If you’re spending more time copying, pasting, and tweaking emails than actually selling, it’s time to stop the madness. This is for folks who do the hard work of outbound sales—founders, SDRs, and anyone tired of repetitive outreach but not ready to hand everything over to a bot. You want to save time, yes, but you don’t want your emails to sound like they were written by a robot (or worse, ignored entirely).
Mailtoaster (link) promises to help with this. It’s a tool for making and sending email templates that actually sound like you. Here’s how to get real value from it—plus a few things the hype won’t tell you.
Why Even Bother With Email Templates?
Let’s be honest: 80% of your outreach is the same. But if you send the exact same thing every time, people tune you out. The trick is to save yourself the grunt work without becoming “that spammer.” Good templates can:
- Cut your email writing time in half (or more)
- Keep your tone consistent, even when you’re tired or rushing
- Help you remember key points, links, and calls to action
- Make it easier to experiment with what actually works
But—bad templates are just as easy to spot as bad cold calls. Avoid the cringe by using templates as a jumping-off point, not a crutch.
Step 1: Set Up the Basics in Mailtoaster
First, get your Mailtoaster account up and running. The setup is straightforward—no need to overthink it.
What you’ll need: - A working email account you can connect - A list of common outreach scenarios (think: cold intro, follow-up, referral ask)
Pro tip: Don’t wait until your process is “perfect.” Start with what you’re actually doing every day.
Connect Your Email
Mailtoaster lets you connect Gmail, Outlook, or whatever you’re using. This is so you can send right from the platform and keep your templates handy. Yes, you’ll need to give it permission, but this is standard for any email tool.
Organize Your Templates
Create a folder or label for each campaign or use case. For example: - Cold Outreach - Demo Follow-Ups - “Just Checking In” Nudges
Don’t go overboard. If you have more than 5-10 templates, you’re probably trying to automate too much.
Step 2: Build Templates That Don’t Sound Like Templates
Here’s where most people mess up: They write one bland email and blast it to everyone. Don’t do that.
The Anatomy of a Good Sales Template
A solid template has:
- Customizable Fields: Use {{first_name}}, {{company}}, or {{pain_point}} in your Mailtoaster template. But keep it to a few—if you’re filling out 10 blanks, you’re working too hard.
- A Clear Goal: Every email should have one ask. Don’t try to book a meeting, get a referral, and close the deal all in one go.
- A Human Touch: Toss in a line that proves you actually looked at their LinkedIn or website. No AI fluff.
Example (bad):
Hi {{first_name}},
I wanted to reach out and introduce myself. Let’s connect.
Example (better):
Hey {{first_name}},
Saw you’re hiring for {{role}} at {{company}}. Quick question: are you open to tools that help your team avoid manual follow-ups?
Add Personalization Without Losing Your Mind
Mailtoaster lets you set default values for fields—handy for when you don’t have all the info. But don’t get lazy. A little manual edit (“Saw your talk at SaaStr—loved your take on cold email!”) goes a long way.
What works: - Using templates as a base, then tweaking the first two lines - Swapping in relevant case studies or links per recipient
What doesn’t: - Overusing merge fields (“Hi {{first_name}} at {{company}}, I see you’re in {{city}}…”) - Pretending you know more than you do (people spot fake flattery a mile away)
Step 3: Streamline Your Workflow
Now that your templates are ready, don’t just fire them off blindly. Here’s how to actually save time while staying smart.
Use Snippets for Common Replies
Getting the same objections or questions? Make a “snippets” folder for quick replies—pricing info, scheduling links, product FAQs. This isn’t full automation, but it helps you move faster.
Batch Your Outreach
Set aside blocks of time to tee up 10-20 emails at once. Personalize, send, move on. Mailtoaster’s queueing and scheduling features handle the rest.
Pro tip: Don’t send 100 emails at 9:01am. Stagger them to avoid spam filters and looking like a robot.
Track What’s Working (and What’s Not)
Mailtoaster tracks opens, clicks, and replies. But don’t get obsessed with “open rates”—it’s the replies that count. If a template never gets a response, kill it or rework it.
Ignore: - Vanity metrics (“Wow, 70% open rate!” means nothing if nobody replies) - Templates that only get “unsubscribe” or “not interested” responses
Step 4: Keep Improving Your Templates
Sales is trial and error. Don’t expect to nail it on the first draft.
- A/B Test: Try two versions of your opener or CTA. See which gets more replies (Mailtoaster’s analytics can help).
- Steal from Yourself: If a line or phrase works, use it in other templates.
- Ask for Feedback: If you have a team, swap templates and suggest edits. Fresh eyes catch stale language.
What to skip:
Don’t waste time making templates for super-rare situations. Focus on your top 3-5 use cases.
Step 5: Don’t Automate Everything
Here’s the honest truth: Automation is a double-edged sword. Mailtoaster makes it easy to scale up, but the more you automate, the more you risk sounding generic—or worse, getting flagged as spam.
- Use templates for the first 70-80% of the work.
- Personalize the stuff that matters: the opener, the CTA, the “why you.”
- For high-value prospects, ditch the template and write from scratch.
If you’re sending mass emails and getting crickets, that’s your cue to slow down and add more of yourself back in.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Keep It Human
Templates are there to make your life easier, not to replace you. Start small: one or two templates for your most common outreach tasks. Use Mailtoaster to do the heavy lifting, but don’t let it turn you into a robot. The best sales emails feel like they were written by a real person—because they were.
Iterate, pay attention to what gets responses, and keep your process lean. Don’t fall for the hype that says you can “fully automate” relationships. In the end, people buy from people. Use tools to save time, not cut corners.