If you’re sending cold emails and getting nothing but crickets, you’re not alone. Most cold emails get ignored for a reason: they read like spam, or worse, like a robot wrote them. If you’re using Drippi to send your campaigns, you’ve got tools at your disposal that can help — but only if you use them right. This guide is for anyone who wants real replies, not just “delivered” stats. Let’s get into it.
Why Personalization Matters (and What It Actually Means)
Personalization isn’t just about tossing someone’s first name into an email and calling it a day. That trick stopped working a decade ago. Real personalization means showing the reader you did your homework — and that you’re not blasting the same pitch to 5,000 strangers.
What works: - Mentioning something specific to the recipient (company news, recent LinkedIn post, product launch, etc.). - Tailoring your offer or message to their role or pain points. - Keeping things short and to the point.
What doesn’t work: - Overusing merge tags (“Hi {{first_name}}, I see you work at {{company}}!”). - Being creepy or too personal (“I saw your house on Google Maps…”). - Sending generic templates and hoping for the best.
Drippi gives you tools for personalization, but it’s up to you to use them in a way that feels human.
Step 1: Build a List You Can Actually Personalize
The quality of your outreach depends on the quality of your list. If your CSV is just names and emails, you’ve got nothing to work with.
What you need: - First name, last name, company - At least one unique data point per lead you can reference (e.g. their job title, recent news, a mutual connection, or a reason you’re reaching out) - LinkedIn URL or website (optional but useful)
Tips: - Avoid buying lists. The info is usually outdated or wrong. - Use LinkedIn, company websites, and recent press releases to fill in gaps. - Only collect info you’ll actually use — don’t overcomplicate it.
Pro tip: Spend more time on a smaller, higher-quality list than blasting a huge, unqualified one. You’ll get better replies and fewer spam complaints.
Step 2: Set Up Custom Fields in Drippi
Drippi lets you use custom fields (sometimes called merge tags) to insert info from your list into your emails. Sounds basic, but most people stop at {{first_name}} and never go further.
How to do it: 1. In Drippi, import your CSV and map all your columns to custom fields. Don’t skip columns like “recent_news” or “pain_point” if you have them. 2. Double-check your data. Nothing kills your credibility faster than “Hi {{first_name}},” or “I loved your recent article about {{topic}}.”
What to avoid: - Relying only on default fields. Create your own if you want to get specific. - Not checking for blanks. If you don’t have a value for every contact, Drippi might leave an awkward blank (or worse, the merge tag itself).
Pro tip: Add a fallback value (like “there”) for first names, but avoid using fallbacks for anything personalized. If you don’t have a real detail to use, skip the personalization for that person.
Step 3: Write Templates That Don’t Feel Like Templates
Most cold emails sound like this: “Hi {{first_name}}, I wanted to reach out because I see you’re at {{company}}.” Delete that line. Everyone’s seen it a thousand times.
Instead, try this:
- Reference something recent or relevant. (“Saw your team just rolled out the new dashboard — congrats.”)
- Be specific about why you’re reaching out now.
- Keep it short. No one reads long cold emails.
Sample structure:
Hi {{first_name}},
Noticed {{company}} just [insert specific thing]. Curious if you’re facing [insert pain point or situation].
I help teams with [your offer], and thought it might save you some headaches.
No rush — if you’re open to a quick chat, let me know.
What to avoid: - Over-engineering your copy to fit every scenario. If it feels forced, people can tell. - Sounding like a script. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.
Pro tip: Write your template, then read it out loud. If you cringe, rewrite it.
Step 4: Use Conditional Logic for Smarter Personalization
Drippi lets you use conditional logic in your templates. This means you can show or hide parts of your message based on the data in each row.
Example:
{% if recent_news %} Saw {{company}} just {{recent_news}} — congrats. {% endif %}
Ways to use this: - Mention a news item, but only if you actually have one for that lead. - Swap out your pitch based on industry or job title. - Add a custom sentence for mutual connections or shared interests.
Why it matters:
Conditional logic keeps your emails from looking awkward or generic if you’re missing a data point. It also helps you scale without sacrificing authenticity.
Step 5: Test, Preview, and Send (But Don’t “Spray and Pray”)
Before you hit send, preview a bunch of emails to see how your personalization looks in the real world.
Checklist: - Spot-check at least 10 emails. Look for weird blanks, typos, or awkward merges. - If something looks off, fix your data or tweak your template. - Send a batch to yourself or a colleague first.
What to ignore: - The temptation to send to your entire list at once. Send in small batches so you can tweak based on replies (or lack thereof). - Vanity metrics like open rate. Focus on replies and positive conversations.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure your message would get a reply from you, it’s probably not good enough. Don’t be afraid to iterate after every batch.
What Actually Moves the Needle
Here’s the honest truth: Personalization helps, but it’s not magic. You still need: - A real reason to reach out (not just “saw you’re hiring”). - An offer that’s actually relevant. - Persistence — most replies come after a follow-up or two.
Things that don’t matter as much as people say: - Fancy HTML or images (plain text works better). - Over-the-top flattery (“Loved your keynote at TechCon!” when you didn’t actually watch it). - Gimmicks (fun fonts, emojis, “Did my email go to spam?” follow-ups).
Keep it real, keep it short, and respect people’s time.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Personalizing cold emails in Drippi isn’t about chasing hacks or stuffing your templates with merge tags. It’s about doing a little homework, writing like a human, and making sure every message has a reason to exist. Start small, focus on quality, and tweak as you go. The best campaigns are the ones that keep getting better — not the ones that try to be perfect from day one.
Now, get out there and send some emails people might actually want to read.