I typically see the first mail outperforming all other mails in a sequence, because it is (well) the first.
What is a response decline from mail 1 to mail 2 that would signify that they're both equally good?
Is your 2% reply rate a) any reply including "drop dead" or positive replies? If the latter, what's a benchmark for positive reply rate of total replies?
Yes, you are spot on. Email 1 is by far the best-performing one, followed by Email 2.
After Email 2, the reply rate drops significantly, so Email 1 is where you should focus most of your efforts. That’s why we created the doc with 15 email frameworks.
Great question about the reply rate. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get good reply rates on campaigns because:
a) contact data is easily accessible
b) there are a ton of AI sales tools
As a result, decision-makers are being targeted much more, and their inboxes are flooded with cold emails.
Consequently, everyone’s average reply rate has been decreasing over the years.
A 2% reply rate is the bare minimum to continue using a campaign. This relates to the total number of replies, and at least 20% of those replies should be positive. Hope that helps. Have a great weekend!
In B2B outbound, prior opt-in isn’t required when you’re using business contact data from public/commercial databases and have legitimate interest.
The key requirement is compliance (for EU). Clear identification, relevant messaging, and a clear opt-out in every email. You can get verified emails from Hunter.io and don’t have to worry about opt-ins.
I agree with Lovro that in a B2B outbound context, you can often email business contacts without prior opt-in by relying on legitimate interest, as long as the messaging is relevant, transparent, and you include a clear opt-out.
That said, PG, your point absolutely applies to B2C. Consumer emails/DMs/calls generally require prior opt-in. I'd also use this rule for B2B newsletters and ongoing content to get opt-ins to respect preferences and improve engagement.
Thanks so much for reading this Substack and for your contribution to the discussion. Have a great weekend!
Maja, with all these cool images you’re creating, I genuinely think you should make a photo album next year and sell it. This is it. This is your next book :)))
Haha, you are so kind! Thanks a million. Great minds think alike- such a gallery is already included in our book bundle https://gtmstrategist.com/ - not sure about the next book - still feeling that there is more work to be done to get the knowledge from the first one out there :)) Thanks again for your kind comment & have a great weekend.
Aaah, good to know about the bundle! That's such a smart way to package it.
As for the book, I totally get wanting to perfect the first one before diving into the next.
What you're sharing is incredibly valuable, and I genuinely mean that. I've been learning so much from how you break down GTM strategy and make it actually actionable instead of theoretical.
Thanks for putting all of this out there. It makes a real difference for those of us trying to figure this stuff out while doing the work. Have a great weekend!
@maja this has to be one of the best and most comprehensive articles on he art and science of outbound. Congrats on putting this out there. I am it gets the readership it deserves. I’ve always shared with my GTM team.
Mission accomplished! <3 Thanks so much for recognizing the quality of this one. I wanted to share a DIY outbound recipe with the community here, as a guide I needed when I was starting. It has been well-received so far, and I hope the trend continues. Have a great holiday break & thank you so much for reading the GTM Strategist and providing valuable feedback in comments. This is how I can improve my content. Got me curious to check out your newsletter now :)))
@maja thanks for the interesting post.
I typically see the first mail outperforming all other mails in a sequence, because it is (well) the first.
What is a response decline from mail 1 to mail 2 that would signify that they're both equally good?
Is your 2% reply rate a) any reply including "drop dead" or positive replies? If the latter, what's a benchmark for positive reply rate of total replies?
Hey Gijs!
Yes, you are spot on. Email 1 is by far the best-performing one, followed by Email 2.
After Email 2, the reply rate drops significantly, so Email 1 is where you should focus most of your efforts. That’s why we created the doc with 15 email frameworks.
Great question about the reply rate. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get good reply rates on campaigns because:
a) contact data is easily accessible
b) there are a ton of AI sales tools
As a result, decision-makers are being targeted much more, and their inboxes are flooded with cold emails.
Consequently, everyone’s average reply rate has been decreasing over the years.
A 2% reply rate is the bare minimum to continue using a campaign. This relates to the total number of replies, and at least 20% of those replies should be positive. Hope that helps. Have a great weekend!
Thanks, appreciate the 20% positive reply rate as a KPI. Appreciated!
What about opt-ins? Are you advising to send emails to non opt-ins? That is a recipe for disaster. Pls explain.
In B2B outbound, prior opt-in isn’t required when you’re using business contact data from public/commercial databases and have legitimate interest.
The key requirement is compliance (for EU). Clear identification, relevant messaging, and a clear opt-out in every email. You can get verified emails from Hunter.io and don’t have to worry about opt-ins.
I agree with Lovro that in a B2B outbound context, you can often email business contacts without prior opt-in by relying on legitimate interest, as long as the messaging is relevant, transparent, and you include a clear opt-out.
That said, PG, your point absolutely applies to B2C. Consumer emails/DMs/calls generally require prior opt-in. I'd also use this rule for B2B newsletters and ongoing content to get opt-ins to respect preferences and improve engagement.
Thanks so much for reading this Substack and for your contribution to the discussion. Have a great weekend!
Maja, with all these cool images you’re creating, I genuinely think you should make a photo album next year and sell it. This is it. This is your next book :)))
Haha, you are so kind! Thanks a million. Great minds think alike- such a gallery is already included in our book bundle https://gtmstrategist.com/ - not sure about the next book - still feeling that there is more work to be done to get the knowledge from the first one out there :)) Thanks again for your kind comment & have a great weekend.
Aaah, good to know about the bundle! That's such a smart way to package it.
As for the book, I totally get wanting to perfect the first one before diving into the next.
What you're sharing is incredibly valuable, and I genuinely mean that. I've been learning so much from how you break down GTM strategy and make it actually actionable instead of theoretical.
Thanks for putting all of this out there. It makes a real difference for those of us trying to figure this stuff out while doing the work. Have a great weekend!
@maja this has to be one of the best and most comprehensive articles on he art and science of outbound. Congrats on putting this out there. I am it gets the readership it deserves. I’ve always shared with my GTM team.
Mission accomplished! <3 Thanks so much for recognizing the quality of this one. I wanted to share a DIY outbound recipe with the community here, as a guide I needed when I was starting. It has been well-received so far, and I hope the trend continues. Have a great holiday break & thank you so much for reading the GTM Strategist and providing valuable feedback in comments. This is how I can improve my content. Got me curious to check out your newsletter now :)))
I’m a reader not a publisher 😅 no probs, have a great holiday too, really enjoy your content 👍