Developing a Sales Playbook

We just drove £243,000 in pipeline with a campaign that cost us £78. 1 targeted campaign, 4 weeks of prep, and only £78 spent. Here's the playbook we used ⤵️ (DISCLAIMER: While this campaign only took us 4 weeks to put together, it's taken us 3+ years to perfect campaigns like this.) 1/ Start With A Creative Campaign Idea Most companies think backwards about campaigns. They pick channels first, then scramble for content to fill them. We flip this. We just see channels as ways to distribute our campaigns. The key is to have a great creative campaign first, then distribute it. By "Creative Campaign" I mean: - A core idea (e.g. B2B marketing is too old fashioned) - A core theme or asset (e.g. comparisons of new vs old) Basic examples, but you get the concept. ---- 2/ Multi-Channel Distribution Once we have our campaign, we identify 3-4 channels that reach our ICP effectively. Our favourite channels are: - LinkedIn DMs - Direct Mail - Email These consistently work for B2B audiences. But we often tweak things to find whichever channel has the least "noise" in that sector - where our message is most likely to cut through. NOTE: Each channel needs its own strategy. Your email approach must be completely different from your direct mail. ---- 3/ Commitment Ladder Our initial touch points NEVER offer our service. This is a sin. Instead, we a ladder of increasing commitment: Offer 1: High Value Content Offer (E.g. eBook, Guide, etc) Offer 2: Intimate live workshop with 20 business owners Offer 3: Free 1-2-1 consultation call Offer 4: Our service Each step requires slightly more commitment, naturally leading to our high-ticket offer. ---- 4/ Back-End Email Strategy 84% of all clients we sign have been in our email list before signing. That's why we put so much time, effort, and thought into nurturing prospects after getting them into our funnel. For us, this looks like: - 4-day sequence after they sign-up - 2 emails per week (1 PUSH, 1 high-value) - 1 re-entry point offered every month (essentially offering them something new) This is where we turn casual interest into closed revenue. ---- The best part about this system isn't even the lead numbers though, it's being able to go after exactly who you want. You can literally build a campaign around your dream client, hit them across every channel, and watch them move through your funnel. That's how we ended up working with companies like NHS, O Beach, and Resilience Lab. Now, give it a try for yourself. P.S. I realise I've gone into detail here and exposed some key parts of what works for us and our clients. If you found it useful, give this a like or a share so the noticed. team doesn't kill me for giving out this much info. Thanks 🤣

Years ago, I watched one of the best enterprise salespeople I've ever known lose a million-dollar deal simply because "𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝘆". This brilliant, capable professional was letting million-dollar opportunities slip away because she was afraid of seeming aggressive. Sound familiar? Here's the reality I've found after analyzing thousands of sales interactions: The average B2B purchase requires 8+ touches before a response, but most salespeople give up after 2-3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽𝘀—𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. Working with clients across industries, I've developed what some have called the "Goldilocks Sequence" – not too aggressive, not too passive, but just right for maximizing response rates without alienating prospects. It starts with how we view follow-ups. Stop thinking of them as "checking in" and start seeing them as opportunities to deliver additional value. For each client, we build what I call a "Follow-Up Content Library" with 5-10 genuinely valuable resources for each buyer persona – a mix of their content and third-party research addressing likely challenges. Having this ready means follow-ups can pull the most relevant resource based on the specific situation. The sequence itself has a rhythm designed to respect the prospect's time while staying on their radar: 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 is the initial value-focused outreach with a specific insight (never generic "I'd like to connect" language). Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯, we send a gentle bump, forwarding the original email with: "I wanted to make sure this reached you. Any thoughts on the [specific insight]?" It's brief and assumes positive intent. By 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱, we shift to an alternative channel like LinkedIn, with a personalized note referencing the insight, but still no meeting request. Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟴 comes the pure value-add – sharing a relevant resource with no ask attached: "Came across this [article/case study] that addresses the [challenge] we discussed. Thought you might find it valuable regardless of our conversation." 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮 brings what I call the "pattern interrupt" – a brief email with an unexpected subject line and single-question format that's easy to respond to. Then, around Day 18, we send the "permission to close" message: "I'm sensing this might not be a priority right now. If that's the case, could you let me know if I should check back in the future? Happy to remove you from my follow-up list otherwise." This sequence generated a 34% response rate for an enterprise software client compared to their previous 11% using traditional methods. The key difference? Every touch adds legitimate value rather than just asking for time. And because it's systematic, it removes the emotional weight of deciding when and how to follow up. What's your most effective follow-up technique? I'm always collecting new approaches to share with clients. #SalesFollowUp #OutreachStrategy #PipelineGeneration

