How to Personalize Cold Emails

Crafting a cold email might seem simple, right? Ask any marketer or SDR, and they’ll tell you it’s far from easy. So why do cold emails only see an average open rate of 23.9%? The answer often boils down to one thing: your messaging isn’t compelling enough—or worse, you’re not reaching the right audience.

The biggest culprit? A lack of personalization. In today’s competitive business world, personalizing your cold emails is essential to achieving better open and response rates, whether you're trying to grab attention, build trust, or convert prospects into customers.

But here's the catch: personalization isn’t just about using the recipient’s name. It’s about demonstrating a real understanding of their pain points and needs. And that requires research and strategy.

Curious about how to do this, right? In this blog, we'll break down what true personalization means in cold emailing and share seven best practices to boost your open and response rates. Plus, we’ve included some proven templates to help you hit your sales goals.

Let’s dive in—first, let’s explore why your cold emails might not be getting the responses you want.

Why Are Your Cold Emails Not Getting Responses?

Many marketers consider potential customers opening their cold emails as a success metric for their campaigns—and while that is not entirely false, it is definitely misguided. Open rates do not determine conversions—response rates do. 

This means that if your cold email campaigns are not registering a response rate at par with the industry average of 8.5%, it is time to study the different aspects of your email marketing campaign, including the email service provider you are using, and figure out what needs to be optimized. 

Here are a few reasons why your emails are not getting responses:

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Low Email Deliverability

Sending cold emails from an account that is neither warmed up nor authenticated or exceeding your daily email sending limit can prevent your emails from landing in the primary inbox. Poor sender reputation, unverified domains, or spammy phrases can trigger email filters, such as sending your emails to the Promotions tab or, worse, the Spam folder!

Unclear Value Proposition

Would you buy something from a salesman who chews your ear off while talking about his company and the product(s) he sells? Of course not. The same goes for cold emails in which you continuously pitch your product.  

Emails focused on your product or company instead of the recipient’s needs come off as self-serving. Recipients won’t engage if they don’t see how it benefits them.

Lack of Targeting

Generic cold emails come across as irrelevant and unprofessional. Poor audience research can lead to a lack of targeting, making your offer less appealing to your recipients. For instance, a startup with limited funding will not be interested in expensive enterprise-grade software. 

Your recipients may miss the value you are trying to provide because you are targeting the wrong audience or your messaging is not aligned with their current needs, which can lower response rates.

The common denominator of all these reasons is personalization. Let’s now understand what personalization means in the context of modern-day cold emails.

Enter Personalization—What Does it Mean in the Context of Cold Emails Today?

As we mentioned earlier, just throwing in {{First Name}} and {{Company Name}} in your cold emails isn’t enough anymore. Sure, it might get the email opened, but unless you’re addressing the prospect’s pain points or current challenges, you're not likely to get much of a response.

That’s why doing your homework on prospects before you send that email is crucial. Udit Goenka, Founder and CEO of FirstSales.io, suggests a simple but effective 3x3 research method: 

• Spend 3 minutes on the prospect’s LinkedIn
• 3 minutes on their company’s website
• 3 minutes on recent industry news 

He claims this can seriously boost your response rates. But here’s the thing: personalization has evolved. Josh Braun, host of the Inside Selling Podcast, points out that 1:1 personalization can sometimes feel forced. That’s where hyper-relevant messaging comes in.

Instead of congratulating someone on a promotion or commenting on their recent LinkedIn activity, try these more thoughtful strategies:

• Understand the goals they might be striving for in their new role
• Frame your product as a solution to their immediate needs
• Acknowledge an opinion they’ve shared on an industry leader’s post

This approach can truly increase your chances of getting a response and can help build relationships that lead to conversions .

Another fun way to personalize? Dynamic image personalization. According to COSLRhq in a Reddit thread, using a current meme or a culturally relevant image with customized text or the company’s name can grab attention—if done right. However, it is important to be cautious and that the image fits the tone of your message.

For an even more personal touch, try video. Custom video messages in emails are a great way to stand out but keep in mind that this isn’t scalable. As your intent data shows, it’s best reserved for high-value prospects.

Ready to start seeing better results with personalized emails? Check out the seven best practices below to help you boost your response rates and turn those prospects into loyal customers.

7 Best Practices for Personalizing Cold Emails for Higher Response Rates

Here are the top seven best practices you can follow to personalize your cold emails and get actual responses:

Narrow Down on Target Audience Segments

The more you know about your target audience and understand their needs and preferences, the better you can personalize your cold emails for higher response rates. 

To identify your target audience segments, you must divide your email list into groups based on shared characteristics like industry, company size, job role, and more. This approach ensures your emails address each segment's unique needs and priorities. Sales emails should also highlight benefits aligned with their recipients’ goals, such as: 

• Cost savings for SMBs 
• Robust enterprise integrations

This type of segmentation can boost your engagement. To impress high-priority leads, we recommend manually researching each lead and their company and creating hyper-personalized emails using relevant language, tone, and messaging that caters to their needs and preferences. 

