If you’re tired of sending outbound messages that get ignored, you’re not alone. Most people glaze over generic emails and LinkedIn messages, especially if they look like they were blasted to a thousand others. This guide is for anyone using Getrafiki who wants to make their outreach feel less robotic—and actually get replies. No fancy jargon, no “growth hacks.” Just real steps to help you stand out and connect.
1. Know Your Audience—Don’t Skip This
Before you touch a template, you need to actually know who you’re talking to. Personalization isn’t just about dropping a first name into a subject line. Getrafiki can pull in details, but if you’re pulling in the wrong info, you’re just making noise.
What works: - Segmenting by role or industry — Prospects in healthcare don’t care about your fintech case study. - Digging for real triggers — Recent job changes, funding rounds, or new product launches. - Not faking it — Don’t pretend you know someone’s company if you’ve just scraped their site.
What to ignore: - Overly broad lists. If your list is “every CTO in Europe,” that’s not a segment—that’s a dartboard.
Pro tip:
A little research beats a lot of automation. Start small and expand as you see what lands.
2. Set Up Your Getrafiki Fields for the Info That Matters
Getrafiki lets you use dynamic fields (think: {{first_name}}, {{company}}, etc.) in your messages. The trick is using fields that make your message sound like it was written by a human, not a script.
How to do it: - Customize your contact fields: Add custom fields for things like “last blog post title” or “recent event attended” if you’ll use them. - Keep your list clean: Make sure you’re not missing key data. Nothing tanks a message like “Hi , I loved your recent post on .” - Prioritize relevance: You don’t need to mention the weather in every city your contacts live in. Only pull in data that makes sense.
What works: - Mentioning something recent (“Congrats on your new role at Acme!”) - Referencing a specific challenge or priority
What doesn’t: - Overloading with personalization tokens. One or two relevant details beat a wall of {{fields}}.
3. Rewrite Your Templates—Ditch the Robot Voice
Most outbound templates sound like they were written by a committee that’s never had a real conversation. You can do better.
How to rewrite: - Be direct: Write like you talk. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t type it. - Cut filler: Skip “Hope this message finds you well.” Everyone knows you don’t mean it. - Lead with relevance: Start with the one detail that proves you’ve paid attention.
Example:
Bad:
“Dear {{first_name}}, I am reaching out to introduce myself and my company, which specializes in innovative solutions for your industry.”
Better:
“Hi {{first_name}}, saw you spoke about scaling ops at {{last_event}}—I had a quick follow-up question.”
Pro tip:
After you write a template, read it out loud. If it sounds like a robot, keep trimming.
4. Use Getrafiki’s Personalization Features Without Overdoing It
Getrafiki has features to automate personalization—mail merge, conditional logic, dynamic snippets. These are tools, not magic wands.
How to use them well: - Conditional logic: Show different lines based on industry or job title. Ex: “As a {{role}}, you’ve probably seen…” - Dynamic snippets: Drop in relevant case studies or customer logos based on the recipient’s segment. - Test before blasting: Send yourself a sample. Double-check for broken fields or awkward phrasing.
What works: - Using one or two dynamic elements that feel natural. - Saving time on manual edits, but always scanning for weird outputs.
What to ignore: - The urge to automate every line. If everything’s templated, nothing feels personal.
5. Add a Real Reason for Reaching Out
If your only reason for contacting someone is “I want to sell you something,” they’ll know. People can smell a fake “just checking in” a mile away.
How to make it real: - Reference a recent change or pain point (“Saw your team’s hiring for analytics—how’s that going?”) - Ask a question that’s actually relevant (“Noticed you switched CRMs—any surprises so far?”) - Offer something useful, not just a pitch (a resource, a quick tip, a connection)
What works: - Being specific. “I read your blog post on X and had a thought…” lands better than “I enjoyed your content.” - Keeping it short. If your ask is buried in a wall of text, it won’t get read.
What doesn’t: - Fake “value adds.” No one believes you wrote a whitepaper just for them.
6. Test, Measure, and Don’t Obsess Over Open Rates
Once your messages are out, don’t just watch the open rates and hope for the best. Getrafiki gives you data—actually use it.
What to track: - Replies, not just opens. Opens can be misleading thanks to privacy features. - Which details drive engagement. Do people mention the specific question you asked? - Negative signals. If lots of folks unsubscribe or mark you as spam, it’s time to rethink.
What works: - A/B testing subject lines and first lines. - Iterating quickly. If a message flops, change one thing and try again.
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics. “Wow, 70% opened!” is useless if nobody replied.
7. Keep It Simple—and Human
It’s easy to get lost tweaking tools and templates. The best personalization feels natural and focused.
Final checklist: - Are you talking to a real person, not just a “lead”? - Did you use one or two details that matter, not a laundry list? - Would you reply if you got this message?
Remember:
No tool can fake genuine interest. Start small, keep it simple, and tweak as you go. The goal isn’t to be clever with tech—it’s to start real conversations that get real results.