Troy Ericson generates $26K+ per week by flipping traditional cold outreach on its head. Here's his exact Reverse Cold Email system that positions you as high-status and eliminates deliverability issues, plus how to implement it with ColdSend.

CEO of e-mailMarketing.com

I'm excited to share my 'Reverse Cold Email Strategy' with you, explaining how it works and why it's so effective. This method has only been shared privately, most recently at the 3 Day Think Tank event in Austin, TX. First, let's understand why traditional cold email is so challenging: 1. Buy 10 new domains & redirect them to your main site. 2. Open 2 inboxes on each domain. 3. Set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC for all 20 inboxes. 4. Connect all 20 inboxes on SmartLead or Instantly. 5. Buy a list of leads (accuracy unknown). 6. Scrub the list to remove invalid emails. 7. Write your email sequence to pitch strangers. 8. Set up the sequence in SmartLead/Instantly. 9. Wait 2-3 weeks before launching. 10. Any mistakes can land you in spam, forcing you to start over. In summary, traditional cold email is tough because: ❌ Frequent spam issues require constant restarts and allow only about 40 cold emails per day per inbox after a 2-3 week warmup. ❌ Low accuracy of purchased lists. You might end up pitching irrelevant services. ❌ Cold emails are sent from a low status position, often leading to rejection. Here's how my 'Reverse Cold Email Strategy' works: 1. Identify the software/platforms your ideal customer uses (e.g., Clickfunnels, Facebook Ads). 2. Pull an active list of websites using that software/platform. 3. Use my software to visit these websites and opt in for their email lists. 4. When welcome emails arrive, my software automatically replies with your message. This method eliminates email deliverability issues because you're replying to emails you receive, not sending cold emails. Hence, it's called the 'Reverse Cold Email Strategy'. No warmup period is required. 5. It's easier to book calls because you're replying to an email they sent you. 6. Example email copy: 'Hi, thanks for the email - your hook is really cool. I saw you're running Facebook Ads & just opted in for your list. I had a couple of ideas to get better ad results that have been working really well for my clients X, Y, and Z. If you'd like, I can share them with you over a 15min call this week?' 7. Book the call & close the deal. This system includes rate limiting, spintax, email verification, and other features to prevent your emails from going to spam while allowing you to send up to 10k emails per month from each inbox. This strategy is currently generating over $10k/week for me from just one inbox.

Last week I told you that I launched a brand new beta program called The Reverse Cold Email Strategy. I promised it's unlike anything you've ever heard of before. But what I didn't tell you is that some people have already had tremendous success using the system... Today I'd like to share with you a few stories. Josh made 3X his investment within the first 3 weeks of using the system. Luiz closed a $20,000 lifetime value client within the first 2 weeks of using the system. Shane generated 25+ quality leads and closed $9k in new clients. Esther booked 14 appointments, closed 2 sales and got a 6x ROI in the first month. I could go on and on, but you get the point. My team and I are fully invested into our software. We're building a company on top of this method, not just selling some one-off course. And we will continue to serve our customers and make it more and more user friendly. Whether or not you are looking to book more appointments and get a great return on your investment like Josh, Luiz, Shane, and Esther did... I'd just love to explain how the system works. Click the link in my bio if you want to see our page that explains it all. Or post 'explain' if you'd like to know more about it.

TL;DR: Troy's Reverse Cold Email Strategy

Who Is Troy Ericson?

The Reverse Cold Email Framework

Why Conventional Cold Email Fails

Detailed Implementation Steps

Template & Copy Framework

ColdSend Implementation for Reverse Cold Email

Case Studies & Success Metrics

Advanced Tactics & Optimization

Scaling Your Reverse Cold Email System

How to Copy Troy Ericson's Reverse Cold Email Framework: Get Prospects to Email You First

Chris Orlob helped grow Gong from $200K to $200M ARR using proven cold email frameworks. Here's his exact 5-step SaaS template and advanced strategies, plus how to replicate them with ColdSend.

CEO of pclub.io

Here's a 5-step cold email template I've used thousands of times in the last few years (plus, why it works):

Step 1: Lead with a relevant observation.

Lead with a personalized, relevant observation that will matter to them.

Language matters.

Don't use the word "I," as in "I noticed..."

It's not about you.

Sub that out for "Looks like you..."

That keeps the focus on them.


Step 2: Introduce the goal and Conflict.

This is what makes this email template work.

Every buyer is trying to achieve a desired outcome.

But every desired outcome comes with a sacrifice.

Articulate that.


Step 3: Spell out the pain in the sacrifice.

Capture the pain your buyer feels from that "conflict/sacrifice" better than they can themselves.

"It's a lose-lose. You either get X without Y, or Y without X."


Step 4: Sell the desired outcome with social proof.

Don't say a word about your product.

Leave out the "how."

Simply how you've helped others (that look like them) achieve a desired outcome that matters to them.


Step 5: Make it easy to say "yes"

Don't lead with "Got 30 minutes?"

You buyer: "No, I don't, dude. I'm on zoom calls from sun up to sun down."

When you bring their limitation top of mind (their time), then that's the lens through which they'll make the decision.

The answer will be "no."

Instead, "up for a chat?" doesn't make the time investment explicit.

Much easier to say yes to.

The hard part of this template?

Knowing your buyer enough to make the "fill in the blanks" resonate.

But if you can pull it off, you've got a winner.

Give it a try.

99% of AEs and SDRs believe the secret to cold email is to sharpen the message and desired outcome. They're wrong. Here's what the top 1% of cold emails do differently (3 examples in the video):


1. They agitate pain.

Step 1 in a successful cold email is to describe the PAIN better than the prospect can say it. That's not the same thing as promising an outcome. Cold buyers aren't thinking about outcomes (yet). They're thinking about the thorn in their side. Capture that thorn, and you'll earn the right to have them read the next sentence.


