10 examples of BtoB prospecting emails - Humanlinker

People love me as much as they hate me. 

I need to be worked on before sending. 

I can't please everyone. 

Who am I? 

A B2B prospecting email 😅.

And you know very well what I'm talking about: B2B prospecting emails are a real headache! You probably spend time writing messages and working on them in every direction...hoping to always have more results. 

Why should we focus on a prospecting email? Quite simply because competition is fierce, and an email that doesn't catch the eye is quickly thrown into the trash. 

In this article, I offer you 10 examples of effective B2B emails, accompanied by their practical advice to maximize your impact. 

Discover now:

• Ready-to-use templates for different scenarios.
• Tips for optimal personalization.
• Strategies to achieve measurable results.

Here we go! 

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How to write an effective prospecting email?

The prospecting email initially seeks to establish a commercial relationship with your target. 

Compared to a “marketing” email, the prospecting email will be shorter, more direct and action-oriented. The idea is to get a response to your email: whether it's a direct response, or whether the person clicked on the link you want. 

The most important thing in a prospecting email: value. 

Your prospect should know: 

• why you contact him;
• what will be his benefit if he answers you 
• how are you doing him a favor?

Then, each B2B prospecting email must be carefully crafted. This is what we will see right away 👇

What are the best practices for cold emailing?

A prospecting email needs 2 main elements: strategy and structure!

1. User research (=understanding your target) 

The first good practice, essential for any Marketing strategy and not just for emails, is to do research on your target. Particularly on the segment to which you will send your prospecting email. 

The idea is to send them content, to have an approach based on the needs of your target. 

So, here are some questions to ask yourself: 

• What problems is your target looking to solve? 
• What are his professional goals? 
• What arguments/levers (value proposition) can convince your target to respond to you?  

2. Personalization 

You can imagine that even if several prospects want your services, they will not be approached in the same way. Some will be more convinced by the price, others by the benefits of your tool. 

In this case, we offer you the second best practice: personalization! 

Because yes, even if you send 1000 emails, they can all be personalized, thanks to Humanlinker: the tool allows an analysis of your contacts, an understanding of their personality, and therefore to adapt the message for each prospect. 

Thanks to the DISC method, Humanlinker is able to know your prospect by heart. 

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You no longer need to search for information about your prospect, the tool does it for you. 

Once the latter understands who they should address, the AI ​​intervenes to write fully personalized messages. It's crazy isn't it? 

To test, it’s free, and it’s here 👇

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3. The email subject 

When you send an email, the subject is the first thing you see. 

It’s the first impression you make, it’s the handshake when you network, it’s the catchphrase of your LinkedIn post.

The idea here is to make the subject of the email: 

• shocking 
• Clair 
• Which arouses curiosity 

You can write a minimum of 4 words and a maximum of 10 so that the entire object can be seen (on mobile or computer). 

Please note, this subject line will have an impact on your deliverability rate (in other words, the proportion of people who will receive your emails in spam). 

​You must therefore avoid overly promotional objects and keep a human dimension.

4. The reminders 

Have you sent your first prospecting email? Well done 👏, let's move on to the second step: the relaunch! 

And yes, your prospecting does not stop with the first email, quite simply because the prospect does not always respond to your first approach. 

In this case, you can imagine 3 to 4 follow-up emails. 

What should we add in these emails? 

• Valuable content 
• Other benefits 
• A reduced price 
• Etc

It will depend on the person you are dealing with and their interest in your solution.

I advise you to create email “workflows” from your first contact. For example : 

• If your prospect opens the email, it means that he is interested in your product: offer him a demonstration exchange; 
• If your prospect does not read your prospecting email, offer them content that provides value with other benefits to see if they react better to it.

5. Segmentation

Segmentation is one of the most important parts if you want to have high open rates for your emails, and therefore better results. 

According to Campaign Monitor, 74% of online consumers feel frustrated when the content of offers, advertisements and promotions does not match their interests.

