“I delete hundreds of emails every day, but I responded to yours. So, let’s get going.”

That is how the CEO of an industrial automation company began a meeting with me at a recent  conference. His interest was piqued, but he was also in a hurry to get to the point.

It was a little risky, but I stopped to ask why he had agreed to meet with me.

He shared in rapid succession these four reasons:

• You named a specific initiative at my company, so it did not feel like spam
• You asked good questions that got me thinking about buyer personalization
• You shared three peer names and that got my attention
• My VP of Sales also forwarded your email to me suggesting we meet

Boom, there it is, personalization that drives engagement!  

It takes more time, but it works. The challenge is scaling this type of personalization as we’re prospecting. 

Luckily, there are a number of strategies as well as software products and services that can help us do this more effectively, efficiently, and at scale.

And, it is worth the investment.  

We see personalized prospecting sequences get response rates of 5%, sometimes as high as 10%, compared to an industry average of less than 1% for “spray and pray” emails.

Here are a few suggestions on moving down the path of personalizing at scale:

First, always start your email with a “personalization postulate” (credit to Vanguard Prospecting for this great term) that speaks to each recipient personally.  

We encourage personalizing around a company initiative or CEO podcast/post because both types of content are relevant and meaningful for everyone in the company.

Second, use questions to invite a conversation. Guide the buyer to think about something they are doing or not doing. Questions suggest that they will learn from you whether they buy or not.

Third, build sequences around specific peer groups of companies or accounts. It makes your client name drops relevant and meaningful. You get bonus points if you are able to point them to a peer case study or success story on your website.

Finally, reach out to multiple buyers in your buying group at each company rather than just an individual. If you have done a good job of identifying an initiative, asking good questions, and sharing peer names, it is more likely that your email will be circulated.

Personalization is the future of all prospecting. Buyers are overwhelmed and checked out, so there has to be a clear hook.

Personalization at scale is a way to serve your buyers and not lose your mind in the drone of a mindless, monochromatic outreach.

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Learn more using a programmatic prospecting approach to personalize at scale here.