Email communication that resonates

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺'𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝟭%. "It's just the market," they insisted. "Nobody answers emails anymore." I wasn't convinced. So I pulled up their templates alongside thousands of others I've analyzed over the years, and the patterns were immediately clear. The emails that consistently get responses in today's crowded inboxes aren't the ones with the catchiest subject lines or the most persistent follow-ups. They're the ones that feel like they were written by a human being who's done their homework. Looking through my swipe file of emails with 30%+ response rates, I found myself returning to five core approaches that just work: I call the first one "The Pattern Interrupt" – where instead of saying what everyone else says, you notice something specific and ask a genuine question about it: "I noticed you recently shifted your messaging from security-focused to efficiency-focused. I'm curious what prompted that change?" Then there's what I call "The Contrarian Insight" – where you respectfully challenge conventional wisdom with actual data: "While analyzing conversion patterns across 50 companies in your industry, we discovered something that contradicts the common belief about [specific topic]. I'd be happy to share what we found if it might be useful." My personal favorite is "The Genuine Connection" – where you reference something they've created and add actual value to the conversation: "Your recent post about sales enablement challenges really resonated because I've been wrestling with the same issues. Have you considered [thoughtful question related to their perspective]?" For every client I work with, we build a custom "Message Testing Framework" where we develop variations of these templates specifically for their market, then test them with small batches (about 20-50 prospects each). 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 – 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨. 𝙒𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝘼 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝-𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧. What consistently works across industries is specificity that shows you've done homework, offering value before asking for anything, and genuine curiosity rather than formulaic personalization. And brevity matters – almost every high-performing email I've analyzed is five sentences or fewer. Which of these approaches would make YOU respond? I'm genuinely curious. #SalesEmails #ProspectingTemplates #OutboundSales

Cold emails don’t have to feel cold. When you master tonality, each email becomes a conversation that resonates with your prospect. Here’s how you can strategically shift tone to create emails that build trust, uncover insights, and drive action: 1. Curious Tone: Start your outreach with curiosity. It’s a subtle way to show genuine interest in your prospect’s needs. By asking questions about their challenges or industry, you encourage a reply that opens the door for deeper dialogue. "How are you tackling X challenge?" feels far more engaging than a direct pitch. 2. Challenging Tone: Perfect for prospects who may be hesitant or stuck in decision-making. This tone nudges them to consider the cost of inaction, positioning you as the solution. Use it to highlight what they might be overlooking, but avoid sounding confrontational. A line like, "What happens if X challenge goes unaddressed?" can create a sense of urgency without pushing too hard. 3. Concerned Tone: This tone works wonders when addressing objections or discussing pain points. It conveys empathy and builds rapport, making you sound like a trusted advisor rather than just another salesperson. For example, "I’ve noticed many businesses in your industry are struggling with X; it’s a challenge that shouldn’t be underestimated." 4. Playful Tone: Ideal for sparking connection. A touch of humor or lightness can make your email stand out, especially in a crowded inbox. This tone is best used sparingly and works in less formal industries. A playful P.S. like, "I promise no hard pitch — just seeing if we’re on the same page!" can keep the conversation approachable. 5. Confused Tone: This is a subtle yet powerful approach that encourages prospects to elaborate on their challenges. By “not fully understanding” an aspect of their industry or company, you prompt them to explain — often revealing deeper insights. A line like, "I’m trying to wrap my head around X; am I missing something here?" signals curiosity and shows you’re listening. 6. Multi-Tonal Approach: The real art of tonality comes when you mix these tones across your emails. For instance, start curious, then shift to concerned or challenging based on their reply. It’s all about keeping the conversation natural and engaging — just as you would in person. --- Craft each email with intention, and let your tone drive the conversation toward connection. In cold email outreach, a well-chosen tone makes all the difference between an ignored message and a conversation starter. #ColdEmailTips #SalesStrategy #Tonality

