The 4 Levels of Cold Email Personalization (Easy-Hard)

Lavender
3 Nov 202306:23

TLDRThe video script discusses the four levels of email personalization, emphasizing the importance of connecting personal details to the core message. It highlights basic personalization using titles and industry, the common mistake of irrelevant personalization, creative personalized emails that may not appeal to everyone, and the most effective approach: relevant business personalization. This involves researching prospects to identify potential problems and tailoring the outreach to address these issues, increasing the likelihood of engagement and response.

Takeaways

  • 📈 Personalization can enhance email engagement by making recipients feel the message is tailored for them.
  • 🎯 The most basic level of personalization includes using titles, industry, and company size to target recipients.
  • 🔍 Level two personalization involves adding elements from the prospect's background but often lacks relevance to the overall message.
  • 🎨 The third level, creative personalization, connects observed details about the prospect to the reason for outreach in a unique way.
  • 🔗 Relevant business personalization is the most effective, as it directly addresses a potential problem or challenge the prospect may be facing.
  • 💌 Email personalization should go beyond automation and aim to capture the recipient's attention with meaningful content.
  • 🚫 Avoid irrelevant personalization that doesn't tie back into the core message, as it can be easily dismissed by prospects.
  • 🧐 Research and observations about a prospect's business can be powerful triggers for personalization and engagement.
  • 📊 Analyze past customers and prospects to identify changes that made them more likely to need your product.
  • 🌟 Nuanced and specific observations in personalization are more likely to capture the recipient's attention.
  • ⚖️ Balance the depth of personalization based on the size of your target market and the potential value of each prospect.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of email personalization?

    -The main purpose of email personalization is to get the reader to pay attention and consume the entire message because they feel like that message is specifically for them.

  • What are the four levels of cold email personalization discussed in the transcript?

    -The four levels of cold email personalization discussed are: 1) Basic personalization using title, industry, and company size; 2) Irrelevant personalization where the personalized element does not tie into the wider message; 3) Creative personalization that connects an observation about the prospect to the reason for reaching out; and 4) Relevant business personalization that directly addresses a problem or challenge the prospect might be facing.

  • Why might basic personalization not stand out to prospects?

    -Basic personalization might not stand out because it often uses easily accessible information that anyone can find. Prospects receive many such emails and recognize automated patterns, which can cause them to stop paying attention.

  • What is a common mistake sellers make with personalization at the second level?

    -A common mistake at the second level of personalization is including personalized information about the prospect that does not connect to the wider message, resulting in an irrelevant connection that does not answer the question of why the seller has reached out.

  • How can creative personalization help an email stand out?

    -Creative personalization can help an email stand out by observing something unique about the prospect or their company and weaving it into the value proposition in a clever and engaging way, making the email memorable and different from standard outreach.

  • What is the key difference between creative personalization and relevant business personalization?

    -The key difference is that creative personalization focuses on making a memorable and engaging connection with the prospect, while relevant business personalization directly addresses a problem or challenge the prospect might be facing, based on observations and research.

  • Why is it important to find a balance in the depth of personalization?

    -Finding a balance is important because too much time spent on personalization can be inefficient if you have a large market, while too little research might not capture the interest of prospects, especially when selling to a smaller, more exclusive market.

  • What are some examples of observations that can be used in relevant business personalization?

    -Examples include company headcount changes, job openings, bad product reviews, company expansion, website updates, leadership changes, and showing interest in the seller's company or products.

  • How can sellers use observations to make their outreach more effective?

    -Sellers can use observations by connecting them to a logical problem or challenge the prospect might be facing. This shows the prospect that the seller has done their research and understands their needs, making the outreach more relevant and compelling.

  • What is the recommended approach to framing observations in personalization?

    -The recommended approach is to say 'I saw this about you, because of that I thought this could be a problem for you, we can help solve that. Does this sound interesting?' This directly connects the observation to a potential problem and offers a solution.

  • How can specificity in personalization improve the effectiveness of an email?

    -Being specific in personalization can grab the prospect's attention more effectively by showing a deeper understanding of their situation. For example, mentioning a specific report or event can be more compelling than a general statement about hiring.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Understanding the Four Levels of Email Personalization

This paragraph introduces the concept of email personalization and outlines its importance in capturing the reader's attention. It explains that personalization makes the recipient feel that the message is specifically for them. The paragraph then delves into the four levels of personalization: basic personalization using titles, industry, and company size; irrelevant personalization where personal details are included without connecting to the wider message; creative personalization that observes something unique about the prospect and ties it into the value proposition; and relevant business personalization that identifies a problem or challenge the prospect might be facing and offers a solution. The key takeaway is that effective personalization should be relevant and logical to the recipient's situation.

