7 principles for non-pushy email marketing

Sales folks, take note! Spamming a target company's employees with your services and requests for meetings will result in your company making its way onto a buyer's blocklist. As a buyer in the localization industry, I receive dozens of emails and LinkedIn requests every single day from vendors looking to showcase translation, AI, QA services, and more. It's not humanly possible to give personal replies to every outreach. When vendors can't get through to me, they often reach out to everyone on my team... and sometimes to many others across my company. I'd love for this practice to stop. It wastes valuable company time and makes a vendor appear desperate and non-strategic. Here's what to do instead: 1. Appeal to ego! Invite a target company’s decision-maker to a panel, or start a vlog series and ask buyers to appear and discuss industry topics. It’s also a great opportunity to reposition your company as a thought leader. 2. Offer genuine insight, not just services. Share a case study, white paper, or benchmarking data that’s actually useful to the buyer’s role, and do it without a sales pitch. 3. Build a reputation before you build a pipeline. Comment thoughtfully on posts. Contribute to community conversations. If you consistently show up with value, you’re far more likely to get noticed. 4. Target smarter, not broader. Don’t shotgun your message to an entire company. Learn the org. Understand the buyer’s scope. Then send one well-researched, personalized note that shows you actually did your homework. 5. Focus on mutual value. Can you help solve a known pain point or offer perspective on something changing in the market? Frame your outreach around collaboration, not consumption. 6. Use timing to your advantage. Keep tabs on when companies are hiring for roles associated with your offerings, launching in new markets, or attending conferences. That’s when buyers are more receptive to new solutions. 7. Lead with generosity. Offer a no-strings-attached resource, intro, or suggestion that doesn’t benefit you directly. Reciprocity is a powerful trust builder. And please! Don't ever ever call me on the phone! ;)

Client touchpoints shouldn’t feel pushy. They should feel like what they really are: Building real relationships. But many client-facing professionals hesitate to follow  up, worried they’ll seem self-serving. But here’s the shift: When your touchpoints come from generosity, following  up feels: ✅ Natural ✅ Helpful ✅ Human Need to follow up with a client soon? Here are 7 of my favorite trust-building touchpoints that  don’t feel like “selling”: 1. Ask for their perspective → “What shifts are you seeing in your market?” → Let their insights guide your next step → People love being asked what they think 2. Make an introduction → Connect them to someone who can help → Be specific about the value on both sides → Follow up later to see how it went 3. Invite them to something meaningful → A small dinner with peers they’ll enjoy → A virtual panel on a topic they care about → No pitch. Just people they’d want to meet 4. Offer a Give-to-Get → “Want to spend 30 minutes tackling that challenge?” → Share helpful ideas, no strings attached → Let value lead to the next conversation 5. Congratulate and recognize them → Repost their big news with a kind comment → Mail a handwritten note (or flowers!) → Celebrate the personal wins too 6. Send a helpful article → Share something outside your company blog → Add a quick note: “Thought of you when I read this.” → Make it clear you’re thinking of them 7. Send a thoughtful “just because” note → “What you said in that meeting stuck with me.” → Mention their new puppy or kid’s graduation → Yes, snail mail is still magic In the end, it’s not about being remembered. It’s about being helpful. When you show up generously, without pressure, you’re  not just keeping in touch. You’re building something real. Pick one. Try it this week. Let me know how it goes. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full infographic? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

