So, you’re using Salesloft and you’re tired of sending out emails that don’t get replies. You know personalization works, but you also know you don’t have time to write every email from scratch. This guide is for anyone who wants to personalize Salesloft email templates enough to stand out—without spending all day on it.
Let’s skip the fluff and get straight to what actually works.
1. Stop Sending the Stock Template
If you’re using the exact template Salesloft gives you, your prospects can tell. So can spam filters. The stock templates are a starting point, not a script. At best, you sound generic; at worst, you get flagged as spam.
What to do instead: - Make every template your own before using it. - Cut anything that sounds like sales robot-speak (“I wanted to reach out and introduce myself…”). - Use language you’d actually say out loud. If it feels weird to read, it’s probably weird to receive.
Pro tip:
Read your template out loud. If you cringe, so will your prospect.
2. Figure Out What Actually Matters to Your Prospects
Don’t just drop a first name and call it “personalized.” That’s not enough. Most people spot these “personalized” emails a mile away.
What to focus on: - Their business: What’s happening at their company? New funding? Job openings? Product launches? - The person: Did they write a blog post? Speak at an event? Get promoted? - Pain points: What’s frustrating people in their industry right now?
You don’t need an investigative report—just one tidbit that shows you’re not mass-emailing.
Where to look: - LinkedIn profiles and recent posts - Company newsrooms or blogs - Press releases - Industry forums or Reddit threads
3. Build Personalization Into the Template
Templates aren’t the enemy. Lazy templates are. The key is to create placeholders that force you to add something real.
How to set up your template:
plaintext Subject: Quick question about {{company}}’s [recent project/news]
Hi {{first_name}},
I saw {{personalization_line}} and thought it was interesting because [tie to your solution].
- {{personalization_line}} isn’t “Hope you’re well.” It should be a line you write fresh for each person.
- Add notes to yourself in the template. Ex:
{{personalization_line: comment on recent blog post}} - Keep the rest of the template tight and relevant—don’t make them hunt for the point.
What to avoid: - Long-winded intros - Flattery with no substance (“Your LinkedIn is impressive!”) - “Insert personalized line here” with nothing actually personalized
4. Use Dynamic Tags, But Don’t Rely on Them Alone
Salesloft has dynamic tags (like {{first_name}}, {{company}}, etc.) that pull in data automatically. These are handy, but they’re not magic.
Dynamic tags to actually use: - First name - Company name - Job title (if it’s relevant) - Recent activity (if you import it correctly—don’t trust your CRM data blindly)
What to double-check: - That the data is accurate. “Hi {{first_name}},” looks bad when it says “Hi .” - That the dynamic tag makes sense in context. “Saw your work at {{company}}” falls flat if someone just left.
Don’t:
- Try to fake personalization with just dynamic fields. People can spot mail merge tricks.
Do:
- Mix dynamic tags with one sentence that proves you actually know something about them.
5. Keep It Short—But Not Lazy
Personalization doesn’t mean writing a novel. In fact, long emails almost always get ignored unless you really nail the hook.
How to keep it tight: - One personalized line up top - One or two sentences about how you can help - A simple, specific ask (not “Let me know if you’re interested”)
Example:
plaintext Hi Sarah,
Saw your team just launched the new analytics dashboard at GreenLight. Curious how you’re tracking adoption—helped another SaaS team with this last quarter and saw a few surprises.
Open to sharing what worked for them?
Notice: - The first line is specific and recent. - The second line ties your solution to something they care about. - The ask is clear and conversational.
6. Personalize at Scale (But Don’t Get Greedy)
Yes, you can personalize 30-50 emails a day with a good system. No, you can’t mass-personalize 500 and expect results.
How to scale without getting sloppy: - Block time on your calendar for batch personalization (30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.). - Use a spreadsheet to track quick research notes (recent news, mutual connections, etc.). - Pre-write a few “personalization snippets” for each segment or industry. Then, tweak as needed.
What not to do: - Don’t copy-paste the same “I saw your company raised funding!” to everyone in the same TechCrunch article. - Don’t trust automation to do all the work. At best, you get ignored; at worst, you burn bridges.
7. Test, Track, and Ruthlessly Cut What’s Not Working
There’s no perfect template. The best-performing templates change over time—what worked last quarter might flop now.
What to actually measure: - Reply rates (not just open or click rates) - Positive responses (not just “Not interested”) - Which types of personalization get replies
How to improve: - A/B test subject lines and first lines. - Ask colleagues to review your templates—fresh eyes spot lazy lines fast. - Delete or update templates that underperform for two weeks. Don’t get sentimental about your copy.
Ignore: - Obsessing over tiny open rate changes. Focus on real conversations.
8. Don’t Overthink the Tools—Focus on the Message
Salesloft gives you plenty of features: snippets, dynamic fields, A/B testing, and analytics. Use them, but don’t get bogged down in tech for tech’s sake.
What matters most: - A real reason you’re reaching out to this person - A short, clear message that’s easy to reply to - Following up (politely) if you don’t get a response
All the features in the world won’t save a lazy message.
9. Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
Pitfall: Personalizing the wrong thing
Example: Referencing a news article from six months ago—shows you’re not really paying attention.
Pitfall: Overly formal or stiff language
If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.
Pitfall: Generic “saw your profile” lines
Everyone gets these. Add a detail that proves you actually looked.
Pitfall: Ignoring replies
If someone writes back—even to say “not interested”—reply like a human. You’ll be surprised how often this leads to a future win.
10. Templates That Actually Work (and Why)
Template 1: The “Recent Win”
plaintext Subject: Congrats on {{recent_company_event}}
Hey {{first_name}},
Saw {{company}} just [did something impressive—launched a product, won an award, etc.]. Curious how you’re thinking about [related topic].
Helped someone at [similar company] with this last month—mind if I share what we learned?
Template 2: The “Mutual Connection”
plaintext Subject: Quick intro—mutual connection
Hi {{first_name}},
Noticed we both know {{mutual_connection}}. They mentioned you’re working on [project/challenge].
I work with teams on this all the time—happy to share ideas if it helps.
Why these work: - They’re specific and recent. - They open a conversation, not a pitch. - They’re easy to tweak for each person.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Human
Personalizing Salesloft email templates isn’t about tricking people. It’s about showing you care enough to do five minutes of homework—and then making it easy for someone to reply.
Don’t try to automate empathy. The best results come from keeping things simple, sounding like yourself, and iterating as you go. If a template falls flat, change it. If you’re bored reading your own emails, your prospects will be too.
Start with one or two changes. Test, tweak, repeat. That’s how you get more replies—and better conversations.