Getting your prospecting emails opened is the first hurdle in successful B2B lead generation. At SendIQ, we’ve refined our approach through thousands of campaigns to ensure your messages land in inboxes and actually get read. Here’s exactly how we make it happen.
The Foundation: Email Deliverability
Before your prospects can open your emails, they need to reach their inboxes. Poor deliverability means your carefully crafted messages end up in spam folders, invisible to your target audience.
We start by establishing strong sender reputation through proper domain authentication. This includes setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records that tell email providers your messages are legitimate. We also warm up email accounts gradually, starting with small volumes and building trust with inbox providers over time.
Our technical team monitors bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement metrics constantly. When we spot potential deliverability issues, we adjust sending patterns immediately to protect your sender reputation.
Crafting Subject Lines That Work
Your subject line is your first impression, and it determines whether prospects open your email or delete it instantly. Generic subject lines like “Quick question” or “Partnership opportunity” get ignored because they sound like mass emails.
We create subject lines that feel personal and relevant to each prospect’s specific situation. Instead of broad statements, we reference recent company news, industry challenges, or mutual connections. For example, “Regarding your recent expansion into Manchester” performs far better than “Great opportunity for your business”.
Our data shows that subject lines between 30-50 characters get the highest open rates. We avoid spam trigger words like “free”, “guaranteed”, or excessive punctuation marks that set off email filters.
Personalisation Beyond First Names
True personalisation goes far deeper than inserting someone’s first name into a template. We research each prospect’s company, role, and recent activities to create genuinely relevant messages.
This means referencing specific challenges their industry faces, mentioning recent company milestones, or connecting our solution to their particular business model. When a prospect reads your email and thinks “this person actually understands my business”, they’re far more likely to respond positively.
We use multiple data sources to gather insights about prospects, from company websites and LinkedIn profiles to industry publications and news articles. This research forms the foundation of every personalised outreach campaign.
Timing Your Outreach Perfectly
When you send emails matters enormously for open rates. Our analysis of UK B2B email campaigns shows clear patterns in when business decision-makers engage with their inboxes.
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Best days: Tuesday through Thursday consistently outperform Mondays and Fridays.
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Best times: Morning sends between 8-10am and early afternoon sends around 1-2pm generate the highest open rates.
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What to avoid: Late afternoons when people are winding down their workday.
We also consider your prospect’s industry and role. Finance directors often check emails early in the morning, while creative professionals might be more active later in the day. Our sending schedules adapt to these patterns.
Building Sender Trust
Prospects are more likely to open emails from senders they recognise and trust. We help build this recognition through consistent branding and professional email signatures that clearly identify who you are and why you’re reaching out.
Your sender name should be a real person, not a generic company address. “Sarah from SendIQ” gets better results than “info@sendiq.co.uk“. We also ensure your reply address is monitored, because prospects sometimes respond with questions before they’re ready to book meetings.
Testing and Optimisation
Every audience responds differently, so we continuously test different approaches to improve open rates. This includes A/B testing subject lines, send times, and sender names to identify what resonates best with your specific market.
We track open rates across different prospect segments, industries, and company sizes. This data helps us refine our approach for future campaigns and identify opportunities to improve performance.
The Multi-Channel Advantage
Email works best as part of a broader outreach strategy. At SendIQ, we combine email campaigns with LinkedIn outreach, targeted calling, and website visitor identification to create multiple touchpoints with prospects.
When prospects see your name across different channels, familiarity increases and email open rates improve. Someone who’s seen your LinkedIn message is more likely to open your follow-up email.
Measuring Success
We track open rates alongside other key metrics like reply rates and meeting bookings. High open rates mean nothing if they don’t convert to actual business opportunities.
Our reporting shows you exactly which approaches generate the best results, so you can understand what resonates with your target market and refine your messaging accordingly.
Getting emails opened is just the beginning, but it’s an essential foundation for successful B2B prospecting. With the right strategy, your messages will reach prospects who are genuinely interested in what you offer.
