If you’re sending cold emails to businesses, you know the drill: most get ignored, a few annoy people, and—if you’re lucky—one or two open a door. The trick isn’t blasting more emails. It’s sending better ones. That’s where customizing Mailivery templates comes in. This guide is for anyone using Mailivery who’s tired of one-size-fits-all outreach and wants to tune their templates for real, targeted B2B campaigns.
Let’s skip the fluff and get into how you actually get results.
Why Bother Customizing Mailivery Templates?
Mailivery’s default templates are fine for generic use. But if you’re serious about getting replies (not just deliveries), you need to go beyond boilerplate. Here’s why:
- Personalized messages get more replies. Nobody wants to feel like email #47 on your list.
- You’ll stand out from the spam. Most people can spot a mass email a mile away.
- You can test what actually works. Tweaking templates makes it easier to see what gets responses in your industry.
If you’re just using Mailivery’s defaults, you’re basically sending the same message as everyone else. Easy, but ineffective.
Step 1: Define Your Target and Message
Before you touch a template, get clear on who you’re emailing and why they should care.
- Pick a real target. “Decision makers at SaaS companies with 50-200 employees” is more useful than “anyone in tech.”
- Know your value. What pain do you solve? If you can’t say it in a single sentence, keep working on it.
- Decide your offer. Are you asking for a demo, a call, or just introducing yourself?
Pro tip: Write your “one sentence pitch” first. If you can’t explain why someone should open your email, your template won’t save you.
What to skip: Don’t try to write a single email that works for every segment. You’ll end up with mushy, forgettable copy.
Step 2: Choose the Right Template as Your Base
Mailivery gives you a bunch of starting points. Some are better than others, depending on your goal.
- Short, direct templates: Good for busy execs who get tons of email. No fluff, straight to the point.
- Conversational templates: Work well if you’re trying to build a relationship or warm up a lead.
- Follow-up templates: Useful when your first email gets ghosted (which will happen).
Pick one that’s close to what you want. Don’t stress about finding the “perfect” template—it’s just a starting point. You’ll be changing most of it anyway.
Step 3: Customize the Opening Line
This is where most outreach falls flat. If your first line screams “copy-paste,” you’re toast.
How to make your opening line not suck:
- Reference something specific. Mention a recent company milestone, a blog post, or a mutual connection.
- Avoid fake flattery. “I love your work!” is tired unless you actually explain why.
- Be direct. “Saw you just raised funding—congrats!” beats “Hope this finds you well.”
What to ignore: Generic openings like “I came across your profile…” get deleted. Don’t waste your shot.
Step 4: Tweak the Body for Value (Not Features)
This is where you connect their pain to your solution. Most people make one of two mistakes:
- Laundry list of features. Nobody cares (yet) about your dashboard or AI-powered workflow.
- Too vague. “We help businesses grow” is meaningless.
Instead, do this:
- State a problem they actually have.
- Show, in plain English, how you help fix it.
- Use specifics: “We helped Acme Co. cut onboarding from 2 weeks to 3 days.”
Pro tip: If you wouldn’t say it in a real conversation, don’t write it in your template.
Step 5: Add Personalization Tokens – But Don’t Overdo It
Mailivery lets you insert personalization tokens (like {{FirstName}}, {{Company}}, etc.). These can help, but only if your data is clean and the message sounds natural.
- Use tokens for names, company, role, maybe a custom field.
- Don’t get cute: “Hi {{FirstName}}, I saw {{Company}} is in {{City}}…” starts to feel robotic fast.
- Test your data: Blank or weird values make you look sloppy.
- Manual tweaks beat 100% automation: If you’re targeting a short list of high-value accounts, take the time to hand-edit key lines.
What to ignore: Templates that promise “hyper-personalization at scale” usually just mean more fields that can break.
Step 6: Write a Real Call to Action
Don’t ask for “15 minutes” unless there’s a clear reason. Be specific about what you want.
- Examples that work:
- “Is this something you’re open to discussing?”
- “Worth a quick chat next week?”
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“Should I send more details?”
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Examples that don’t:
- “Let me know your thoughts.” (Too vague.)
- “Looking forward to your reply.” (You won’t get one.)
Pro tip: Give them an easy out. “If you’re not the right person, could you point me in the right direction?” gets more responses than hard-selling.
Step 7: Test, Review, and Send
Before you blast out emails:
- Send a test email to yourself. See how it looks in a real inbox (mobile and desktop).
- Check personalization. Make sure tokens actually work—no “Hi {{FirstName}},” disasters.
- Cut the fluff. Every word should earn its place. Shorter is usually better.
- A/B test subject lines and openings. Don’t change everything at once—test one thing at a time.
What to skip: Don’t obsess over perfect formatting or fancy HTML. Most B2B folks prefer simple, text-based emails.
Step 8: Track Results and Iterate
Customizing templates isn’t a one-and-done thing. You’ll need to pay attention to what works, and what flops.
- Measure replies, not just opens. Opens are nice, but replies pay the bills.
- Look for patterns. Are certain openings or CTAs getting better results?
- Don’t be afraid to dump underperforming templates. Sunk cost is real—move on.
Pro tip: Set aside 30 minutes once a week to review results and tweak your templates. Small, regular updates beat big, once-a-year overhauls.
What Actually Matters (And What Doesn’t)
The stuff that moves the needle:
- Relevance to the person you’re emailing.
- Clear, simple language.
- One strong, specific ask.
The stuff you can ignore:
- Fancy graphics or HTML.
- “Growth hack” tricks that sound too good to be true.
- Sending more emails just to “increase activity.” Quality > quantity.
If your template feels like spam, it probably is. Trust your gut.
Keep It Simple, Keep Improving
Customizing Mailivery templates isn’t about chasing the latest trick or automating every last detail. It’s about showing you’ve done your homework, keeping things human, and making it easy for someone to say yes (or at least not delete your email on sight).
Don’t overthink it. Start with one small improvement, see how it goes, and tweak from there. The best B2B outreach isn’t magic—it’s just a bit more thoughtful than most people bother to be.