Before I write anything, I ask myself three questions. In this order. What do I want this person to feel? What do I want them to think? What do I want them to do? The order matters more than most people realize. Most nonprofit communications start with the action. Donate. Register. Share. Sign up. But if someone doesn't feel anything first, they're not going to do anything. They'll scroll past. They'll delete the email. They'll mean to come back to it and never do. Feeling creates attention. Thinking creates understanding. Action follows both. I learned this the hard way. I used to write appeals that were packed with information. Stats, program details, impact numbers. Logical, thorough, and completely forgettable. Because I was asking people to think before I gave them a reason to care. Now I start differently. Here's how I use the framework: → Feel: What emotion should this land with? Urgency? Hope? Frustration? Connection? Pride? If I can't name the feeling, I'm not ready to write. → Think: What do I want them to believe or understand after reading this? Not everything I know about the issue. Just the one thing that matters most for this moment. → Do: What's the one action I'm asking them to take? Not three options. One clear next step. When I map it out like this, I notice where the gaps are. Sometimes I've nailed the emotion but haven't earned the ask. Sometimes I'm asking for action without giving them anything to hold onto first. Here's a quick test you can run on anything you're about to send: 1. Read just the first two lines. Do they create a feeling, or just deliver information? 2. Look at your call to action. Have you given the reader a reason to care about it yet? 3. Ask yourself: if I removed the stats and the details, would there still be something that resonates? Take this opening: "Our organization served 2,000 families last year and we need your support to continue this important work." It's factual. It's fine. But there's no feeling. Compare it to: "Last Tuesday, a single mom walked into our doors not knowing how she'd feed her kids that night. She left with a week's worth of groceries and the number of a housing advocate. That's what your support makes possible." Same ask. Completely different entry point. The framework works because it mirrors how people actually make decisions. We feel first. Then we rationalize. Then we act. Try it on your next email, social post, or appeal. If something feels flat, check which step is missing. Usually, it's the first one. 💛

Have you ever caught yourself typing out a message to a client that starts with, "I thought I’d email you to see how things are going?" 🤔 It's a place we've all been – reaching out with the best intentions but perhaps not the most engaging approach. Let's dive into the art of crafting messages that not only catch the eye but truly resonate with our clients. Here’s a peek at the transformation from good to great. 🦋 🚫 The Good (But Could Be Better): "I thought I’d drop you an email and see how things are going. When can we chat?" Friendly? Yes. Direct? Somewhat. But let’s sprinkle a little more value into the mix. 🌟 🚀 The Great (Level Up Your Game): "I’d like to offer my assistance to help you get more value out of our product. When can we chat?" Now we’re talking! Offering specific help not only shows you care but also opens the door for meaningful engagement. 🌈 🌟 Even Better: "Reviewing your account, I noticed you’re not using [this feature]. In our experience, this feature reduces the time to do XYZ by 40%. When can we chat?" Boom! 💥 Specific, helpful, and immediately showcases the value you’re bringing to the table. The Lesson Here? 📚 Context Is King 👑 Tailor your outreach to address specific needs or opportunities. This shows you're not just reaching out; you're reaching out with purpose and insight. Value Is Paramount 💡 Always aim to deliver something of value in your communications. Whether it's an insight, a helpful tip, or an offer of assistance, make it clear what’s in it for them. Timing and Approach Matter ⏰ Consider the timing of your message and the way you phrase it. The right message at the wrong time, or delivered less engagingly, can miss the mark. #CustomerEngagement #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalGrowth #BusinessCommunication

The moment someone reads, “I hope you are doing well,” their mind already switches to ignore mode. They know a generic message is coming next. Nothing personal. Nothing useful. Good outreach works differently. It begins by showing you actually looked at the person, not just their email address. You talk about something real --- a recent launch, a post they shared, a challenge their company is facing, or a trend in their industry. Then you connect that to a clear problem you help solve. You keep it simple. No big words. No long story. After that, you invite a small response instead of pushing for a meeting immediately. A quick question that feels easy to answer works much better. For example, instead of sounding polite and empty, you sound direct and relevant. This makes people feel like the email was written just for them. Because people don’t reply to perfect English. They reply to messages that feel real, personal, and useful to their work.

Unsubscribe rates climbing? It's time to take a hard look at your email strategy. High unsubscribe rates are often a sign that your emails aren’t meeting your audience’s expectations. The good news? It's never too late to turn things around. Let's make a plan together... WHY SUBSCRIBERS LEAVE 1. Too Many Promotions If you're constantly pushing for more commitments, your brand starts to feel like an overly aggresive salesperson. 2. Irrelevant Content If your emails don’t resonate with your audience’s needs or interests, they’re going to disengage. 3. Lack of Value People want to feel like they’re gaining something—whether it’s education, inspiration, or a good deal. Without value, they’ll disengage. 4. Inconsistent Sending When it comes to email, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Subscribers can't feel connected to your brand if your sending cadence is sparse or erratic. HOW TO IMPROVE RETENTION 1. Set (& Deliver On!) Clear Expectations Use your welcome email to let subscribers know what kind of content they’ll receive and how often. Then, stick to it. 2. Offer a Preference Center Allow subscribers to choose how often they hear from you and what topics they’re interested in. This reduces unnecessary unsubscribes. 3. Make Every Email Valuable Before you hit send, ask: Does this email educate, entertain, or solve a problem for my audience? If the answer is no, revise your email to be a little more customer-centric and a little less self-serving. 4. Segment Your Audience Group subscribers by behavior, interests, or demographics. Personalized emails are more relevant –– and relevancy keeps people engaged. 5. Re-Engage Inactive Subscribers Send targeted campaigns to win back disengaged subscribers. If they still don’t engage, remove them to keep your list clean and your reporting accurate. Unsubscribes aren’t always a bad thing—they can improve your deliverability and leave you with a more engaged audience. What we want to avoid, though, is losing qualified prospects because our messaging was misaligned or our customer experience was sub-par. Focus on the three pillars of effective email marketing: → Relevance → Value → Consistency If you can send valuable emails with content that's relevant to the recipient on a consistent basis, you're going to build a list of loyal subscribers who actually look forward to your emails. Need help installing this in your business? Drop me a comment or a DM. I'll be happy to take a look at your current set-up and recommend a few high impact adjustments you can make.

