So, you’re trying to reach more leads without sounding like a robot—or spending all day copy-pasting. This guide is for sales teams, founders, or anyone using Salesloop who wants to actually get replies (not unsubscribes) by using custom templates. We’ll walk through building, tweaking, and deploying templates that let you scale outreach without sacrificing the personal touch.
Let’s get into it.
Why Custom Templates? (And Why the Defaults Usually Suck)
Sales engagement tools love to show off their “templates.” Most are about as exciting as the default voicemail greeting. Using them as-is is the fastest way to get ignored.
Custom templates let you: - Sound like a human, not a script. - Reuse what works, toss what doesn’t. - Save hours every week (even with a small team). - Actually track and improve results, instead of guessing.
But here’s the thing: a bad template, sent to a thousand people, is just spam at scale. The best templates are clear, specific, and built for your audience.
Step 1: Map Out Your Outreach Flow
Before you write a single line, get clear on what you’re actually trying to do.
Ask yourself: - Am I booking demos? Chasing replies? Sharing content? - Who am I sending these to? (Job titles, industries, pain points) - How many touchpoints will I use? (Just an intro? A follow-up sequence?)
Pro tip: Don’t try to write 10 templates at once. Start with one flow (say, a 3-step email sequence) and get it working. Expand later.
Step 2: Get to Know Salesloop’s Template System
Salesloop’s template editor is pretty straightforward, but there are a few quirks worth knowing:
- Dynamic fields: You can add placeholders like
{FirstName},{Company},{CustomNote}. But beware—if your CSV has missing data, you’ll end up with “Hi ,” which looks terrible. - Variables vs. static text: Mix in variables for personalization, but write your base text like you’d actually talk.
- Preview mode: Always use the preview. Catch those “Dear {FirstName}” disasters before you hit send.
What doesn’t work: Don’t try to jam in too many variables or use every field just because you can. Over-personalization feels forced.
Step 3: Draft Your First Custom Template
Here’s a simple structure that works for most cold outreach:
- Subject line: Short, specific, no clickbait.
- Greeting: Use
{FirstName}—but have a fallback. - Body: One or two sentences about why you’re reaching out. Reference their company or role if it makes sense.
- Call to action: Make it easy to reply. “Interested in a quick call?” beats a wall of text.
- Signature: Keep it simple.
Example:
Subject: Quick question, {FirstName}
Hi {FirstName},
I saw your team at {Company} is growing in {Industry}. I’m reaching out because we help folks like you cut down on manual lead follow-ups.
Worth a 10-minute chat this week?
Thanks,
{YourName}
Don’t:
- Use fake urgency (“Act now!”).
- Pretend you know them if you don’t.
- Stuff in every buzzword you can think of.
Step 4: Build Your Template in Salesloop
Here’s how to actually do it:
- Go to the Templates section in Salesloop.
- Click “Create New Template.”
- Paste your draft.
- Add dynamic fields where it makes sense—
{FirstName},{Company}, etc. - Set a fallback (e.g., “there” instead of nothing) for each field if possible. Some tools call this a “default value.”
- Save and name your template clearly—“[Industry] Cold Intro v1” beats “Template 3.”
What to ignore: Fancy formatting, emojis, or images. Simple text almost always gets better results for cold outreach.
Step 5: Test with a Small Batch Before Scaling
This is where most people get lazy. Don’t.
- Import a small CSV (10–20 leads).
- Send yourself a test for every template.
- Check for weird formatting, missing fields, or awkward phrasing.
- Read your message out loud. If it sounds like spam, rewrite it.
Pro tip: Ask a teammate or friend to read your test emails. Fresh eyes catch stuff you miss.
Step 6: Automate, But Don’t “Set and Forget”
Once you’re happy with your template, set up your actual campaign:
- Choose your contact list.
- Attach your template (and any follow-ups).
- Schedule sending—spread over days/hours to avoid spam filters.
- Monitor replies and open rates closely for the first batch.
If you’re not getting replies, tweak. If people say “this feels automated”—rewrite. Automation makes it easy to send bad emails fast, so keep your finger on the pause button.
Step 7: Track What Works—And Ruthlessly Edit
Templates aren’t “set it and forget it.” The best teams:
- Track open, reply, and bounce rates for every template.
- Keep a “graveyard” of templates that flopped (so you don’t repeat mistakes).
- Regularly update winning templates with new learnings or lines.
- Save snippets that get replies for future use.
What to ignore: Vanity metrics like clicks (unless you have a clear call to action). Replies and meetings booked are what matter.
Common Mistakes (and How to Dodge Them)
- Over-complicating: The best templates are short. If you need a paragraph to explain, your pitch isn’t clear enough.
- No fallback values: Don’t risk “Hi ,”. Always set a default.
- Too much automation: Don’t automate follow-ups if you haven’t gotten the first message right.
- Ignoring feedback: If people complain or unsubscribe, don’t blame the leads—fix your template.
Pro Tips for Scale (Without Losing Your Soul)
- Rotate a few versions of your best template. A/B test, but don’t overdo it.
- Personalize just enough: One custom sentence + a strong core message beats 100% “mail merge.”
- Build a template library, but clean out duds monthly.
- Don’t automate replies. Once someone responds, handle it yourself.
Keep it Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink
Templates are a tool—not a silver bullet. Start simple, send real messages, and tweak based on what gets replies. Don’t chase perfection out of the gate. The more you iterate, the better your results (and the less robotic you sound).
Now go write a template that doesn’t make people cringe.
Related: Salesloop – See the full feature set.