We’ve sent over 100,000 cold emails and got a >25% response rate. Now, I’m giving away our secrets: Most cold emails go something like this: “Hey [First Name], I saw your company online and thought we should connect. We offer [Service]. Let’s hop on a call so I can explain more!” This is where your prospect stops reading. Why? Because it’s all about you, not them. This kind of email screams generic, lazy, and me-first. So, how do you fix it? Here’s a better approach to writing cold emails that actually get replies 👇 1. Personalization- Don’t just use their name, use something specific to them. Example: “Hey [First Name], I noticed your recent post on [Topic]. It got me thinking about how [specific insight].” 2. Value Upfront - Give them a reason to care. What problem are you solving? Example: “I specialize in helping [Industry] companies like [Their Company] increase [Key Metric]. I’ve helped [Client Name] achieve [Specific Result].” 3. Short & Concise - Get to the point. No one has time for fluff. Example: “If you’re looking to [Solution], I’d love to share how we helped [Client Name] boost their results.” 4. Clear Call-to-Action - Tell them exactly what you want them to do, without sounding pushy. Example: “Would you be open to a quick 10-minute chat next week?” For a better understanding, look at the graphic below. If you want to elevate your cold email game and start seeing replies, it’s time to ditch the lazy templates. Want a detailed breakdown? Click the link in the comments to grab our guide on the full cold email framework! #shambhavi_writes #coldemails #copywriting

Here’s an AI cold email that uses data from multiple sources: “Josh, you’ve had your lawn cut 23 times in 2024. You paid $3,450. If you were our customer, you would’ve paid $1,950. Wanna know how?” It’s got data. It’s got savings. It’s got punch. So why doesn’t it work? Because it has no soul. It feels lifeless. People are skeptical of big claims, especially from salespeople with a vested interest. Prospects know stats can be cherry-picked. And even if the numbers are true, they still might not believe you. Why? Because there’s no how. No detail. Nothing to grab onto. Now here’s what a cold email with a soul feels like. (Yes, it’s a feeling.) ⸻ Hi Josh, Not sure if this applies to you, but I’ve been hearing from a lot of homeowners who get their lawn cut every two weeks, they’re paying around $140 per visit. Or about $3,400 a year. Most say it’s just the going rate. But some are starting to question it. How do you know you’re not overpaying? Asking because we run a network of independent pros who batch services by neighborhood. That lets us offer the same service for less. No flaky service or inconsistent quality. One customer near you (the Cantors) paid $1,950 last year for the same frequency. Totally get it if you’re happy with your current setup. But if you’re curious, happy to run a quick side-by-side and throw in a free cut. ⸻ What this version does differently: 1. No assumptions (not sure about you) 2. Asks a neutral question about a possible problem 3. Explains the how behind the savings 4. Anticipates the “too good to be true” objection (no cutting corners) 5. Leverages social proof (a neighbor) 6. Lowers the risk (free cut) 7. Detached (happy with current setup) You don’t earn trust by sounding smart with data. You earn it by sharing a meaningfully different idea about a problem your prospect may not even realize they have. And sounding like a person not AI. Skip the pitch. Poke the bear. And put some soul in it.