Over a 90 day period, one of my email lists had a 55.48% average open rate and a 4.93% click thru rate. Here are my key takeaways on what drives this level of engagement... When I started email marketing, I thought open rates were a numbers game or luck. But after refining my strategies, working with clients, and testing over time, I discovered patterns that consistently led to higher engagement. These observations have helped me and my clients achieve results that go beyond industry averages. 1. Strategy Is Key Having a well-thought-out email strategy is essential. Your emails should align with your business goals and guide readers through a journey. 2. Know Your Audience Personalization goes beyond adding a first name. Understanding your audience’s needs and preferences is what keeps them engaged. 3. Email Authentication Matters Properly set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are critical. Without authentication, even your best content can land in spam. 4. Keep Your List Clean Regularly removing inactive subscribers improves your sender reputation. An engaged list starts with good list hygiene. 5. Segment for Relevance Sending the same email to everyone isn’t effective. Segmented emails have higher open and click rates because they’re more relevant. 6. Copy That Persuades. Clear, concise copy with a strong CTA encourages action. The right words can turn an open into a click. Consistent, high engagement starts with understanding what resonates with your audience. Are you missing any of these key elements in your current email approach?

👉The Real Reason People Ignore Your Emails ↠ How to Make Them Click Every Time In a world of overflowing inboxes, messages can easily be overlooked. From my experience in hospitality, real estate, and retail, I've learned that true success comes from delivering genuine value rather than just sending more emails. Let’s examine this idea further. ● Stop Competing for Attention, Start Owning It → Your email is a strategic tool, not just a notification. → People open emails to address important issues, not for personal reasons. → Focus on significant business moments, not just metrics. 💡 Unique Open Rate → Highlight valuable insights. → Use subject lines that emphasize business challenges and their value. ● Treat Subject Lines Like Paid Ad Headlines → The inbox is a free advertising platform, but only if your subject resonates. → Don’t let generic titles silently sabotage your efforts. 💡Open Rate + Preheader Clickability → Employ effective formulas: → Pain + Outcome → Number + Benefit → Case Study Tease ● Design for the Swipe, Not the Scroll → Remember, your reader is skimming, not analyzing. → Long blocks of text become dead zones. → Present your message in bold, clear, high-contrast chunks. 💡Scroll-through Percentage and CTA Visibility → Format every email using the 3-3-1 model: 3-line hook → 3 bullet points of value → 1 clear CTA button. ● One Email = One Job → Each email should focus on a single goal, like registration, booking, replying, or downloading. → Multiple calls to action (CTAs) can confuse recipients and reduce effectiveness. 💡 Click-Through Rate (CTR): → Define the desired action and structure your sentences to support it. ● Reduce Frequency, Maximize Value → Less can be more. → More emails may not improve results and can raise unsubscribe rates. → Fewer emails can increase revenue per send. 💡 Balance revenue per email with unsubscribes. - Focus on value-driven content. - Review performance and adjust as needed. ● Build Brand Trust, Not Just Clicks → Focus on building brand recognition, not just clicks. → Trust converts open rates into loyalty. 💡 Aim for a positive reply rate and time spent reading. → Maintain a consistent tone. → Offer valuable tools or stories, even without a direct sale. ● What’s Your Best Email Strategy? → We've all grown from our experiences. Let’s uplift each other! → What email strategies effectively engage your audience? 💡 Share your insights to inspire your team! 💭Key Takeaway: You're not just competing for inbox space; you're vying for attention, trust, and action. Great marketers value the reader's time and earn their trust. Thank you for reading. Let’s raise the ROI of every inbox! 💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts. 👇 What small change in your email strategy led to big results? ♻️ Repost if you found this helpful. 👉 Like | Comment | Share | Follow me for Daily Leadership Strategic Marketing Insights