Instantly analyzed 1M+ cold emails. Campaigns getting 20-30% replies had one thing in common that campaigns getting ghosted didn't: Hyperenriched data + micro-targeted lists. Here’s the framework used by the companies that book the most meetings: 1️⃣ STRONG OFFER Your ICP isn't just titles and company size. It's: - The outcome they want - The specific pain keeping them up at night - The language they use to describe their problem Get this wrong, and nothing else matters. 2️⃣ HYPERENRICHED DATA Going beyond name + email is non-negotiable. Job postings. Tech stack. Recent funding. Case studies. LinkedIn activity. The more data points you collect, the more relevant your personalization becomes. 3️⃣ AI PERSONALIZED LINES "Hope you're doing well" → delete "Saw you're hiring 3 AEs after your Series B" → open Make them think you actually researched them. Because you did. 4️⃣ MASTER THE FUNDAMENTALS Stop chasing 100 different angles. Get obsessive about three things: - Who exactly you're targeting (ICP) - What specific outcome you deliver (Offer) - How you communicate value (Copy) Depth > width. 5️⃣ SMALLER, SMARTER LISTS 500 hyper-targeted prospects > 100,000 spray and pray Smaller lists = more specific copy = better deliverability = higher reply rates. 6️⃣ FOLLOW-UP PROTOCOL Most replies don't come from Email #1. 4-touch sequence: Email 1: Personalized opener Email 2: Short bump (3-5 days) Email 3: Different angle (3-5 days) Email 4: Breakup email (3-5 days) Keep them short. Reference the original. Add new value. 7️⃣ VALUE-DRIVEN EMAILS Stop asking for their time immediately. Start offering value first: - "Happy to share what's working best right now" - "Would it make sense to send over a quick example?" - "Can I send you something that could help with [specific pain]?" Build trust. Then earn the conversation. 8️⃣ LONG GAME MINDSET Cold email isn't a magic pill. It's a compounding client acquisition system. Quality > rushing. Presence > pressure. Pipeline > quick wins. 9️⃣ DELIVERABILITY None of this matters if you land in spam. - Multiple domains - Multiple inboxes - 30-50 emails per inbox max - Proper technical setup - 30-day warm-up minimum Master deliverability or waste everything else. The top 1% don't use tricks. They master fundamentals, use better data, personalize at scale, and obsess over deliverability. What's the #1 mistake you see people make with cold email?

7 cold email tips I wish I knew earlier (but now build into every campaign). Cold email works. After sending millions of cold emails across dozens of outbound systems, here’s what consistently improves reply rates: 1. Vague ICP = vague messaging If you don’t know exactly who you’re talking to, you’ll end up writing for no one. Get tight on your ICP first, then write. 2. Subject line ≠ clickbait 3–5 words max. Lowercase. And make it relevant to their world, not yours. If it feels like marketing, it won’t get opened. 3. The preview text is your real subject line The first line sells the open. Start with something relevant, specific, and different from the 20 other emails in their inbox that day. 4. Don’t pitch in paragraph one No one buys from line 3. Start with insight, context, or trigger, not a product feature. 5. Connect personalization to pain Mentioning their dog’s name from LinkedIn doesn’t make your message feel relevant. Always tie personalization back to their goals. 6. CTAs should feel easy, not loaded “Want to explore potential synergies?” = silence. Try: - “Worth a look?” - “Can I send a quick breakdown?” - “Want to see how we did this for [competitor]?” 7. Lead with value, not the ask If the first thing they read is you asking for 30 minutes, they’ll delete it. Don't do this. Instead, start by showing you understand their world and can improve it. That's it. We build this into our outbound systems now, and it's crazy effective. What would you add?

After sending 30,234 cold emails over 5 years… I’ve learned what works (and what gets ignored) 👇🏿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀: 1. Subject line = your opener Short. Relevant. Looks like it belongs in their inbox. Examples: • “Hiring problems” • “Team at {{Company}}” • “{{FirstName}}, this causing headaches?” Keep it under 5 words. Make it feel like an internal convo, not a pitch. A/B test what lands. ⸻ 2. Preview line = your first impression Don’t waste this with “Hope you’re well.” Lead with the trigger: “Saw you’re hiring 3+ SDRs” “Noticed you’re expanding to Europe” “Ops usually breaks around this stage… seeing that too?” ⸻ 3. Lead with pain, not product Skip the intro. Don’t pitch too soon. Speak to what they’re already feeling: “Sales teams I work with usually hit these: • low reply rates • inconsistent messaging • reps burning leads with generic copy That sound familiar?” ⸻ 4. Format for mobile Big blocks = ignored. Use white space. 1–2 sentence chunks. Make it skimmable. ⸻ 5. Write like you talk If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t type it. No “introductions.” No “trusted partner solutions.” Just a conversation. ⸻ 6. Use soft CTAs Not “Book time here” too aggressive! Instead: • “Open to a exploring this?” • “Want me to send over examples?” • “Is this of interest or am i clutching at straws?” Low pressure. High response rate. ⸻ 7. No links. No images. No fluff. Text only in your first email. Keeps it human. Boosts deliverability. ⸻ 8. Objection? Call them. Got a “Not interested”? Pick up the phone. If they don’t answer, try: “Totally fair what made you go with that one? Always curious what’s working for others.” Or: “No worries… just curious, is that because it’s solved or not a priority right now?” My stack for keeping it all flowing? To stay efficient without sacrificing personalisation, I use Woodpecker.co ✅ A/B test subject lines ✅ Smart follow-up automation ✅ Replies still feel 1:1 P.S. Cold email still works. When it’s real. Human. Relevant. Repost to help a new rep skip the fluff and start booking meetings faster ♻️ ——— Looking to break into tech sales? Shoot me a DM 🫡