You now know how essential personalizing your emails is to convince your prospects. How can you convince someone in the aviation sector if you tell them about the latest trends in the green olive market? You know what I'm talking about. 

In this case, the ideal is to segment your prospects by:

• By industry
• By box size
• By what may be relevant: participated in a webinar, read specific content…

6. The body of the email

That’s it, you have done research on your target, segmented your prospects and imagined the subject of the prospecting email. 

It’s time to write your email, which is divided into 3 parts: 

• The beginning of the email, an “ice breaker” 

We break the ice, in French: we add content that will make the reader want to read more. 

For example, you can explain to your prospect what prompted you to contact them specifically and not someone else.

Another idea: where did you find his contact? 

These are elements that will allow you to break the ice and start on a light note in your prospecting. 

• Bring value 

With the thousands of emails your prospect receives, the shorter the better: get straight to the point in your message. No need to add sentences that say the same thing 3 times. 

The shorter it is, the more direct it is, the better.  

In your direct message, do not hesitate to add a free resource, for example an E-book, the link to a webinar, a blog article... any resource that can help the prospect to be convinced that your solution is the right one . 

When you offer a resource, it must address the prospect’s pain. For example, if your prospect lacks time to write content on LinkedIn, you could offer them a blog article on “how to organize your content creation in 1 hour per week”.

• The call to action (CTA): encourage follow-up

Never end a prospecting email without generating a follow-up! 

Imagine that in a networking event, you talk about your product, then you leave without saying goodbye, or “I suggest we exchange emails”... weird, right? 

Digitally speaking, it’s the same thing, and that’s good for you. Your goal is for the prospect to follow you in the customer journey. 

Here are some examples of CTAs: 

• If you liked this content, here is a demo that will tell you more! 
• Choose your slot here, only 10 places left this month! 
• I suggest we discuss the subject in person? Feel free to choose your time slot here. 

And since we're really nice, we even give you a model (7 models even) that generate appointments.

7.  Signature: What to sign?

A neat signature to finish in style! 

Here are the elements to add in your signature: 

• Your first and last name
• Role in the recipient’s company
• Link to your website 
• A quality photo/logo
• Link to your LinkedIn profile 

Optional:

• A discreet CTA: “discover our solution”
• An upcoming event: “register for our next webinar” 

You will gain credibility and your image will be even better. 

Some examples here: 

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8. The last practice but not least: how to measure the effectiveness of a BtoB email prospecting campaign?

When you create a prospecting campaign, you will need to analyze each email in the campaign as well as the campaign itself. 

There are several elements to observe: 

• The campaign conversion rate 
• The deliverability rate of your emails
• The opening rate of each email 
• The click rate of each email 
• The response rate and appointments obtained
• More generally, the engagement rate on your prospecting campaigns

These elements should be analyzed on their own, then as part of the campaign: 

• Which email worked best?
• How can we optimize the email that had the worst results? 
• Is my segment specific enough and receptive to my campaign? 

Certain tools like Hubspot or Humanlinker will give you all the analyzes to optimize your campaigns and succeed in your prospecting. 

Now that you know the best practices for creating prospecting emails that will get responses, here are 10 concrete examples 👇

6 examples of B2B prospecting emails 

Before showing you these examples, I would like to share some data to prove to you the power of a good personalized email:

• Average open rate of personalized emails: +26% compared to generic emails (source: Campaign Monitor).
• 71% of prospects expect personalized interactions from companies (source: McKinsey, 2021)
• The response rate can increase up to +14% with ultra-personalized variables (source: LinkedIn Sales Navigator).

Convinced? It's gone! 

1. The AIDA template 

Presentation

The AIDA framework THE copywriting structure to use without moderation! It is used for writing prospecting messages to guide prospects through four key stages:

1. Warning: capture attention from the first seconds with catchy titles or visuals. Examples: punchy figures, intriguing questions, or a striking visual.
2. Interest: in order to maintain interest, the idea is to highlight specific points that resonate with the prospect’s needs. Examples: a clear description of the problem or surprising facts.
3. Desire: the goal is to create a feeling of desire by explaining why your solution is the ideal answer to their problem. Examples: use cases, testimonials or a promise of clear results.
4. Action: Encourage specific action with a clear call-to-action. Examples: a CTA button (“Book a demo”), or an invitation to a quick meeting.