Words build culture. Or they quietly destroy it. In meetings, emails, 1:1s,  it’s not just what you say. It’s how you say it that shapes trust, clarity, and collaboration. 𝟭. “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱.” 🚫 Sounds dismissive. ✅ Try: “Maybe I can explain it better.” → Keeps the door open, not shut. 𝟮. “𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂…” 🚫 Comes across as impatient or condescending. ✅ Try: “Let me explain it another way.” → Shows patience, not power. 𝟯. “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲…” 🚫 Signals blame. ✅ Try: “Next time, let’s try…” → Focuses on the future, not the mistake. 𝟰. “𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.” 🚫 Kills teamwork. ✅ Try: “Let’s figure out who can help.” → Moves the conversation toward solutions. 𝟱. “𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.” 🚫 Invalidates emotion. ✅ Try: “Sounds like this matters, tell me more.” → Builds psychological safety. 𝟲. “𝗜’𝗺 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁.” 🚫 Often a cover for rudeness. ✅ Try: “Here’s my perspective.” → Shares honestly without sharp edges. 𝟳. “𝗔𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹…” 🚫 Passive-aggressive energy. ✅ Try: “To recap the key points…” → Shows clarity, not contempt. 𝟴. “𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁…” 🚫 Red flag phrase. ✅ Try: “Can I share a thought?” → Invites discussion, not defense. 𝟵. “𝗗𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁.” 🚫 Resentment in disguise. ✅ Try: “Here’s what I’d recommend.” → Stays in the conversation with value. 𝟭𝟬. “𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆.” 🚫 Sounds sarcastic or shut down. ✅ Try: “Let’s find common ground.” → Keeps collaboration alive. 𝟭𝟭. “𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁.” 🚫 Signals apathy or control. ✅ Try: “What support would help right now?” → Shifts from pressure to partnership. 𝟭𝟮. “𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗵, 𝗯𝘂𝘁…” 🚫 Erases what came before. ✅ Try: “I hear you, and…” → Builds on ideas rather than dismissing them. Small shifts. Massive impact. The best communicators don’t just speak. They shape how people feel. ♻️ Repost this if you believe language builds culture. 🔔 Follow me Steve Barton for more posts that make work better.

After sending 1,000,000’s of emails for our clientele at RevGrowth We’ve found there’s a “formula” to developing winning outbound messaging. For most, crafting messaging that stands out in your prospect’s inbox is hard. With the plethora of email spammers in 2025, you have to go above and beyond to really resonate and differentiate yourself from your competitors in the inbox. This is difficult, but not impossible. There’s one word that is the key to this problem: Relevancy. We need to craft a message that speaks directly to their exact situation, and addresses a pain point or need they are currently facing, that your offer can solve. Thankfully, we’ve systemitized this entire process to uncover relevant messaging. Here’s our 5-step protocol to writing a hyper-relevant email: 1️⃣→ Analyze TAM First we create an overview list of all the potential companies that our client can work with, their entire Total Addressable Market. We can use PandaMatch 🐼 to create a look-a-like list of your ICP to get a good gauge of your TAM. 2️⃣→ Develop Market Segments Now we’ll start narrowing the TAM into ideal segments. This is where the real engineering happens, we’ll use AI to analyze our overall TAM and our service offering to give us unique segments that we can best service with our solution. We can break down our TAM into segments according to sub-industries, employee count, intent signals, and any other scrapable relevant data. We’ll build our lists around these segments using Clay + other relevant providers. 3️⃣→ Find unique relevancy within segment This is where we’ll discover message-market-fit. We’ll do a deep dive into each of these segments to sniff out specific pain points or needs that are 1-of-1 to their situation. At different employee counts, management levels, and departments - each persona will have their own unique pain points/needs that resonate with them, while those same messaging points may not resonate as well for others in their industry. 4️⃣→ Tie into offer solution Now that we have an understanding of each segment’s pain points and needs, we can tie our offer in as the solution seamlessly in a way that’s tailored to each situation. We'll segment our lists accordingly to each person so we can script our messaging directly for them. 5️⃣→ Craft messaging From here crafting the messaging is simple: → Lead with a relevant touchpoint around a specific pain point or need → Present a 1-of-1 solution that our company’s offering can solve → Call-to-action around testing solution or implementation The messaging falls into place seamlessly once you lay out your target segment in detail and do the research.