If you send B2B emails, you’ve heard the advice: personalize, personalize, personalize. But when you’re emailing 100, 1,000, or 10,000 contacts? That’s where things usually fall apart. This guide is for marketers, SDRs, and anyone tired of cookie-cutter “Hey {First Name}” blasts that go straight to the trash. If you want your B2B emails to feel actually personal—without driving yourself nuts—keep reading.
Why Personalization Isn’t Optional (But Is Usually Done Badly)
Personalization isn’t just about being polite. Cold, generic emails get ignored. Relevant emails—ones that sound like a real person wrote them—get opened, read, and sometimes even answered.
Here’s the catch: most “personalized” emails are just mail merges that swap in a first name. People see right through it. The trick is to go a little deeper, using real context about your prospect or their company. That’s where dynamic fields come in.
What Are Dynamic Fields, Really?
Dynamic fields (sometimes called merge tags or variables) let you pull in specific info about each recipient into your emails. Think:
- First name
- Company name
- Industry
- Recent product launches
- Custom notes you add yourself
With Mailgenius, you can set these up—so every email feels like you wrote it for that person, without actually writing thousands of versions.
But let’s be honest: dynamic fields aren’t magic. If your data’s a mess, or if you treat every field the same, your emails will still sound robotic. The real win is using them thoughtfully.
Step-by-Step: Personalizing B2B Emails With Mailgenius Dynamic Fields
Here’s how to use Mailgenius dynamic fields for real personalization, not just “Dear {First Name}” spam.
1. Get Your Contact Data in Shape
Your dynamic fields are only as good as your data.
- Audit your list. Make sure you’ve got accurate names, company info, and any extra notes you want to use.
- Fill in the gaps. If you don’t have a field for “Industry” or “Pain Point,” add it—even if you have to fill some in by hand.
- Standardize formats. “Inc.” vs. “Incorporated,” “Healthcare” vs. “health care.” Pick one for each field.
Pro tip: Blank fields make for embarrassing emails (“Hey , I saw you work at .”). Set fallback values (like “there” or “your company”) or double-check your data.
2. Set Up Dynamic Fields in Mailgenius
Mailgenius makes it pretty straightforward:
- Go to your template builder.
- Insert a field by typing
{{field_name}}where you want the info pulled in (e.g.,{{first_name}},{{company}}). - Map your fields—Mailgenius will pull these from your contact list. Double-check the field names match exactly.
- Set fallback values in Mailgenius for each dynamic field, just in case you’re missing data.
Don’t get fancy with field names. Stick to lowercase, no spaces, and keep them short.
3. Write Templates That Feel Personal
This is where most people blow it. If your template is just:
Hi {{first_name}},
I wanted to reach out to you at {{company}}.
…congrats, you sound like a robot.
Instead, use dynamic fields where they actually add value:
- Reference something specific: “Saw {{company}} just rolled out {{new_product}}—impressive move.”
- Mention a pain point: “A lot of folks in {{industry}} are struggling with {{pain_point}}.”
- Add a custom intro: Use a “custom_note” field for hand-written lines you add for your top prospects.
Don’t overdo it. If every other word is a dynamic field, it’ll sound weird. One or two per email is plenty.
4. Test—Then Test Again
Before you hit send:
- Preview emails for at least a dozen random contacts. Look for awkward phrasing, missing data, or anything that sounds off.
- Send test emails to yourself and a teammate. Read them out loud. If it sounds fake or forced, rewrite it.
- Check your fallback values. Make sure they don’t sound generic or out of place (“Hey there, I wanted to reach out to you at your company” is still bad).
Mailgenius usually lets you preview with real data. Use it—don’t skip.
5. Roll Out, Monitor, and Fix
- Send in batches. Don’t blast your whole list at once. Start small so you can catch mistakes.
- Monitor replies and engagement. Are people actually responding? Or just opening and moving on?
- Tweak your templates. If certain fields aren’t adding real value, drop them. If you spot a data issue, fix it before sending more.
6. Go Beyond the Basics (If You Have the Data)
If you want to get fancy—and your data backs it up—you can:
- Segment by persona or industry. Use dynamic fields to tailor content for different groups.
- Pull in recent news or events. Add fields for “latest press mention” or “conference attended.” Just don’t make stuff up.
- Automate custom lines. If you have a VA or BDR team, let them add a quick note for each contact. It goes a long way.
But don’t force it. If you don’t have good data, stick to what you know is accurate.
What Works—and What Doesn’t
Works: - Using dynamic fields to reference something actually relevant to the recipient. - Adding a line or two that feels hand-written (even if it’s just for your top targets). - Keeping your templates short and straightforward.
Doesn’t Work: - Overusing dynamic fields—too many and you sound like a bad Mad Libs game. - Using stale or incorrect data—nothing kills trust faster. - Relying only on “first name” personalization. Everyone knows that trick.
Ignore: - Any “AI magic” that promises to write perfect emails for you. Most of it’s just reheated boilerplate. - Overly complex setups. If it takes longer to build than to send a real email, you’ve lost the plot.
Quick Tips for Better Personalization
- Always preview and test. Never trust a mail merge blindly.
- Update your data regularly. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Start simple. You can always get fancier once you know it works.
Keep It Simple—Then Iterate
You don’t need a 20-field mail merge or a team of data scientists. Use dynamic fields in Mailgenius to add just enough context to feel human, double-check your data, and keep your templates simple. Once you’re getting real replies, you’ll know it’s working. Then you can get fancy—if you want.