Overview
When done correctly, outbound email is an effective way to engage with new prospects. It can help grow your business and expand your audience reach.
Experimentation is an important aspect of a successful, fully optimized outbound campaign. Be prepared to A/B test different messaging styles to find what works best for your target audiences.
Customization is key to ensuring your outbound emails are a success. Remember to keep your target audience, your company voice, and your main goals in mind when you modify the templates below to meet the needs of a specific campaign.
Use the following templates as a base to craft effective outbound emails.
Before You Start: Follow Outbound Email Best Practices
Even the best crafted emails run the risk of landing in a prospect's spam folder. So, before using these templates, ensure that you understand and follow best practices to avoid spam filters.
Also, when you're ready to revamp your company's outbound sales process, Apollo Academy's free course Building a World-Class Outbound Program teaches you how to establish targeting frameworks, build effective sequences, and automate your outbound processes.
Initial Contact Templates
Each of these templates features basic dynamic variables and advanced dynamic variables to automatically pull in relevant information from a contact's profile. The templates also include blanks to indicate where you should add additional personalization details.
While these templates are a good starting point, you should refine and customize them to best fit your goals and personalize them to each of your prospect's needs.
Sample 1:
Subject: {{company}} <> [Your Company Name]
Hi {{first_name}},
My name is _____ from _____.
We help {{industry}} companies with _______. I wanted to learn about how you handle ______ at {{company}} and show you what we're working on.
Are you available for a brief call on {{now_weekday->plus_1}} or {{now_weekday->plus_2}} this week?
Sample 2:
Subject: {{company}} <> [Your Company Name]
Hi {{first_name}},
I’m trying to figure out who is in charge of {{vertical}} at {{company}}.
Would you mind pointing me towards the right person and letting me know the best way to get in touch with them?
Thank you!
Sample 3:
Subject: How to [insert value prop pitch]
{{first_name}},
I’d like to discuss your _______.
We’re helping other {{industry}} companies collect their prospects straight from professional social networks and import them directly into their CRMs (while enriching them with phone numbers and email addresses).
Quick question: can you put me in touch with whoever is responsible for {{vertical}} at {{company}}?
Sample 4:
Subject: {{company}} + [Your Company Name]
Hi {{first_name}},
My name is ___ and I’m a ___ at ___. We help {{title->plural}} ramp up their {{vertical}} efforts in minutes at companies like {{#if industry == industry marketing}}Sparks, Jumpshot, and Deepcrawl{{#else}} Segment, TalentBin, Sprig, and Poppin.{{#endif}}
I wanted to learn about how you currently handle outbound sales and also show you what we’re working on.
Are you available for a quick call {{now_weekday->plus_1}} or {{now_weekday->plus_2}}?
Sample 5:
Subject: Sales idea for {{company}}
Hello {{first_name}},
What would it mean to your top-line revenue if you saw a 70% increase in contact rates, a 50% improvement in closes, and a 40% increase in quota-hitting sales reps?
Let’s find a few minutes to talk about how {{company}} provides these results to our clients.
I’m available in the {{now_time_of_day}} on {{now_weekday->plus_1}} or {{now_weekday->plus_2}}. Can we sync up?
Sample 6:
Subject: [Your company/product's core value proposition]
Hi {{first_name}},
I hope this message finds you well.
I work for a company called _____ that specializes in {{vertical}} solutions. Considering your role at {{company}}, I thought we might be a good fit for your group.
At ______, we have garnered a lot of attention and I think it’s something that your organization might see immediate value in.
Can you help me get in contact with the right decision-maker?
Follow-Up Templates
Sample 1:
Subject: RE: _____
Hi {{first_name}},
I just wanted to circle back on my email below re: Getting you a comments widget for your site.
Are you free for a quick call on {{now_weekday->plus_1}} or {{now_weekday->plus_2}}?
Across our partners' websites, we’re seeing an average increase of 1 minute on site with the addition of our widget.
Sample 2:
Subject: RE: _____
Hi {{first_name}},
I didn’t hear back from you last week when I was looking for the appropriate person managing ______ at {{company}}.
That’s not a problem. If it makes sense to talk, please let me know what your schedule looks like this week. If not, who is the appropriate person to speak with?
Sample 3:
Subject: RE: _____
{{first_name}},
I’m hoping you can help me.
Who handles the [insert pain point here] decisions at {{company}} and how might I get in touch with them?
Sample 4:
Subject: [Competitor X and Competitor Y]
Hi {{first_name}},
Just wanted to send you an example of how we’re working with {{#if industry == industry sales}}Competitor Name, and Competitor Name {{#else}} Competitor Name and Competitor Name{{#endif}} to deliver _____.
Check it out here [link to example].
So far, feedback has been extremely positive. Would love to get you up and running—do you have a few minutes to chat this week?
Sample 5:
Subject: How we can help {{company}}
{{first_name}},
We have a service that will help you [insert quick one-liner about the value your service delivers]. We've helped similar businesses achieve ________.
What’s the best day/time this week or next for a quick 15-minute conversation?