So, you want to get real B2B engagement with your outreach emails—not just opens and ghosting. You’re probably tired of one-size-fits-all “personalized” emails that still sound like they were spat out by a robot. If you’re using or considering Wume, this guide will walk you through actually making your email sequences feel personal, not just personalized.
No magic bullet here, but you’ll finish with a sequence that’s smarter, more relevant, and more likely to get real replies from real people. Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Get Your Target List Right (Really Right)
You can’t personalize an email if you don’t know who’s getting it. This step is where most people get lazy, then wonder why their “personalized” campaigns flop.
What to do: - Start with a focused segment—not just “marketing managers,” but “marketing managers at SaaS companies with 20-100 employees in healthcare.” - Gather real data: LinkedIn profiles, recent company news, tech stack info, etc. Don’t just scrape names and emails and call it a day. - Clean your list. Remove out-of-date contacts and obvious mismatches.
What to skip: Don’t buy random lists. Don’t trust “AI enrichment” blindly—always spot-check.
Pro tip: If you can't write one sentence about why each person is on your list, your list is too broad.
Step 2: Map Out Your Sequence Before You Touch Wume
It’s tempting to jump into the tool and start building, but mapping things out on paper (or a whiteboard, or a Google Doc) will save you time and headaches.
What to plan: - How many emails? (3-5 is usually enough. More is overkill unless your deal cycles are super long.) - What’s the goal? (Book a call, get a reply, share a resource, etc.) - What’s the hook for each step? (Don’t just repeat the same ask—instead, offer value or a new angle each time.)
Sequence example: 1. Intro with a specific observation about their company 2. Share a case study or relevant resource 3. Follow-up with a question based on their likely pain point 4. Last call—offer a quick chat or feedback
What to avoid: Don’t just send “bumping this to the top of your inbox” emails. They’re annoying and easy to spot.
Step 3: Set Up Your Sequence in Wume
Now you’re ready to open Wume. Wume’s whole thing is making this process easier, but you still need to put in the work upfront.
3.1. Start a New Sequence
- In Wume, click “Create Sequence.”
- Name it something you’ll recognize later (e.g., “Healthcare SaaS—June Outreach”).
3.2. Import or Add Your Contacts
- Import your cleaned CSV, or add contacts manually if it’s a small batch.
- Double-check that names and company info are mapped to the right fields.
Tip: If Wume offers enrichment, use it for things like recent news or job titles, but check for weird errors before you hit send.
3.3. Draft Each Email Step
Here’s where personalization goes from theory to reality.
- Use Wume’s variable fields (like
{first_name},{company},{recent_news}), but don’t just stuff them everywhere. - The real magic is in the first two lines—show you’ve done your homework.
- Keep each email short. Two paragraphs, tops.
Example intro:
“Hi {first_name}, noticed {company} just rolled out a new feature for remote teams. Curious—how’s adoption going so far?”
3.4. Add Smart Conditional Logic (If You Need It)
Wume lets you set rules like: - If someone clicks a link, send a different follow-up. - If someone replies, stop the sequence for them. - If a lead is in a specific industry, send a tailored resource.
Don’t overcomplicate it: Start simple. More branches = more ways to mess up or sound generic.
Step 4: Personalize for Real—Don’t Fake It
The best “personalized” emails don’t just fill in blanks. They show you actually bothered to learn something about the person or company.
How to stand out: - Reference something specific: “Saw your team at the {Industry Event} last month.” - Tie your offer to a real challenge they face. - If you’re using AI snippets or templates, always edit them. If it sounds like a bot, it probably reads like one too.
What to ignore: Clichés like “Long-time admirer of your work” or “Hope this email finds you well.” Everyone’s seen them.
Pro tip: If you wouldn’t say it out loud to a stranger at a conference, don’t put it in your email.
Step 5: Schedule, Test, and Launch Your Sequence
You’ve got your emails loaded. Now, time to make sure they actually look and work right.
5.1. Preview Everything
- Use Wume’s preview function to see how each email looks for at least 3-5 real contacts.
- Check for broken variables (“Hi {first_name},” is a dead giveaway you rushed).
5.2. Test Deliverability
- Send a couple test emails to yourself and a teammate.
- Look for formatting issues, spam triggers, and broken links.
Tip: Avoid too many images, attachments, or fancy formatting. Simple emails get through spam filters better.
5.3. Set Send Times
- Wume lets you pick times and days. Stick to business hours, in the recipient’s time zone if possible.
- Don’t blast on Mondays at 9am or Fridays at 4pm. Midweek, mid-morning usually works best.
5.4. Launch to a Small Batch First
- Start with 20-30 contacts.
- Monitor replies, bounce rates, and any angry unsubscribes. Adjust before you scale up.
Step 6: Track Results and Actually Respond
Don’t just watch open rates. Watch for: - Reply rates (the real sign of engagement) - Which emails get responses (and which get ignored) - Negative replies (they’re feedback, not failure)
What works:
- Quick, honest replies. Don’t use canned responses.
- Update your sequence based on what’s actually landing.
What doesn’t:
- Chasing opens or clicks as your only metric. It’s about conversation, not vanity stats.
- Ignoring “not interested” replies. Sometimes, a polite no can turn into a yes later if you handle it well.
Step 7: Iterate—Don’t Set and Forget
Even a good sequence goes stale. Here’s how to keep improving:
- Every few weeks, swap out lines that aren’t getting replies.
- Regularly update your list—people change jobs, companies pivot.
- Collect snippets from real conversations to use in future emails. (Real language beats “professional” fluff every time.)
What to skip:
- Don’t rewrite everything from scratch each time. Small tweaks go further than you think.
Quick FAQ
Do I need to personalize every single email?
No, but your first touch should feel targeted. Later emails can be lighter, but still avoid sounding like mass mail.
What about AI-generated personalization?
It can help with the grunt work, but always sanity-check. If it’s not believable, don’t use it.
Should I A/B test subject lines?
Sure, but don’t obsess. A decent, direct subject line beats “clever” ones most days.
Keep It Simple—And Keep Going
Personalized email sequences aren’t rocket science, but they do take real effort. If you pick a focused list, do your homework, and keep your emails short and real, you’ll get more replies (and fewer eye rolls).
Start with a small batch, see what works, and keep tweaking. The best campaigns are never perfect on the first try—and that’s fine. Ship, learn, and repeat.