I set up 37 AI Agents for our $6M ARR outbound agency. These are the 6 AI Agents we deploy across our >$10M ARR clients. I used to spend HOURS trying to figure out what makes a cold email work. Which pain points hit hardest. What signals show someone is ready to buy. When to reach out. How to segment my lists without losing my mind. Now? I run everything through a squad of AI agents (built in n8n) that do the heavy lifting for me. Here’s the team: → 1. COMPANY_ANALYST Analyzes your website, case studies, and G2 reviews. Finds what problems you solve, what ROI you deliver, and what makes you different. Outputs: • Top pain points (ranked 1-10) • Customer impact metrics • Differentiation hooks • Real customer language → 2. PAIN_EXPERT Takes those insights and builds a Pain Point Matrix. Scores each pain by: • Frequency • Financial impact • Time savings • Risk reduction • Emotional relief • Urgency Then ranks them-so you know what matters MOST. → 3. SIGNAL_HUNTER Searches for digital breadcrumbs showing a company feels that pain. Looks at: • Tech stack • Website copy • Job posts • Social posts • Event attendance • Review activity Even gives you ready-to-use Boolean search strings for LinkedIn. (Yes, you get a literal playbook for signals.) → 4. SEGMENT_STRATEGIST Breaks your market into micro-segments (100-200 companies each). Maps the most intense pain for each. Defines how to spot them, what triggers that pain, and what NOT to target. Helps you focus on the best-fit group first. → 5. TRIGGER_SPECIALIST Watches for buying signals in that top segment: • Researching solutions? • Budget approved? • Leadership change? • Tech stack updates? Sets up real-time alerts and tells you exactly when/how to reach out. → 6. CAMPAIGN_BUILDER Takes all this and builds 3 outbound campaigns you can launch. For each: • Campaign name • Target audience • Trigger event • Messaging • Data sources • Personalization fields • Target KPIs • A/B test plan • Launch checklist If you want to see how these AI agents actually work in a real outbound workflow (step-by-step) - I'll be putting together an entire SOP over the weekend, let me know if you want it!

If you're telling me email marketing is dead in 2025, I've got $240,250 in revenue that says you're wrong. And we did it in 90 days with a client who'd sent just one email campaign before working with us. Let me show you exactly what we did. Adegen was a modern hair care brand with everything going for them. Proven product, strong brand, good following, solid revenue. Just one problem. They thought email marketing was dead. They'd sent one random campaign, generated a few sales, then gave up because "email doesn't work anymore." Sound familiar? Most brands are sitting on goldmines they don't even see. First thing we did was throw out everything you're "supposed" to do in hair loss marketing. Most companies go heavy on masculine marketing. Aggressive messages about fighting hair loss, dark colors, bold claims. We went the opposite direction: - Clean, science-focused design - Clear visual hierarchy - Specific color psychology - Information that helps people Our first weekly tip about hair care brought in $7,475 with a 58.4% open rate. Because we stopped selling and started helping. Most email marketing fails by blasting the same message to everyone. We split everything into specific segments: - First-time buyers get different content - Product-specific purchasers saw relevant upsells - Non-buyers after 60 days got different messaging - High-value customers got special treatment Open rates jumped to 56-58% because people got the information they wanted. Next, their popup was the typical "value over discount" play, offering a free ebook. The old revenue in 60 days? $1,188. We tested a straight $20 discount instead. No fancy value proposition. The result? $16,126 in 30 days. Sometimes simple beats clever. The biggest revenue driver was basic customer support done right. We built a post-purchase sequence that helped people succeed: - Daily progress tracking - Photo guides showing real results - Usage calendars - Regular check-ins This sequence: $61,937 in 90 days. Here's a summary of what changed in 90 days: BEFORE: 33,712 Recipients → $10,654 Revenue (6.7% of store revenue) AFTER: 274,365 Recipients → $240,250 Revenue (36.48% of store revenue) The key metrics: - 51.93% Average Open Rate - 41.9% Increase in Total Store Revenue - 62.5% Growth in Email List The most skeptical clients usually have the biggest opportunities. They've ignored basic marketing channels that could transform their business. They're too busy chasing the next big thing to fix what's right in front of them. Email marketing isn't dead. Bad email marketing is dead. Most brands are leaving millions on the table because they won't do the simple things that work. Want results like this? Message me

