If you’re in B2B sales or marketing, picking the right email outreach tool is more than just a checkbox—it can make or break your go-to-market (GTM) strategy. Whether you’re launching a new product, trying to break into a new market, or just want more replies from real prospects, the right tool matters. But sorting through all the claims, features, and glossy screenshots? That’s where most people get stuck.
This guide is for founders, sales leaders, and anyone who actually has to use the tool, not just talk about it in meetings. We’ll dig into how to think about your decision, what to watch out for, and give you a clear-eyed look at Lemlist compared to other big names.
Step 1: Know What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)
Before you get lost in feature checklists, ask: What are you really trying to do?
- Are you sending 1:1, personalized emails to a tight list?
- Blasting out cold campaigns to thousands?
- Need tight CRM or LinkedIn integration?
- Are you a team of 1 or 20?
Here’s the honest truth: Most tools can send emails and track opens. The real differences show up in:
- Deliverability: Do your emails actually hit inboxes, or are they flagged as spam?
- Personalization: Can you go beyond “Hi {first_name}” and actually sound human?
- Workflow: Does the tool fit how your team actually works—or will it slow you down?
- Support and reliability: When (not if) something breaks, will you get help, or just a shrug?
- Compliance: Can you stay on the right side of GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and all the rest?
Ignore the “AI-powered” hype unless you have a specific use case for it. Most of the time, it’s just a fancy way to say “we can write a bland email draft for you.”
Step 2: Get Real About Your Team and Existing Stack
You probably already use some tools—maybe HubSpot, Salesforce, or even just Google Sheets. Your new outreach tool should play nicely with them.
Ask yourself:
- Will this tool sync with my CRM, or do I have to copy-paste leads around?
- Can it handle the volume I plan to send, or will I need to pay for more seats?
- Is it simple enough for everyone on my team to actually use it?
Pro tip: The fancier the tool, the more training and troubleshooting you’ll need. Sometimes, “just works” beats “does everything.”
Step 3: Take a Hard Look at Lemlist vs. Top Alternatives
Let’s cut through the marketing copy and look at how Lemlist stacks up against other popular options: Outreach, Reply.io, Woodpecker, and Mailshake. Here’s what actually matters:
Lemlist
Strengths: - Easy-to-use sequences: Clean, user-friendly interface. Good for small to medium teams. - Personalization features: Lets you add dynamic images and custom videos—gimmicky for some, but can help you stand out. - Deliverability tools: Built-in warm-up, decent tracking, and spam testing.
Weak Spots: - Integrations: Does the basics, but deeper CRM integrations aren’t as strong as Outreach or Salesloft. - Scaling: Can get clunky with very large lists or complex workflows. - Support: Decent, but if you want white-glove treatment, look elsewhere.
Outreach
Strengths: - Enterprise-grade: Great for big teams, robust reporting, strong Salesforce integration. - Automation heaven: Powerful triggers, branching, and analytics.
Weak Spots: - Overkill for small teams: Pricey, and you’ll pay for features you might not use. - Steep learning curve: Expect to spend time (and maybe money) on onboarding.
Reply.io
Strengths: - Balance of features and price: Good value if you need multi-channel (email, LinkedIn, calls). - Solid integrations: Plays well with most CRMs, Zapier, and more.
Weak Spots: - UI can be clunky: Not as slick as Lemlist or Outreach. - Deliverability: Not as many built-in tools to keep you out of spam folders.
Woodpecker
Strengths: - Deliverability focus: Known for keeping campaigns out of spam. - Simple, effective: Not overloaded with features.
Weak Spots: - Limited bells and whistles: No fancy personalization, basic reports. - Not great for scaling: Meant for small teams and simpler campaigns.
Mailshake
Strengths: - Simplicity: Dead easy to use, solid for solo founders and small sales teams. - Integrations: Decent, not spectacular.
Weak Spots: - Not for complex workflows: Lacks advanced automation and analytics. - Support can be hit-or-miss: Don’t expect a lot of hand-holding.
Step 4: Test Deliverability—Don’t Just Trust Promises
Every tool claims “great deliverability,” but that’s partly on you: your list quality, your copy, and how you warm up your domain all matter. But some tools do help more than others.
What to check: - Built-in warm-up: Does the tool have a way to slowly ramp up your sending, or do you need a separate service? - Spam testing: Can it flag risky language or broken links? - Domain rotation: If you’re sending high volume, can you easily rotate sender addresses/domains?
Real talk: If you’re scraping lists off LinkedIn and blasting 500 strangers a day, you’ll land in spam no matter what tool you pick.
Step 5: Judge Personalization Features by What You Actually Need
Personalization is only as good as the data you have. Most tools offer:
- Merge fields: Drop in first names, company, etc.
- Conditional logic: “If industry = X, then say Y.”
Lemlist goes further with image and video personalization, but honestly—unless you’re in a niche where this really moves the needle, it’s often more work than it’s worth. Ask yourself if you’ll actually use these features, or if they’ll just slow you down.
Step 6: Don’t Let Pricing Tricks Trip You Up
Most tools have a “per user, per month” fee, but watch for:
- Contact or email limits: Some cap how many you can send or store.
- “Add-on” features: Basic plan may not include sequences, reporting, or integrations.
- Annual contracts: Discounts sound nice, but don’t lock yourself in until you’ve done a real-world test.
Pro tip: Start monthly, test with a small group, and only upgrade when you know it’s a fit.
Step 7: Actually Use the Free Trial
This sounds obvious, but too many teams skip it. Don’t just click around—actually build a real campaign, import some leads, and send test emails to yourself and a friend (or a burner account).
What to look for: - Where does it get slow or confusing? - Does it sync with your CRM the way you want? - Can your team figure it out without a 30-minute demo?
If you’re stuck in trial hell, that’s a sign for the real thing.
Step 8: Checklist—What to Ignore
Save yourself time by ignoring the following:
- AI “magic”: Unless you’re doing crazy volume, most AI features just write generic emails.
- Vanity metrics: Open and click rates are nice, but replies and booked meetings are what matter.
- Shiny dashboards: Real value comes from sending better emails, not from pie charts.
Step 9: Make Your Pick, But Don’t Marry It
Here’s the honest ending: No tool is perfect. Your team, your list, and your offer matter more. Don’t overthink it. Pick the tool that fits your actual workflow, has solid deliverability, and won’t tie you up in knots.
To sum up: - Start with what your team needs today, not what you might need next year. - Test for real use, not just shiny features. - Don’t get locked in—keep it simple, and iterate as you go.
You can always switch later. The best tool is the one you’ll actually use. Now go send better emails.