How to Convert Leads with Smart Email Triggers

If you’re still using sequence-based outbound in 2025, you’re doing it wrong. Here's why 👇 You know the play: Day 1 – Email Day 3 – LinkedIn message Day 5 – Bump email Day 8 – “Just circling back…” It’s mechanical. Predictable. Easy to spot from a mile away. And buyers aren’t responding to it anymore, because it’s not about them. It’s about your calendar. The best outbound right now isn’t based on days. It’s based on signals. Signals that show someone is thinking about the problem you solve right now. Here’s what I mean: They viewed your profile They liked or commented on your post They followed you last week They just changed jobs Their company raised a funding round They engaged with a competitor’s content These are all signals. And if you’re not acting on them, someone else will. At Atticus, we’ve rebuilt the outbound engine around signals, not sequences. Here’s what that looks like in practice 👇 1. Scrape the signals We track profile views, post engagers, comment threads, company milestones, and more. We use tools like: Valley Clay Breakcold PhantomBuster And combine it all into a dynamic lead list. New signals get added daily. No static list-building. No manual scrape sessions. 2. Filter for ICP fit Not everyone who views your post is a lead. So, we layer in job title, company size, industry, and recent activity. Then score them against your ICP. You end up with a live lead list updated daily, based on actual buying signals. 3. Trigger the right touchpoint Based on the signal, we trigger a message on the right channel: → Viewed your profile? DM. → Engaged a post? Comment > then DM. → Job change? Email with reference to the new role. → Competitor follow? Positioning-focused message that reframes why you’re different. All written to feel like a real conversation, not a sales sequence. 4. Track what converts Every touchpoint gets logged. We track responses, meetings booked, and what signals led to the highest conversion rate. You start to see patterns: “Profile views after webinars respond at 23%.” “New followers with job changes → demo within 7 days.” That’s how you scale what works. Not a guess. Not spam. Just signal > response > call. The result for us? → 40–50 SQLs/month → 3–5x reply rate compared to sequence-based outreach → No SDRs needed It’s a full-funnel outbound system. And it’s built to start conversations, not burn your domain. Still running outbound from a 5-day drip campaign? It’s time to level up. Interested in having us build this for your business? DM me. And I’ll walk you through how we do it.

Personalization can skyrocket your email marketing ROI, but using it the wrong way can be more harmful than helpful. I once received an email from a sneaker brand I really loved. The subject line used my name, so I opened it thinking there’d be a personalized offer inside. Instead, it was a generic promo for WOMEN’S running shoes. Not only was it completely irrelevant to me, but they had extensive purchase history that would have told them I’m a MAN who JUST PURCHASED SHOES A WEEK EARLIER. Their product is so good that I let it slide, but it definitely took them down a peg in my mind. Personalization is one of the most powerful tools in marketing, but if it’s used in the wrong way it can actually hurt your reputation, hinder conversions, and drive existing customers away. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you... First things first…saying, “Hello {first.name}” is NOT personalization. You need to be using things like browsing history, past purchases, survey completions, and other data to create rich profiles for each customer or prospect. Then, you need to use that information to create highly personalized email experiences that meet each subscriber where THEY’RE at in THEIR customer journey. Just subscribed to our newsletter? Here’s some info about our product, team, and mission. Just bought your first product? Here’s some information about how to get the most out of it. Upgraded to the team plan? Here are some resources to train your co-workers up quickly. You’ll notice that each of these experiences is triggered by a specific action the customer has taken – subscribing to a newsletter, buying a product, or upgrading their plan. When it comes to email personalization, timing is everything. Trigger-based emails will outperform “email blasts” every. single. time. Why? Because, at its core, marketing is all about getting the RIGHT OFFER in front of the RIGHT PERSON at the RIGHT TIME and in the RIGHT FORMAT. Elite email marketers use personalization to do just that. They collect the data, use it to build highly customized email experiences, and lean on behavioral triggers to send those messages at exactly the right time. When done well, personalization makes your customers feel understood and valued. But when done poorly, it can push them away. Follow the steps above to make sure you get it right, and set a reminder for 90 days later to let me know how much it boosted your sales performance. I can’t wait to hear about the results!

A BDR messaged me with a question: 🧔 "I've seen a lot of creators talk about writing personalized emails. How do people have time for that? My advice: Randomly hunting the internet hoping to find a nugget of info to "personalize" your email is hard & slow. Know what you're looking for before starting your research. Here's how -- 🟢 Step 1: Make a list of the top "triggers" that would prompt you to contact a prospect. Examples for when I prospect potential advertising sponsors: 1. Sponsors another podcast/community 2. Recently announced a new product 3. Recently updated messaging/positioning 4. Hiring marketing roles 5. Recently hosted their own webinar These will be the things you'll search for when doing your research. ___ 🟢 Step 2: Write "trigger email templates" for each one of of the above scenarios. These email templates should connect the "trigger" you found to the problem you solve/pitch you're gonna give. Now, when you write your personalized email, you already have the bones of the email in place and don't have to come up with a new segue between the personalized nugget and your pitch every single email. __ 🟢 Step 3: "First is best" Search for those triggers in sequential order. Once you've found 1 trigger, stop hunting for more (What, are you gonna include 17 different personalized bits in a single email?) ___ One way you can get your "triggers" hand-delivered to you is Keyplay (screenshotted).

People don’t want another blast email—they want to feel like you’re talking to them. Marketo’s personalization tools help make each interaction unique, genuine, and relevant. Tools within Marketo to Personalize Your Outreach: 1. Dynamic Content Blocks: Dynamic content lets you tailor emails with the right message, image, or offer for each group. It’s especially useful for customizing specific sections within a single email while keeping the rest consistent. 2. Tokens for Personalization: A little personal touch, like a name or company mention, goes a long way. Tokens can be added across all folders by setting them at the top level or customized at the program level for maximum flexibility. 3. Behavioral Triggers: Timing is everything. Set up triggers based on actions like page visits or clicks to ensure you’re reaching out when your audience is most engaged. 4. Lead Scoring: Lead scoring helps you prioritize and deliver the right content at the right time, tailored to each lead’s journey. You may also want to bring in data from your ABM tool for this. What You Can Personalize: 1. Name: Start with the basics—everyone loves seeing their own name. 2. Geolocation: Context matters. Personalize based on region or city to show you understand their specific needs or local interests. 3. Persona: Tailor messages to different buyer personas, ensuring each one feels like it’s made just for them (because a CFO and a VP of Sales aren't interested in the same thing). 4. Images and Visuals: Swap out images based on location, industry, or interest to make your content feel relevant to each recipient. 5. Content Recommendations: Use browsing history or past interactions to recommend the next best asset. 6. Product or Service Interests: Send personalized messaging around the particular products or services each lead has shown interest in, making it feel like you’re offering a solution just for them. 7. Engagement Stage: Adapt your content based on where they are in the buyer’s journey, from awareness to decision-making. This ensures each message aligns with their current needs and level of interest. Again, your ABM tool might be helpful here. 8. Company Name and Industry: Recognize the lead’s company or industry to show that you understand their business context and challenges, especially useful for B2B audiences. 9. Past Purchases or Transactions: Make returning customers feel valued by referencing past purchases or transactions. This can work wonders for upsells, cross-sells, and loyalty programs. And don’t forget—this customization can be extended to landing pages too! Consistent, seamless experiences make all the difference. In today’s world, personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s how you build real connections. With Marketo, you’re not just sending messages; you’re creating relationships that feel authentic and worth investing in. #marketingoperations #marketingops #personalization #emailmarketing #landingpages #marketo