If you’re tired of sending cold emails that never get a reply, you’re not alone. The days of blasting the same bland pitch to every lead are over—if they ever worked at all. This guide is for anyone using Scaledmail who wants to get smarter with their lead lists, actually connect with prospects, and maybe, just maybe, see more replies in their inbox.
Let’s get into how to set up advanced lead segmentation in Scaledmail, without wasting time on busywork that does nothing for your response rates.
Why segmentation matters (and where most people mess it up)
Segmentation sounds fancy, but it’s just splitting your leads into smaller, more meaningful groups. The idea is simple: the more relevant your message, the better your chances of getting a reply.
But here’s the catch—most sales teams either:
- Do almost no segmentation (“All SaaS founders are the same, right?”)
- Overcomplicate it with twenty useless tags nobody uses
- Or just dump in whatever data the list vendor gave them and pray
The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle: segment enough to be personal, but not so much that you’re buried in manual work. Scaledmail actually makes this doable, if you set things up right.
Step 1: Clean your data before you do anything else
Let’s be blunt: garbage in, garbage out. If your lead data is messy, outdated, or missing key fields, no amount of segmentation will help.
What actually matters: - Accurate email addresses (bounce rates kill deliverability) - First and last names - Company name and website - Title/role (when possible) - Industry or vertical (broad is fine—don’t get hung up on micro-niches) - Location (city, state, or country, depending on your market)
What you can probably ignore: - Social media profiles (unless you’re using them for ultra-personalized outreach) - Dozens of enrichment fields you’ll never use
Pro tip:
Run your list through a free or cheap email verifier first. It’s boring, but it saves headaches later.
Step 2: Decide what actually matters for your campaign
Before you even touch Scaledmail’s segmentation features, get clear on your goal. What are you trying to say, and to whom?
Ask yourself: - Is my offer different for founders vs. VPs? - Do I care about company size or revenue? - Does geography matter (e.g., only US-based companies)? - Am I targeting a specific niche or industry?
Don’t make this step academic. You’re not building a marketing persona for a slide deck. Just jot down what’s actually going to change how you write or what you offer.
If you can’t see yourself writing a different email for a segment, don’t bother creating it.
Step 3: Upload your leads to Scaledmail the right way
Now’s the time to get your leads into Scaledmail, but don’t just drag and drop a messy CSV.
How to avoid headaches: 1. Use clear field names in your CSV. Scaledmail will try to match “First Name,” “first_name,” or “FName,” but don’t risk it. Consistency saves you time. 2. Map your fields during the import. Double-check that “Title” isn’t getting mapped to “Company,” etc. 3. Tag your upload if you’re bringing in multiple sources. For example, “Webinar Leads April 2024” or “Crunchbase SaaS List.” This makes segmenting later much easier.
What to ignore:
Don’t upload every single field just because it exists. Only import what you’ll actually use for segmentation or personalization.
Step 4: Set up your segments in Scaledmail
Here’s where the magic (and the temptation to overcomplicate things) happens.
How Scaledmail handles segmentation
- Filters: Use these to slice your list by any field—industry, title, location, etc.
- Tags: Good for grouping leads by source, campaign, or anything else not already in a field.
- Dynamic segments: Set up rules that auto-update as new leads match your criteria.
Real-world segments worth using: - By job title: Founders, VPs, Directors, etc. Your pitch should change based on who’s reading. - By company size: SMB vs. enterprise. Different pain points, different buying cycles. - By industry: Tailor use cases and language. - By location: For legal, time zone, or relevance reasons.
What to skip:
Don’t create segments for “left-handed CEOs in Minnesota” unless you have a real reason. Over-segmentation just means more work for you and almost always leads to sloppier campaigns.
Setting up a segment (walkthrough)
- Go to your Leads tab.
- Hit “Create Segment” (or “Add Filter”—Scaledmail’s UI changes a bit over time).
- Choose your criteria: e.g., “Title contains ‘Founder’” AND “Industry is ‘SaaS’.”
- Save your segment with a clear name (“SaaS Founders - US”).
- Preview the list—spot check a few entries to make sure your filters aren’t too broad or too narrow.
Pro tip:
Start with broad segments. It’s easier to split a big group later than to combine a bunch of tiny ones.
Step 5: Personalize your outreach (without losing your mind)
Great, you have segments. Now what? The whole point is to send emails that sound like you wrote them for that group—not like you swapped out {First Name} and called it a day.
What actually works: - Use merge tags for names, company, and maybe industry. - Add a custom line for each segment that speaks to their reality (“As a SaaS founder, you’re probably juggling product and fundraising…”). - Don’t try to get hyper-personal with every single lead unless you have a tiny list and a lot of time.
What doesn’t: - Crazy-long conditional logic in your templates. - Fake personalization (“I saw you’re a leader in the industry!”—nobody buys it). - Overpromising what you can actually deliver to each segment.
Scaledmail tip:
Set up templates for each segment, and use the preview feature to see how your email looks for real leads in that segment. You’ll catch embarrassing mistakes before they go out.
Step 6: Test, send, and actually read your replies
No segmentation strategy is set-and-forget. The best marketers and salespeople are always tweaking.
What to watch: - Open rates: If these tank, check your subject lines and deliverability. - Reply rates: The only stat that actually matters. If nobody bites, your segments might be off or your pitch isn’t resonating. - Negative replies or opt-outs: Sometimes a segment just isn’t a fit. Adjust and move on.
Don’t get too obsessed with micro-optimizing. If one segment is working, expand on it. If another flops, don’t be afraid to kill it.
A few honest lessons from the trenches
- Most “advanced segmentation” is just common sense: write differently to different people.
- Don’t let the tool dictate your strategy. Use Scaledmail’s features to make your life easier, not more complicated.
- More data fields ≠ better campaigns. Use what you need, ignore the rest.
- Reply rates are a better metric than open or click rates—focus on what actually drives conversations.
Keep it simple, iterate, and don’t overthink it
Advanced segmentation isn’t about building a perfect system on day one. It’s about starting with what actually matters, using Scaledmail’s tools to send smarter emails, and tweaking as you go.
Start simple, see what works, and don’t be afraid to delete segments that don’t deliver. The best campaigns are the ones you actually send—and that get real replies.