In 36 months, I scaled a hunting team at AWS from $0 to $25M Though it was seen as a great success by many, there are 5 critical shifts I’m applying to build a modern outbound engine at Yess: WHO, WHY, WHEN, TO WHOM, and HOW LONG. Here’s the breakdown: 1️⃣ WHO is reaching out: - Old Way: entry-level SDRs flood inboxes with spam. + New Way: Team-selling facilitated by SDRs. Decision makers prefer talking to other decision makers. Executives and peers should engage directly. companies should move from old-school outbound to team selling model that is facilitated by SDRs and driven by signals and intent data. 2️⃣ WHY we're reaching out: - Old Way: Generic emails saying, 'I see you're the {job title}...' + New Way: Relevancy > Generic personalization. Generic outreach that lacks relevance and personalization is dead. Look for accounts that visited your website, engaged with your social media, or showed intent through third-party data to craft contextually rich content driven by intent data and real-time signals. 3️⃣ WHEN we reach out: - Old Way: As soon as a new lead gets into the CRM, no matter what. + New Way: Engaging contacts when they show interest. Sales isn’t about immediately pouncing on every lead anymore. Leading sales teams will strategically time their outreach with behavioral signals, like site visits or content engagement. 4️⃣ To WHOM we are reaching out: - Old Way: Single (ICP) persona within the account. + New Way: Target the entire buying team, with personalized touches. Modern outreach should involve the entire buying committee. Each stakeholder has different needs and goals. Use detailed persona data to create messages that hit home for everyone. 5️⃣ HOW LONG we reach out: - Old Way: same 18-step generic sequence for all accounts. + New Way: Dynamics playbooks based on live engagement data. Dynamic playbooks help sales teams tweak their outreach using live data. Sequences adapt to prospects' actions in real time, keeping the prioritization of accounts updated and dynamic. TAKEAWAY: The outbound paradigm is shifting and pushing us to focus on precision over volume. Outbound should leverage: + WHO is reaching out,  + tailor WHAT they communicate,  + sync it perfectly with WHEN it matters the most, + strategically choose TO WHOM they reach out to,  + and dynamically adjust HOW LONG they engage based on data. Keep them in check. 

At 20, I cold-emailed a publicly traded bank. They replied. Since then, cold outreach has led to millions in partnerships. Here’s the 5-step playbook I use to get in front of anyone: Step 1: Research beats volume every time Don't blast 1,000 companies. Pick 10 and spend real time understanding their problems. I read that bank's quarterly earnings call transcript. Found their exact pain point. Step 2: Lead with their problem, not your solution Bad: "We offer FinTech solutions." Good: "Millions of underbanked customers rely on cash-only corner stores. We turn those stores into full-service bank branches." Reference something specific they've said publicly. Step 3: Be stupidly specific Instead of generic capabilities, I wrote exactly how we'd solve their customer retention issue. Include actual numbers, specific use cases, and concrete outcomes they could expect. Step 4: Don't hide that you're small "I'm 19, building this from my dorm room" actually worked in my favor. It showed hunger and focus that big agencies couldn't match. Step 5: Make it easy to say yes "Can I send you a 2-minute demo video?" beats "Let's schedule a discovery call." Lower the friction. Higher the response rate. Today at OSMOS, every major client started with us doing the homework first.