Example of email: 

“ Subject: What if you wrote your content in 1 hour per week? > Caution

Hello [first name],

From what we've observed with other sales organizations, your sales reps waste 15-20% of their time researching or creating marketing content. This represents a significant amount of time spent away from core sales activities. > Interest 

- [present the solution] > desire

Results indicate that this helps low-performing reps share relevant content with your key personas. > desire 

What do you think about discussing it for 15 minutes? > Action 

Sincerely,"

When to use AIDA
This template is ideal for B2B prospecting campaigns, particularly in the following contexts:

• Launch of a new product or service.
• Relaunch of lukewarm prospects who have expressed prior interest.
• Conversion of leads generated via events, landing pages, or webinars.

These emails are often intended for managers, sales directors or marketing managers seeking to optimize their performance.

2. La template BASHO

Presentation

The BASHO framework is THE ultra-targeted personalization structure to maximize responses. This framework is based on a hyper-personalized approach, adapted to the specificities of each prospect. 

If you work in sales, you've probably heard of this structure. These personalized emails have become a popular way for sellers to contact potential customers and stand out.

This framework combines in-depth research with an engaging tone to make a direct, relevant connection. It is made up of 3 elements:

• Personalization: Mention specific information about the prospect to capture their attention from the start. Examples: References to a recent position, a comment on LinkedIn, or a company accomplishment.
• Value: Make a clear link between personalization and the benefits of your solution. Examples: Savings in time, efficiency or profitability.
• Clear action: Propose a simple and quick action, adapted to the context of the exchange. Examples: “A quick 10 minute introduction?” or “Can I share a similar case with you?”

Example :

Option 1: 

“Hello [Prospect Name],

I just read your [article/blog/podcast] on [site name] about [topic], and I appreciated the points you made about and [y]. > Personalization

I am contacting you because I would like to know more about [specific point]. This is a problem that my company, [company name], solves and has experience with. > Value

Would you be willing to receive a call to discuss this further? > Clear action

Sincerely,"

Option 2: 

“Hello [Prospect Name], 

I noticed that your company recently launched a new product line (Personalization) and wanted to ask if you might be interested in how our [Product/Service] can help you increase your sales. > Value

Are you available for a 15 minute call next week? > Clear action

Sincerely,"

When to use BASHO?

The BASHO structure is ideal for B2B prospecting campaigns requiring strong personalization. It applies in particular in the following cases:

• Prospecting for key accounts;
• Relaunch of lukewarm prospects for more impactful personalization;
• Establish a first contact in a complex or long sales cycle.

This template works particularly well with decision-makers, such as department directors or CEOs, who value personalized and strategic approaches.

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3. The PAS template

Presentation

The PAS framework is a simple and effective method for capturing attention by playing on:

• The problem: state a clear and precise problem that resonates with the prospect. Examples: “Are you wasting time on repetitive administrative tasks?”
• Unrest: Amplify the negative implications of this issue to highlight its impact. Examples: “It can cost thousands of dollars a year and slow down your growth.”
• The solution: present your product/service as the ideal solution. Examples: “With our solution, you can save up to 30% of your time from the first month.”

Example :

Subject: What if your teams sold 20% more? 

Hello [First name],

Are your salespeople spending too much time on repetitive tasks, to the detriment of prospecting? > Problem

This can lead to lower performance and missed opportunities, especially in competitive markets. > Agitation

With [Your Solution], we help businesses like [Referring Customer] automate these tasks and focus their efforts on conversion. > Solution

Can we discuss this in a short call? > Action

Sincerely,"

When to use PAS?

The PAS template is perfect for prospecting and follow-up campaigns where the customer's problem is well defined. For example: relaunching leads who are hesitant to convert, communicating complex solutions in a simplified way or attracting the attention of decision-makers sensitive to measurable losses or gains.

