If you’re sending the same email to every B2B lead, you’re wasting everyone’s time—including yours. The difference between a cold email that gets a response and one that gets deleted? Relevance. This guide is for salespeople, founders, or anyone using Pick to wrangle B2B leads and wants to actually see results from email outreach. We'll walk through how to segment your leads in Pick the smart way—without getting lost in the weeds or buying into useless “best practices.”
Why Segment B2B Leads at All?
Let’s be blunt: Most B2B leads don’t care about you or your product. They care about their problems. Segmenting helps you:
- Send emails that speak to real needs, not just generic features.
- Avoid burning good leads with irrelevant messages.
- Actually measure what’s working (instead of guessing).
If you’re blasting the same pitch to SaaS founders, manufacturing execs, and accountants, you’re doing it wrong. Segmentation fixes that.
Step 1: Clean Up Your Lead Data in Pick
Before you segment, your lead data has to be usable. Pick is only as good as the details you feed it.
What matters: - Company info: Industry, size, location. - Contact details: Role, seniority, email, phone (if you’re calling). - Deal history: Past conversations, demos, proposals.
What doesn’t matter: - Overly detailed profiles you’ll never use (e.g., favorite color, unless you sell paint). - Guessing at fields just to fill them out. If you don’t know, leave it blank.
Pro tip: Spend the time to bulk import and standardize your current lead list. Fix obvious typos, merge duplicates, and get rid of dead leads. It’s grunt work, but it pays off fast.
Step 2: Decide on Segmentation Criteria That Actually Matter
This is where most people overthink things. Segmenting by 15 variables sounds sophisticated, but it’s usually a waste. Pick 2-3 criteria that actually change what you'll say or offer.
Common ways to segment B2B leads in Pick:
- Industry/vertical: The classic. Don’t pitch fintech to a construction company.
- Company size: Startups vs. enterprise need different approaches.
- Job role: Decision-makers vs. end users. You’ll talk to a CTO differently than a procurement officer.
- Buying stage: New lead, in conversation, demo scheduled, etc.
- Geography: Only if it changes your pitch (e.g., compliance rules, language).
What to skip: - “Persona” fields that don’t drive message changes. - Hyper-specific criteria that leave you with tiny segments.
Ask yourself:
If you segment by this, will your email actually change? If not, ignore it.
Step 3: Build Segments in Pick
Here’s how to do it without overcomplicating things:
- Use Pick’s filters and tags.
- In the Pick dashboard, filter leads by your top criteria (like industry or role).
- Apply tags for easy sorting (e.g., “SaaS - CTO” or “<50 employees”).
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Don’t create a tag for every minor difference—broad but useful is better.
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Create saved segments.
- Save filtered views as segments for easy reuse.
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Name them clearly (e.g., “US SaaS Founders” not “Segment A”).
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Keep segments manageable.
- If a segment has fewer than 10 leads, it’s probably too narrow.
- If a segment has hundreds but you can’t write a tailored email for all, consider splitting it.
Honest take:
The goal here isn’t to build a perfect taxonomy. It’s to give yourself enough structure to send relevant emails without drowning in admin work.
Step 4: Write Targeted Email Templates for Each Segment
This is where segmentation pays off. You don’t need dozens of templates—just a few that actually speak to the differences between your segments.
What works: - Reference the lead’s industry or pain points in the first line. - Mention a relevant case study or data point. - Offer something that fits their stage (e.g., intro call for new leads, demo for those further along).
What doesn’t: - Slapping the segment name into a mail merge and calling it “personalization.” - Overly generic intros (“As a business professional, you…”).
Example: If you’re emailing SaaS CTOs, your opening line should be about speed, uptime, or integration headaches—not “Hi, hope you’re well.”
Pro tip:
Test your templates with a few leads in each segment. If you get zero replies after a week, your message isn’t landing. Rewrite, don’t just send more.
Step 5: Send, Track, and Don’t Obsess Over Micro-Segments
Once segments and templates are set, use Pick to send out your emails. Track opens, replies, and (most importantly) actual meetings or deals.
What’s worth your time: - Reviewing which segments actually reply or convert. - Tweaking templates based on real feedback.
What’s not: - Creating more and more micro-segments because you think it’ll magically boost results. - Worrying about tiny changes in open rates. Focus on booked calls and closed deals.
Reality check:
No amount of segmentation will make a bad offer or boring email work. This is about getting closer to relevance, not perfection.
Step 6: Iterate—But Don’t Get Stuck in Analysis
Segmentation isn’t a “set and forget” thing, but it’s also not worth endless spreadsheet analysis.
- Monthly: Review segments—are some dead? Merge or delete them.
- Quarterly: Check which templates and segments get real results.
- When needed: Add new segments if you start targeting a new industry or role.
Skip:
- Weekly “optimization” meetings. You’ll learn more by emailing real leads than endlessly fiddling with segments.
Real-World Segmentation Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
Let’s be honest about what trips people up:
- Analysis paralysis: Don’t overthink. Start simple—industry and job role covers 80% of cases.
- Data decay: Segments are only as good as your data. Outdated info = wasted effort.
- Forgetting the human: Segments are a tool, not a crutch. If you spot something unique about a lead, act on it—even if it’s outside your standard segments.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Stay Flexible
Segmenting B2B leads in Pick is about sending better emails, not building a perfect database. Start with a few broad segments, write emails that actually speak to those groups, and don’t be afraid to revisit your approach as you go. Most of the value comes from doing—not from finding the “right” framework.
Stick with what works, ignore what doesn’t, and keep the process lean. You’ll get better results and keep your sanity.