I've said this before and I'll say it again — we've been struggling.. with cold email deliverability. Cold email infrastructure is frustrating - even when following best practices, deliverability remains inconsistent. I researched everything to solve this problem once & for all. Let me break down what actually works: 1) Infrastructure & Setup: -> Domains & inboxes - Never send cold from your primary domain - Use 3-5 sibling domains, 3-5 inboxes each - Keep branding believable; avoid spammy TLDs (.tk, .ml) - Set up Google Workspace or M365 for legitimacy -> Authentication - SPF covers every sender, DKIM at 2048-bit minimum - DMARC from p=none → quarantine once stable (never jump to reject) - Alignment across From/Return-Path is non-negotiable - Test with mail-tester.com weekly -> Compliance - Clear opt-out, real physical address, legitimate interest docs (EU) - Honor opt-outs within 24 hrs max 2) Sending Strategy: -> Warm-up - New domains need 8-12 weeks minimum - Simulate real engagement (opens/replies/forwards) - Use warmup tools like mailwarm, lemwarm or Instantly.ai -> Volume & Pacing - Start 10-20/day per inbox, add +20-50 weekly if metrics stay green - Randomize send windows; 60-120s gaps b/w sends - Respect recipient time zones (9am-5pm local) -> Timing - B2B sweet spots: Tue-Thu late morning & early afternoon - Avoid Mondays (inbox overload) & Fridays (weekend mode) 3) Content & Copy: -> Subject lines - 6-10 words, human and specific - Personalized context beats cleverness every time - Avoid fake urgency, ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation!!! - Test: "Quick question about [specific company pain point]" -> Body - Short, skimmable, 1 idea + 1 ask maximum - Personalize in layers: hyper-custom for top 10%, segment-level for rest - Use natural language, avoid marketing speak - Images and links kill deliverability - use sparingly -> CTA - Make next step tiny (15-min scan, 1-question reply, "worth a chat?") - Single CTA only - multiple options confuse and reduce response 4) List & Data: -> Sourcing - Prioritize intent and fit over volume always - Dedupe domains (max 1-2 people per company per campaign) - Use Apollo, ZoomInfo or Clay for verified contacts -> Hygiene - Verify syntax + domain + mailbox before sending - Remove hard bounces instantly (never retry) - Prune unengaged cohorts quarterly - Never recycle unsubscribed contacts -> Segmentation - Hot/Warm/Cold bands by recency + engagement - Throttle "Cold" segments heavily 5) Monitoring & KPIs: - Delivery rate ≥98%; investigate anything <95% - Bounce rate <2% (≤1% is excellent) - Spam complaints <0.1% absolute ceiling - Track domain/IP reputation, blacklist status weekly - Use seed accounts & inbox tests ps. Have a response/POA for objections like “not the right person” / “not decision maker” / “No longer at company” / “have in-house team already” / “please contact john from abc” You can also use Valley on LinkedIn - book 2 demos/week for every seat.

We’ve grown into a $2M lead gen agency in just 12 months. Here's the exact framework we used. Core principle: Cold emailing is built on a house of cards. The 3 main components are: 1. Deliverability and infrastructure 2. Messaging 3. Response handling They’re all linked— mess up one, and the whole thing collapses. Most customers come to us after hitting a storm And then think, “ah, cold email isn’t the right channel for us.” So, here’s how we solve their problem: 1. Deliverability We buy a bunch of similar domains and set up hundreds of outboxes. (we never touch your main domain) Then, send 6-8 emails/day/outbox. Our best bet: 1. Low volume sending (earlier this meant 50 emails/outbox. Today, it’s < 10) 2. MDMI sending (multi-domain, multi-inbox rotation) 3. ESP to ESP sending (Gmail to Gmail, Outlook to Outlook) 4. Our own internal warm-up pool In short, we diversify risk by setting up multiple outboxes with low-volume sending. Quick tip: Test as many providers as possible. We use about 4-5 for each client. 1. Messaging Experiment - that’s really it. We divide campaigns into: 1. Evergreen: Damn good copy to test value prop. Think of it like a checkboard and cross out what doesn’t work. 2. Incentive: Play on the law of reciprocity. Send a lead magnet or maybe, gift a bottle of wine to build rapport. 3. Trigger and AI: We use our tech to actively listen. A lead is hiring? They’ve got a problem they want to solve. Send them a timely email and please personalize it! We run them all, wide-net campaigns to hyper-focused ones. Then, stick with what works. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Experiment and find out. 1. Response Handling If you don’t respond in 30 min, your chances to book a meeting drops by 900% That’s insane. Do you know who’s guilty of this the most? Tenured reps (your costliest investment) These folks are busy golfing, thinking, ‘I’ll get to it later." Well...that’s a cost your company just paid. So we built a simple solution: RevReply. It manages speed-to-lead. Analyzes sentiments > overcomes objections > responds > looks at your calendar > finds a good time > sends back a booking link. All in 3-5 min. Phew! It's really that simple. What aspect of cold emailing are you struggling with?