Outreach is a grind—especially when you’re sending dozens (or hundreds) of cold emails a week. If you’re tired of rewriting the same messages or watching your open rates tank, you’re not alone. This guide is for sales reps, founders, recruiters, or anyone who wants to make outreach less painful, more personal, and way more efficient.
If you’re using Quickmail, you’ve already got access to one of the best-kept secrets for scaling outreach: templates. But templates aren’t magic. Used right, they save you hours and help you land more replies. Used wrong, they make you sound like a robot and get you flagged as spam. Here’s how to actually use them to get results.
1. Know What Templates Can (and Can’t) Do
Let’s get something out of the way: templates speed things up, but they won’t fix bad outreach. They’re not a shortcut to great copy or an excuse to blast generic messages to every contact in your list.
What templates do well: - Save you from rewriting the same stuff over and over - Keep messaging consistent (so you don’t forget important info) - Let you personalize at scale with merge fields (like {{FirstName}} or {{Company}}) - Help you test different versions quickly
What templates don’t do: - Write effective outreach for you - Guarantee higher response rates just by existing - Replace the need for real personalization
Bottom line: Think of templates as a power tool. Useful in the right hands, dangerous if you’re careless.
2. Set Up Your Outreach Workflow Before Building Templates
Don’t create templates in a vacuum. First, get clear on: - Who you’re reaching out to (your “ideal” recipient) - What you want them to do (your ask) - What value you’re offering (why should they care?)
Take 10 minutes to jot down the biggest pain points your recipients have, and what you can actually do for them. This keeps your templates focused and stops you from sending “just checking in” nonsense.
Pro tip: If you’re reaching out to different types of prospects (say, SaaS founders vs. agency owners), you’ll need different templates for each group.
3. Build Your First Quickmail Template—The Right Way
a. Start Simple
Open up Quickmail and head to the Templates section. Start with your first email in the sequence (the “cold open”).
What to include:
- A short, honest subject line (no clickbait)
- A greeting that uses a merge field (e.g., Hi {{FirstName}},)
- A brief, direct intro—who you are and why you’re reaching out
- A line or two that shows you’ve done your homework
- A single, clear ask
- A polite sign-off
Example skeleton:
Subject: Quick question, {{FirstName}}
Hi {{FirstName}},
Saw that {{Company}} is doing interesting work in {{Industry}}. I help similar teams solve {{PainPoint}} by {{YourSolution}}.
Would you be open to a quick call next week to see if it’s relevant?
Best, {{YourName}}
Don’t: Stuff in fake personalization (“I loved your recent blog post!” when you haven’t read it). Do: Use specifics that only make sense for that person or company.
b. Use Merge Fields—But Don’t Overdo It
Quickmail lets you drop in merge fields for names, companies, industries, or pretty much any custom data you upload. This is how you send 100 emails that feel one-on-one.
Just keep it real: - If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t put it in a template. - Don’t rely on just swapping out names and calling it “personalization.”
c. Add Variations for Follow-Ups
Don’t send the same “just bumping this up” email three times in a row. Write at least 2-3 follow-up templates, each with a slightly different angle: - A reminder (“Just checking if you saw my last email…”) - A value-add (“By the way, here’s a resource you might find useful…”) - A breakup (“If this isn’t relevant, just let me know and I’ll stop bugging you.”)
Mix up your tone and content to avoid sounding like a bot.
4. Organize and Name Templates for Sanity
Once you have a few templates, things get messy fast. Use clear names so you know what’s what at a glance.
Skip: “Template 1,” “Template 2,” etc. Use: “SaaS Founder | Intro,” “Agency Owner | Follow-up 1,” etc.
Create folders or tags for different campaigns or target segments. This saves you from sending the wrong template to the wrong list (which is the fastest way to blow trust).
5. Test, Track, and Tweak
Templates are a starting point, not a one-and-done solution. Pay attention to what actually works.
Watch these metrics: - Open rates: Is your subject line getting noticed? - Reply rates: Are people actually responding? - Positive vs. negative replies: Are you getting real interest or just polite rejections?
If a template bombs (low replies, high unsubscribes), don’t just “hope it’ll get better.” Rewrite it or try a different approach.
Pro tip: A/B test subject lines and opening lines directly in Quickmail. Sometimes one small tweak makes a huge difference.
6. Avoid the Classic Template Mistakes
Here’s what trips up most people:
- Over-automation: If every email looks identical except for the name, you’ll get flagged as spam.
- Lazy personalization: Merge fields don’t replace real research.
- Too much fluff: Get to the point. Nobody wants to read your life story.
- Not updating templates: Outreach is not “set and forget.” Markets, pain points, and people change.
Ignore: Anyone telling you templates are a silver bullet. They’re a tool, not a guarantee.
7. Make Personalization Easy (Without Losing Your Mind)
You don’t have to write every email from scratch, but you should leave space for a “personal touch” in each template. In Quickmail, use a dedicated custom field for quick notes or research tidbits.
Example:
Hi {{FirstName}},
Noticed on LinkedIn that {{PersonalNote}}. That’s impressive.
[rest of your template]
Before launching a campaign, fill out the “PersonalNote” field for each contact. This takes a couple of extra minutes per lead but pays off in replies.
8. When to Skip Templates (Yes, Really)
Some situations call for a 100% custom email: - Ultra-high-value prospects or accounts - Sensitive topics or delicate asks - Following up after a meeting or call
If you’re trying to land a client worth $50k, don’t use a template. Spend the time to write something from scratch. For everything else, templates with smart personalization are your friend.
9. Keep Improving (and Don’t Overthink It)
Building a library of great templates takes time. Don’t get stuck trying to make them perfect before you send your first campaign. Start with something simple, see what works, and keep tweaking.
Focus on clarity, brevity, and actual usefulness to your recipient. Drop what isn’t working and double down on what gets replies.
Summary:
Templates in Quickmail are a huge time-saver, but only if you use them right. Stay focused on your audience, keep your messages personal and concise, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Skip the hype—just build, send, and iterate. That’s how you scale outreach that actually gets results.