If you’re in B2B sales, you know the drill: prospects ignore generic mass emails, but you don’t have time to handcraft every message. The right automation tool can save your sanity—if it actually delivers on the “personalization” part. This guide is for sales teams who want to use automation without sounding like robots. I’ll walk you through getting real results with Salesfinity, a sales automation tool that promises personalized outreach without the fluff.
Let’s get your pipeline humming (without making people roll their eyes at your emails).
Why bother with personalized email automation?
Personalized emails work. People are more likely to reply when you show you’ve done your homework, even if it’s just a little. But, let’s be honest, most “personalized” email automation is just mail merge with lipstick. You want to do better—and you want your team’s time back.
Salesfinity’s pitch is that it combines automation with actual personalization, not just {{FirstName}} inserts. Does it live up to that? Sometimes, yes—but you have to know how to set it up and where to draw the line.
Step 1: Get your data right (or don’t bother)
No automation tool can work magic if you’re feeding it garbage. Before you even log in to Salesfinity, do a quick check:
- Your CRM data: Is it up to date? Are company names, job titles, and contacts correct?
- Segmentation: Do you have clear lists for different industries, regions, or roles?
- Research fields: Salesfinity can use “custom fields” for things like a prospect’s recent funding round, tech stack, or industry news. If you want more than bland emails, you’ll need some of this.
Pro tip: Don’t try to personalize on everything. Pick 1-2 fields that actually matter to your prospects. Quality over quantity.
Step 2: Connect Salesfinity to your tools
You’ll need to hook Salesfinity up to your email account and CRM. The process is pretty standard, but here are a few things to watch out for:
- Email integration: Salesfinity supports Gmail, Outlook, and most IMAP accounts. Use a real rep’s inbox, not a generic “sales@” address—otherwise, your deliverability will tank.
- CRM connection: It connects to Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive natively. If you use something else, you’ll probably need Zapier or a manual CSV import.
- Permission headaches: Make sure your IT folks know what’s up. Some companies lock down email or CRM permissions, so get ahead of that before you’re stuck waiting.
Honest take: The integrations are good but not magical. Sometimes fields won’t sync the way you hoped, especially if your CRM is messy. Do a test run with a small list.
Step 3: Build your first campaign (without overthinking it)
Here’s where most people get stuck: trying to write one email that works for everyone. Don’t do that. In Salesfinity, campaigns are built from a series of steps (email 1, follow-up, etc.) and “dynamic fields” you can use for personalization.
Setting up your campaign:
- Pick a clear target segment. Don’t mix SaaS CTOs with manufacturing VPs. The more focused, the easier it is to sound genuine.
- Write your emails. Keep it short and conversational. Use dynamic fields for name, company, and one or two “real” details.
- Add your follow-ups. Salesfinity lets you set delays and conditions (if no reply, send X days later). Don’t overdo it—3-4 touches is enough for most B2B.
- Insert custom fields. This is where the real personalization happens. If you’ve got a “recent news” field, use it in your opener. But double-check that field for every contact, or you’ll end up with some weird errors.
What to ignore: Salesfinity offers a bunch of templates. Most are generic and sound like they were written by a committee. Use your own voice.
Step 4: Test before you blast
This is the step most teams skip. Don’t.
- Send test emails to yourself and your team. Check formatting and personalization—does it sound like you, or like a robot?
- Spot-check data fields. Look for missing info, awkward phrasing, and anything that might embarrass you if it went to a real prospect.
- Check deliverability. Emails going to spam? It’s usually a bad subject line, too many links, or sending too many at once from a new domain.
Pro tip: If you see “Hi {{FirstName}},” in your test, stop. Fix your data or your dynamic field settings.
Step 5: Launch your campaign (slowly)
Don’t send to your whole list at once. Salesfinity lets you throttle sends, which keeps you out of spam filters and gives you time to fix mistakes.
- Start with a small batch. 20-50 contacts is plenty for your first run.
- Monitor replies and bounces. If you get weird auto-replies or angry responses, adjust your approach.
- Iterate quickly. The best campaigns are the ones you tweak after seeing real replies. Don’t be precious about your copy.
Honest take: Automation doesn’t mean “set it and forget it.” The first batch will always have surprises—embrace it.
Step 6: Measure what matters (and ignore vanity metrics)
Salesfinity’s dashboard will show you open rates, reply rates, and more. Here’s what actually matters for B2B sales:
- Reply rate: Not just any reply, but positive replies from real decision-makers.
- Meeting booked: The only real “conversion” that counts.
- Bounce rate: High bounces mean your data is bad, or your emails look spammy.
- Unsubscribe/complaint rate: If people are opting out or reporting you, you’re coming on too strong.
What to ignore: Open rates are less reliable than ever (thanks, Apple Mail Privacy). Don’t chase them.
Step 7: Tune up your approach
No campaign is perfect out of the gate. Use what you learn to get better:
- Rewrite your subject lines and first sentences. Most people decide to delete based on these alone.
- Test your follow-up timing. Sometimes, spacing out emails by a week works better than hammering people every 48 hours.
- Update your segments. Maybe your “ideal customer profile” isn’t as ideal as you thought. Don’t be afraid to narrow it down.
Pro tip: Share what works (and what flops) with your team. Salesfinity lets you clone campaigns, so make it easy for everyone to build on success.
When to use Salesfinity—and when not to
Salesfinity is a solid tool if:
- You have at least a few hundred prospects to reach.
- Your CRM data isn’t a total mess.
- You care about replies, not just “activity.”
It’s not magic. If your offer stinks or your list is ancient, no tool can fix that. Also, if your deals are ultra-high-touch (think: selling to the Fortune 100), real 1:1 outreach will always beat automation.
The stuff you can skip
- A/B testing every little thing: If your list is small, don’t bother. Focus on getting replies from real people, not tiny percentage boosts.
- Obsessing over template libraries: Your own voice will always stand out more.
- Over-personalizing: Trying to mention a prospect’s dog’s name or recent tweets just comes off creepy. Stick to relevant business details.
Keep it simple—and keep improving
Salesfinity can save you serious time, but only if you keep your process simple and tweak as you go. Start with a small, focused campaign. Make sure your data is solid, your emails sound human, and you’re tracking replies—not just opens. Don’t fall for the “set it and forget it” trap. The best results come from iterating, not automating everything to death.
If you treat automation as a tool—not a magic solution—you’ll get more meetings, better responses, and fewer headaches. And honestly, that’s all any B2B sales team really wants.