You can now use modern-day AI email writer tools to generate quality email drafts that can improve your cold email campaigns' open and response rates.

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Use a Company Email Address and a Personalized Email Signature

Using a company email address (e.g., yourname@yourcompany.com) rather than a generic one (e.g., yourname@gmail.com) boosts credibility and brand recognition in cold emails.  It assures recipients that your outreach is authentic and associated with a legitimate organization, increasing their willingness to engage.

Moreover, a personalized email signature that includes the following helps prospect understand who is contacting them and why: 

• Your company logo
• Website link
• Contact details

It also reinforces your brand identity, and your professional appearance can help the email escape spam filters. In addition, say you include your phone number in your email signature; this provides recipients with a quicker and more direct method to reach out to you.

Write an Attention-Grabbing Subject Line

Your subject line is like the opening note of a song—it needs to strike a chord with the audience. Otherwise, they will skip the song or, in this case, read the rest of your cold email. This is where addressing the prospect by their name can be helpful.

Here is an example:

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For example, instead of saying, “limited time offer—40% off on {{your product}},” you can try: “Hey John, want 40% off on your favourite {{type of product you are selling}}?”. You can also personalize your subject lines by adding your prospect’s company name or directly addressing one of the pain points they may face based on your B2B data. Professional email subject lines can result in significantly higher response rates.  You can try this hack to increase your email open rates by 50% or more.

Craft a Supporting Pre-Header and a Powerful Opening Statement

An email pre-header is the summary text just below the subject line that gives the recipient a preview of the email. If crafted in support of the subject line, a good email pre-header provides further incentive to open and respond to the cold email.

For instance, if your subject line reads something like “{{The service your offer}} for {{the Recipient’s Company}},” your email pre-header can be “Excited to share an idea that could help {{Recipient’s Company}} scale faster.” This builds curiosity while showing relevance to the recipient's goals. Avoiding generic phrases is key; you should highlight a key value proposition that aligns with the recipient’s needs. Here’s an example below.

The opening statement is another aspect of your email that you can personalize to improve response rates. It should resonate with the reader immediately and invite them to read further. Most prospects already know the problems they face, which makes the opening statement the perfect element to customize, keeping the recipient’s priorities in mind.

For example, say you are an SDR from a branding services firm cold emailing the VP of an enterprise-grade software company that has recently launched a flagship product. In this case, a powerful opening statement would be recognizing their need to promote their new product and positioning your services as the ideal solution for the job.

Your opening statement could read something like: “Congratulations on the launch of [[New Product]]. Have you considered how you would like to market it to {{Recipient’s Company}}’s existing customers? I have got a few ideas you might love right below!” 

Keep Your Copy Concise and Include a Tailored Offer

Did you know the average attention span of a person is just 8.25 seconds? With that in mind, sending a long or vague cold email can really hurt your chances of getting your message across—and might even lead to unsubscribes. To keep your emails short but effective, focus on what matters most and skip the fancy HTML. A great cold email should include:

• A quick intro about who you are and what you’re offering.
• The benefit it brings to the person reading it.
• A clear, actionable next step (call to action).

Being concise doesn’t mean your email can’t make an impact. The trick is to make sure your offer speaks to the recipient’s needs. For example, a discount on a social media analytics tool might attract a content manager, but a Chief Marketing Officer would likely respond better to a solution that helps with big-picture goals, like cutting ad costs or improving CRM efficiency through automation. Personalizing your message based on their job role and company is key to making it more appealing.

Adding social proof can also make a difference. If you’ve worked with similar companies and achieved great results, a case study can really strengthen your pitch—but save that for follow-up emails. The first email should stay simple and straight to the point.

End the Email with a Strong and Relevant Call to Action (CTA)

A strong, relevant call to action (CTA) is essential for encouraging your email recipients to respond. Instead of a vague “let me know,” offer a clear next step based on the recipient’s needs or interests. For example: “Can we schedule a 15-minute call this week to discuss how our solution can help [Company] achieve [specific goal]?”

Making the CTA personalized and actionable makes it easier for the recipient to understand what to do next. A specific CTA removes any ambiguity, which increases the chances they’ll take action and engage with your email. Keep it concise, and avoid mentioning extra features or services.

It's also important to limit the number of CTAs in your email. Too many can confuse the recipient about what action to take. Adding a sense of urgency can make your CTA even more effective. Phrases like “offer valid for a limited time” or “15% off for the first 50 users” can create a fear of missing out, boosting engagement and response rates.

A/B Test Your Personalized Cold Emails with Automation

Personalization is a powerful strategy because nearly every part of your email can be customized to boost open and response rates. But how do you know what's working and what needs tweaking?

This is where A/B testing and automation come into play.

In addition to A/B testing your subject line, pre-header, opening statement, email body, and call to action, you can also experiment with sending times. According to data from Omnisend, Tuesdays and Fridays are the best days to send emails, as these days see the highest open, click-through, and conversion rates. Additionally, emails sent at 2 PM, 5 PM, and 8 PM tend to receive the most engagement.