Here’s how I write my cold emails. (I have a 30 % reply rate with this template) 𝟭. 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: Keep it boring. Make it look like an internal email and not a marketing campaign. • “𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘜𝘚” • “𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯” • “𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴” Your subject line doesn’t close deals. It just gets the open. 𝟮. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 = 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: If this sucks, nothing else matters. Example: “𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺, 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘖𝘙?” This shows: → It’s not automated → I did minimal homework → This is relevant to YOU 𝟯. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 > 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵: Most people pitch too early. I don’t. I do this instead: Example: “𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘈 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵𝘺.” Now they’re thinking: “Yeah… that’s us.” 𝟰. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 (𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗹𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘆): This is where you build trust without pushing. I add one simple line: “𝘞𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘟 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 5 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵.” That’s it. No paragraphs. No bragging. Just enough for them to think: “Okay, they’ve done this before.” 𝟱. 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗖𝗧𝗔 (𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗽): Don’t be aggressive. Don’t be vague. Use: “𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭? 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴” Low pressure = higher replies. 𝟲. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗧: My emails are: → 4–6 lines → No fluff → No links → No attachments If it looks like work to read… you’ve already lost. Bonus tip: Write for mobile-reading! 𝟳. 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: This is what most people ignore. And it kills campaigns before they even start. Good copy means nothing if no one sees it. Here’s the exact workflow I use to build my sending infrastructure with Maildoso: → Register multiple email domains → Let their system handle all DNS automatically → Check their dashboard weekly to monitor inbox placement Their official Google Workspace accounts start at $2.70 only. The goal isn’t volume. It’s staying out of spam while scaling. Good copy means nothing if no one sees it. That’s it. • Relevant • Clear • Easy to respond to P.S. Are you team cold calls or cold emails? I like to tag team them!

“People hate getting cold emails.” Correction: ”People hate getting [bad] cold emails.” Which unfortunately is most cold emails. However, when done right? Cold email is the fastest way to kick-start your pipeline. I know because I scaled 2 businesses to 6 & 7 figures (all with cold email – no other marketing). But I’ll be honest. It took me months to figure out. I fell into the same trap that most people do. I failed to answer the most important question that every great cold email MUST answer: ”Why should I care about this email?” Instead my emails were: • Vague • Product-focused • And frankly... untrustworthy But if I could go back in time, here are 7 things I would tell myself (to save myself months of trial & error): 1/ Test 2-4 openers. Then double down on the winners, not the one you like best. 2/ Make the first line about them, not you. If it starts with “I,” rewrite it. And skip the fake flattery. 3/ Strip all the jargon & fluff. Keep all words and sentences simple & short. Aim for a grade 3 reading level. 4/ Mirror their language. Pull phrasing from their website, LinkedIn, or job postings to signal you understand their world. 5/ Add proof. Whether that’s a one-sentence case study, testimonial, or relevant result. 6/ Give before you ask for a meeting. Offer a free resource, insight, or benchmark relevant to their role. 7/ Treat follow-ups as fresh cold emails. Don’t just “check in.” Add value at every exchange. And ensure every line answers the all-important: ”Why should I care?” question. What have I missed? Comment below. – 📌 Want to profitably scale your cold email outreach? Click “Visit my website” to see how over 2,000 SMBs are reaching more prospects & booking more calls (without paying Google/Outlook a small fortune).