4. To 3C templates 

Presentation

The 3C template (Captivate - Convince - Convert) is based, as its name suggests, on three pillars to structure a powerful message:

• Captivate: attract attention by directly addressing a key issue for the prospect. Examples: ask a question or mention a significant figure related to their industry.
• Convince: prove the value of your solution with examples, studies or testimonials. Examples: “Our client X saw 30% growth in 3 months.”
• Convert: encourage immediate action with a clear and concise proposal. Examples: “Book a free demo” or “A quick 10 minute call?”

Example :

Subject: What if you saved 20% of your time each week? > Captivate

Hello [First name],

Did you know that salespeople spend an average of 20% of their time on non-sales-related tasks? > Captivate

With our solution, [Similar client] recovered 5 hours per week per salesperson, which increased their revenue by 15%. > Convince

Can we talk about it in a short discussion this week? > Convert

Sincerely,"

When to use 3C?

The 3C template works very well for prospecting campaigns where the objective is to quickly get the prospect to consider your solution as essential. 

5. La template BAB (Before - After - Bridge) 

Presentation

With the BAB method, the prospect is transported from the current problem (Before) to an ideal solution (After), while explaining how your solution makes the connection (Bridge).

• Before: Describe the prospect’s current situation and frustrations. Examples: “Your salespeople spend too much time on administrative tasks.”
• After: present a vision of what the situation could be like once the problem is resolved. Examples: “Imagine if they could get 10 hours a week back to focus on their sales.”
• Bridge: how does your product/service allow you to move from the initial state to the ideal solution? Examples: “With [Your Solution], automate these tasks and focus on what matters.”

Example :

Hello [First name],

Are your teams wasting valuable time managing administrative tasks? > Before

Imagine a solution that allows them to focus solely on selling, with 20% more time each week. >After

This is exactly what [Your Solution] offers, by automating these tasks in just a few clicks. > Bridge

Do you have 15 minutes to talk about it? > Action

Sincerely"

When to use BAB?

The BAB template works perfectly for prospects to whom you need to demonstrate a convincing before/after. 

It works very well for:

• The launch of a new technological solution.
• Improving existing processes for already mature clients.
• Follow-ups to non-responsive prospects, with engaging storytelling.

6. The PASTOR template

Presentation

This last structure is a prospecting method that combines storytelling and persuasion in six steps: Problem, Amplify, Story, Transformation, Offer, Response:

• Problem: state the prospect's main problem. Examples: "Too many time-consuming tasks? Are your teams wasting valuable time?"
• Amplify: Show the consequences of this issue. Examples: “This could slow your growth and harm your competitiveness.”
• Story: add a story or use case to captivate. Examples: "One of our customers, [name], had exactly this problem..."
• Transformation: describe the concrete benefits of solving the problem. Examples: “With our solution, he increased his sales by 25%.”
• Offer: Add a clear offer or invitation. Examples: “Let’s find out how you could achieve the same results.”
• Response: End with a direct and engaging call to action. Examples: “Are you available for a call this week?”

Example :

Subject: What if we increased your sales together?

Hello [First name],

Are your teams wasting too much time on tasks without added value? >Problem

This lost time can represent up to 20% of the work week, slowing your growth. > Amplify

One of our clients, [Similar Client], was experiencing the same difficulties until they implemented [Your Solution]. > Story 

In 3 months, he recovered 10 hours per week and increased his sales by 25%. > Transformation

We offer a quick demo to see how we can do the same for you. >Offer

Are you available Wednesday or Thursday? >Response

Sincerely"

When to use PASTOR?

The PASTOR template is particularly useful for:

• Address prospects who need structured storytelling to convince.
• Present complex solutions with a clear and engaging approach.
• Relaunch prospects who are hesitant to take action by showing them convincing results.

You are now ready to conquer your prospects with these valuable tips. 

Remember: 

• automate most of your tasks 
• to personalize each message 
• to analyze your performance

To help you with each of these tasks, Humanlinker is here for you 👇

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