If you're only following up with 10-20 leads per month, you can manually A/B test your campaigns. However, if you have a larger pipeline (which most successful organizations do), this is where automation becomes invaluable.

Automation allows you to personalize the entire email drip sequence and schedule emails to be sent at specific intervals or triggered by actions like signing up for gated content. Tools like Hunter.io can help you automate your cold email campaigns. Plus, automation enhances cold emailing by enabling features like auto-updating intent data in your CRM and prioritizing high-value leads in your pipeline. You can use tools like Salesintel.io to keep your B2B data accurate without manual effort.

Proven Examples of Personalized Cold Emails that Get High Response Rates

Keeping the above-mentioned best practices in mind, here are some proven examples of personalized emails that influence your response rates:

Sales Cold Email with a Personalized Name

Why Does it Work?

• The subject line mentions the prospect’s name, role, company, and specific achievements, making it relevant.
• The email copy focuses on their challenges and offers a concrete example of the results you have delivered for similar customers.
• The call to action (CTA) proposes a specific action (15-minute call) and asks for their availability, reducing decision fatigue.

Follow-Up Email with Social Proof

Why Does it Work?

• The follow-up serves as a polite nudge without appearing overbearing or unpleasant. 
• In case the potential customer is unwilling to read the main message, the follow-up email notes the main ideas discussed in the earlier email. Once they read the message, they will understand what you are open to discussing. 
• The obvious call to action (CTA) makes what you want the recipient to do apparent.

Cold Email Reaching Out To a C-Suite Executive at Their New Role

Why Does it Work?

• The subject line acknowledges their new role and its challenges and demonstrates research and respect, immediately making the email relevant.
• The email copy ties your solution to their potential objectives, showing how you can help them succeed in their role.
• Highlighting a similar success story adds credibility and makes your offer relatable.
• The specific and actionable call to action (CTA) makes it easy for them to respond.

Personalized Cold Email Offering a Complimentary Product Trial

Why Does it Work?

• The subject line boldly mentions the product name and highlights the benefit of allowing the recipient to try it out risk-free.
• The email copy offers a risk-free complimentary trial lowering the barrier to entry, making it easy for your prospects to say yes.
• Referencing results achieved by other clients adds credibility and relevance.
• The CTA encourages action, such as scheduling a call and setting up the trial.

Hyper-Personalized Cold Email Targeting Specific Pain Points

Why Does it Work?

• The email incorporates details about the prospect, such as a recent achievement, insight, or project, showing genuine interest.
• The email copy addresses the pain point directly, demonstrating an understanding of their challenges and positioning your product as a tailored solution.
• Referring to a similar company to build trust and show credibility.
• The clear and relevant CTA proposes an easy next step, making it convenient for the recipient to engage.

Hyper-Personalized Cold Email Highlighting a Mutual Connection

Why Does it Work?

• Mentioning someone both parties know builds immediate credibility and increases the likelihood of a response.
• This email is personalized to their expertise and acknowledges their work or achievements, demonstrating that you have done your research.
• There is a clear value proposition that ties your product or service to the challenges the recipient faces and uses a relatable example to build relevance.
• The simple CTA suggests an easy next step to initiate further conversation.

Personalized Cold Email Based on G2 Reviews

Why Does it Work?

• The email acknowledges the recipient’s success by referencing positive reviews that show genuine interest in their work.
• The email demonstrates a deep understanding of their situation by identifying a recurring issue mentioned in G2 reviews.
• There is a clear value proposition that highlights social proof and highlights how similar companies have solved comparable problems using your product or service.
• The specific CTA asks for a brief meeting, making it easy for the recipient to respond.

Conclusion

Cold email outreach is still one of the best ways to generate leads, build relationships, and turn potential customers into loyal advocates for your brand. But with so many businesses trying to grab attention, it’s important to have something that stands out and encourages a response.

Personalization is the game changer here.

Focusing on a specific audience, crafting eye-catching subject lines, keeping your message simple and direct, and including clear calls to action can greatly increase the chances of a positive response. Since customer preferences are always changing, A/B testing your emails is essential to keep improving and getting the best results.

Need to save time and make email outreach more convenient? Try MailMaestro – the AI-powered tool that helps you craft personalized, professional emails in seconds, so you can focus on what really matters.

FAQs on Personalizing Cold Emails

Why is personalization important in cold emails?

Personalization helps your email stand out, making it more relevant to the recipient and increasing the likelihood of a positive response.

How can I personalize a cold email effectively?

Focus on the recipient’s role, company, and pain points. Mention something specific to them to show you've done your research.

Should I include a case study in my first email?

No, save case studies for follow-ups. The first email should be brief and focused on sparking interest, not overwhelming the recipient with details.

What’s the best way to craft a compelling subject line?

Keep it concise, relevant, and intriguing. Mention a benefit or key point that will grab the recipient's attention quickly.

How can I test the effectiveness of my cold emails?

Use A/B testing to try different subject lines, messages, and CTAs. Monitor response rates to refine your approach over time.

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