An author sending direct mail bypasses the C-suite and targets the specific person who manages the relevant program. This individual is the actual user and decision-maker, receives less unsolicited mail than an executive, and is more likely to appreciate and act on a highly relevant offer.
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When you need to influence a decision-maker you can't reach directly, craft a "forwardable email." You're not writing an email *to* your champion; you're writing it *through* them. The content is tailored for the end recipient but sent by your champion, effectively "renting" their internal credibility and reputation.
Frame email subject lines to appeal to the higher-level position your audience desires. A manager wants to know what a CMO is doing. This psychological tactic, which plays on ambition, can lift open rates by 24-28% over standard personalization by speaking to who your audience wants to become.
Personalization is not one-size-fits-all. Director-level and above prospects are 50% more likely to respond to company-level relevance (e.g., business initiatives). In contrast, individual contributors and managers are more receptive to individual-level personalization.
Combine two specific audience identifiers in your subject line, like role and company attribute ("Mid-market CMOs") or interest and a pain point ("Beauty fans with sensitive skin"). This "double personalization" tactic reportedly increases B2B open rates by 24% and B2C by 29% by making the message feel hyper-relevant.
An author found direct mail more effective than email for outreach. While email inboxes are overflowing and competitive, a well-crafted, personalized physical mail piece can cut through the noise and capture the attention of a target audience that is digitally fatigued.
To make your emails more engaging, stop addressing your entire list. Instead, picture one specific, real person—a friend, an ideal client, or someone you admire—and write directly to them. This simple mental shift transforms your tone from a generic broadcast into an intimate, compelling conversation.
Move beyond standard direct mail. A powerful ABM 'give' tactic is to find and nominate individuals at your target accounts for awards within *their* own industry. This non-reciprocal gesture shows a genuine investment in their career success, building powerful brand affinity and goodwill.
AI outbound tools pull from the same databases, hitting the same people with similar messages. To stand out, go fully manual. Research individuals, send unique, short messages, and target people not in common databases. This "back door" approach is more effective for high-value deals.
An author's direct mail success relies on a list she has personally built and maintained for over a decade. This "Dream 100" approach of slow, deliberate list curation ensures accuracy and relevance, yielding far better results than blasting a large, impersonal, purchased list.
For the 95% of accounts not receiving hyper-focused attention, deploy scalable "horizontal plays." These are persona-specific campaigns, like sending an RFP template to all procurement contacts. This tactic keeps your brand top-of-mind across your territory without being spammy or resource-intensive.
