hunter to find emails - We would include up to 5 potentially relevant people and copy them all - We sell to the high end of SMB (so we always include CEO as well) Step 4) Create short email sequences - We have used a very similar 3-part sequences for the last 3.5 years - Email 1: Present the main idea. For us, “We can get you email addresses of your anonymous web traffic, even if they don’t fill out a form” - Email 2: Social proof from brands they truly admire (hard in the beginning) - Email 3: A super-simple use case email explaining the actual workflow Step 5) Write clear and simple copy. - Each email should be no longer than a few sentences - Make each sentence its own paragraph - Have no more than one idea per email - Keep it conversational - CTA is a Calendly link in both the body and signature of the email Step 6) Manually send the emails, rather than using automation tools. - We have a team of VA’s in the Philippines manually sending from Gmail - Any response gets routed back to a BDR/AE in the USA - The team in the Philippines also does the lead gen, very manually - Cold email gurus will say this is stupid and sucks, but … scoreboard! Step 7) A/B test the sh*t out of it. - Change something, pick a winner - Try to hone in on things to optimize - You’re building a machine that improves itself It may not work for everybody, but it worked for us. Happy to answer questions in the comments! 👇 TL;DR Step 1) Have Product-Market Fit Step 2) Identify Target Audience Step 3) Get Email Addresses Step 4) Create Short Sequences Step 5) Write Clear/Simple Copy Step 6) Send Manually Step 7) A/B Test

I have friends who charge $5k+ per month for email marketing. Today, I'm gonna give you their top secrets for free. Here are 10 of them: 1. Your popup isn't converting because nobody wants what you're offering. Stop asking for emails in exchange for "exclusive updates." Offer something valuable - a discount, free shipping, or a digital guide they actually want. 2. Most brands blast their entire email list and wonder why they end up in spam. Segment your list and only email engaged subscribers. Your deliverability will thank you, and so will your revenue. 3. Your abandoned cart emails are probably boring AF. Don't just remind them about their cart - address why they didn't buy. Include reviews, highlight your return policy, or showcase the product in action. 4. Everyone obsesses over subject lines, but your "From Name" matters more. People open emails from people, not brands. Test using a founder's name or "Sarah from [Brand Name]" instead of just your company name. 5. Stop setting up 14 different email flows for every possible scenario. Focus on the essentials first: Welcome, Abandoned Cart, Post-Purchase, and Browse Abandonment. Get these right before you get fancy. 6. Your emails should be scannable in 5 seconds. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, emojis, and plenty of white space. Nobody's reading your novel-length product descriptions. 7. Don't hide your unsubscribe link or make it hard to find. Google's new requirements demand it, and frustrated subscribers will mark you as spam instead of unsubscribing properly. 8. Include customer photos and reviews in your emails, not just professional product shots. Real people using your products builds way more trust than your staged photography. 9. Send a customer survey asking "How did you hear about us?" to every new buyer. This data is pure gold for understanding which channels actually drive customers (not just clicks). 10. Test your emails across different devices and email providers before hitting send. What looks perfect in Gmail might be broken in Outlook. Always send test emails to yourself first. The key to effective email marketing is about starting with the basics and testing everything. The brands making serious money from email aren't doing anything magical - they're just doing the fundamentals really, really well.

One cold email isn’t enough. But most follow-ups are just reminders. That’s why they fail. Here’s a better sequence: Email 1 - problem / insight • Lead with a relevant industry shift or pain point. • End with a low-friction CTA. Follow-up 1 - new angle • Instead of “just checking in,” introduce a different benefit. Follow-up 2 – case study or social proof • Show how a similar company solved this issue. Follow-up 3 – final nudge • Make it easy to say yes: “Worth a quick chat, or should I close your file?” The best cold email sequences build momentum. What do you send in follow-ups?