05:00

🔍 Identifying Effective Personalization Techniques

The second paragraph focuses on how to effectively use personalization in outreach. It emphasizes the importance of not just mentioning observations about the prospect, but also connecting these observations to a logical problem or challenge. The paragraph advises on selecting the most relevant observations that could indicate a need for the seller's product or solution. It suggests analyzing past customers to identify changes that led them to need the product and stresses the importance of specificity in personalization. The summary highlights the need for a balanced approach depending on the size of the target market and the potential impact of detailed research on the success of personalization efforts.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Personalization

Personalization refers to the process of tailoring communication to make it more relevant and engaging to the recipient. In the context of the video, it is about crafting emails in a way that makes the reader feel the message is specifically intended for them, thereby increasing the likelihood of them paying attention and responding. The video discusses different levels of personalization and emphasizes the importance of relevant personalization in effective communication.

💡Email Marketing

Email marketing is a form of direct marketing that involves sending commercial messages to a group of people via email. The video script discusses the use of personalization in email marketing to capture the attention of the reader and make them engage with the content. It highlights the importance of creating a connection with the recipient to make the email stand out among the many others they receive.

💡Lead List

A lead list is a collection of potential customers or prospects who might be interested in a company's products or services. In the video, the lead list is mentioned as a starting point for personalization efforts, where elements such as titles, industry, and company size are often used to segment the list and make initial contact with potential leads.

💡Irrelevant Personalization

Irrelevant personalization is when personal details are included in a message without any meaningful connection to the main content or purpose of the communication. The video emphasizes that this approach is common but often ineffective because it fails to answer the question of why the sender is reaching out, leading to a lack of engagement from the recipient.

💡Creative Personalization

Creative personalization involves observing something unique about the prospect or their company and weaving it into the message in a way that stands out and captures attention. This level of personalization requires more effort and creativity but can make the communication more memorable and engaging.

💡Relevant Business Personalization

Relevant business personalization is the highest level of personalization discussed in the video. It involves identifying specific challenges or problems the prospect may be facing and connecting these observations to the solution the sender is offering. This approach is effective because it shows the recipient that the sender has done their research and understands their needs.

💡Triggers

Triggers are events, changes, or situations that indicate a potential problem or need for a solution. In the context of the video, triggers are used to identify prospects who might be more receptive to a product or service based on recent developments or challenges they are facing. This allows for more targeted and effective personalization.

💡Value Proposition

A value proposition is the unique benefit or advantage that a product or service offers to customers over competitors. In the video, the value proposition is integral to the process of personalization, as it is the core message that needs to be communicated effectively to the prospect. Personalization efforts should highlight and reinforce the value proposition to make it compelling to the recipient.

💡Attention Span

Attention span refers to the amount of time a person can concentrate on a task or message without becoming distracted. In the context of the video, capturing and maintaining the recipient's attention span is crucial for the success of the email marketing campaign. Personalization techniques are used to grab the recipient's attention and keep them engaged with the message.

💡Engagement

Engagement in the context of the video refers to the interaction and involvement of the recipient with the email content. High engagement is desirable as it indicates that the recipient is interested and potentially responsive to the message. The video outlines various levels of personalization as a means to increase engagement by making the message more relevant and appealing to the recipient.

Highlights

Personalization is key to getting a reader to pay attention and consume your entire message because they feel like the message is for them.

The four levels of cold email personalization are discussed, ranging from basic personalization to relevant business personalization.

The most basic level of personalization includes using titles, industry, and company size to target leads.

Level two involves irrelevant personalization, where personal details are included but do not tie into the wider message.

Level three is creative personalization, where an observation about the prospect is used to weave a unique and engaging message.

The highest level, relevant business personalization, involves making a logical connection between an observation and a potential problem the recipient might be facing.

Using AI tools to scrape information for personalization is common, but it's crucial to connect that information to the overall message.

An example of creative personalization is using the prospect's role as a dog trainer to relate to project management software.

Relevant business personalization can elevate a message by adding a thoughtful add-on, like mentioning the recipient's old manuals.

Observations used in outreach should be connected to a logical problem or challenge that the solution can address.

Examples of triggers that can be used for personalization include company headcount changes, job openings, bad reviews, and company expansions.

The effectiveness of personalization is in knowing which observations are most likely to make someone interested in your product or solution.

Being specific in personalizations can greatly increase the chances of capturing the recipient's attention.

The depth of personalization should be a balancing act, depending on the size of the market and the potential value of each prospect.

A simple framework for using observations in personalization is stating the observation, hypothesizing a problem, and offering a solution.

Nuanced or hidden observations that require more research are more likely to get a recipient's attention.