2. They create a compelling "chain" of sentences.

Write this one down - EVERY sentence your write in a cold email has one purpose: To get them to read the NEXT sentence. The only exception to this rule is the last sentence. If a sentence doesn't accomplish this, strike it. Pretend you get $100 for every word you remove. Get ruthless.


3. They read like a page in your buyer's journal.

As the buy scans your email, the way you capture the pain should FEEL like a conversation they already have going on in their head. The "best of the best" cold emails get this response: "Damn, that puts words to something I've been struggling to articulate." If it could pass as a journal entry, you're bound to win.


4. They have an "easy to say YES to" call to action.

The best cold emails are easy to say yes to. They don't ask for 30 minutes. That's hard to say yes to for any busy exec. They don't ask for time (explicitly). They simply reference the problem, and ask if it's worth having a conversation to explore fixing it.


TAKEAWAY:

Almost everyone gets cold email wrong.

They either think it's ALL about outcomes and benefits.

Or they think it's all about WHAT and HOW you do it (positioning).

Cold email is about neither of those.

It's about a describing your buyer's problem so well, it feels like you're peering into their soul.

6 Predictions For SaaS Sales In 2025:


1. Many will have a banner year on their W2.

Three types of sellers during the tough market of 2022-2024.

Those who:

a) Gave up

b) Went through the motions.

c) Leaned in and deployed every skill they had

That 3rd group?

They spent two years sharpening their axe like you wouldn't believe.

And they did it in formidable market conditions.

Now that the economy is warming up?

They'll have banner years on their W2.


2. Side hustles will die down.

You'll see more sellers will go "all in" on their sales careers.

The last few years have been a 'side hustle bubble.'

Everyone was dying to "earn their first $1 online."

Let's face it:

That was a seductive path in 2022-2024 when sellers were struggling to make enough income.

But we were in a side-hustle bubble.

Guess what follows a bubble?

Shakeout.

As the side hustle noise increases…

It will get harder to earn enough money to be worth the hassle.

More sellers will start earning great money again.

That will encourage more to go after making SERIOUS money in sales.


3. AE skill capacity will decrease.

Most AE teams will become less skilled than in the past.

Two things will drive this:

First:

More and more companies are moving away from the SDR model.

That removes an entry level "incubation" role in many sales orgs.

Star SDRs who get promoted make fantastic AEs.

But there will be fewer SDRs to incubate into great AEs.

So, many new AEs will be less prepared.

Second:

Hiring standards will loosen.

I've seen a dozen nine figure funding rounds in the last few months.

Know what that means?

Hiring.

The more headcount that sales managers have to fill…

The less picky they'll get.


4. Sales managers will make more hiring mistakes.

See above.

Big funding rounds are heating up.

Hiring is up.

Many sales managers haven't made a hiring decision in 2 years.

You'll see lots of "bad fits" happen.


5. More companies will invest in their managers.

Sales managers are one of the most poorly trained professions on the planet.

The last two years made that worse.

In a tough economy, manager training is viewed as a nice-to-have.

But in 2025?

Expect to see more investment here as companies wake up to this fact:

Sales org success rises and falls on the frontline manager.


6. A new sales model will emerge.

The SDR model will not die.

But it is becoming less "in vogue."

Many people are becoming critical of it.

That creates a vacuum.

Something has to fill it.

I can't tell you what it's going to be.

And no.

I don't think "founder-led content" is the replacement.

It's not scalable enough to replace a 100-person SDR team.

Something bigger will happen.

Those are my 6 predictions for 2025.

Which jumped out to you?

TL;DR: Chris Orlob's 5-Step SaaS Cold Email Framework

Who Is Chris Orlob?

The Revolutionary 5-Step Cold Email Template

The Psychology Behind the Framework

Advanced Copy Strategies: Writing Like Your Buyer's Journal

The 4-Sentence Cold Email Structure

ColdSend Implementation for Chris's Framework

Subject Line Mastery: Less Is More

Scaling with Testing and Optimization

The Bottom Line: SaaS Cold Email Mastery

How to Copy Chris Orlob's SaaS Cold Email Framework: 5-Step Template Used Thousands of Times


*Updated on: 18 July 2025*

## **TL;DR - Alex Berman's Volume Psychology Strategy**

**The Strategy:** Alex evolved from generic volume to "tribal alignment" - finding hidden psychological signals (religion, politics, personal interests) and using them to create instant connection through cold email.

**The Key Insight:** Instead of basic personalization, find psychological triggers that make prospects think "this person is like me" before they even read your pitch.

**The Framework:** 
- **PC Formula**: Pain point + Call to action
- **PEC Formula**: Personal fear + Evidence + Call to action  
- **PPC Formula**: Pain point + Partial solution + Call to action

**The Signal Detection:**
1. **Tribal Signals**: Use AI to analyze photos, social follows, school affiliations to identify religion, politics, interests
2. **Competitor Analysis**: Use BuiltWith to find companies using specific technologies
3. **Psychological Profiling**: Analyze Twitter follows, LinkedIn activity, personal details to create "tribal alignment"

**Current Results:** 5,000 qualified leads monthly for "a few hundred bucks" using custom SMTP infrastructure with super low volume per inbox.

---

Alex Berman shifted from sending millions of basic emails to using psychological triggers and "tribal alignment" to create instant connection. Here's his exact 2025 system powered by [modern cold email infrastructure](/blog/introducing-coldsend-pro).

---

## Who Is Alex Berman?

Alex Berman is the author of "The Cold Email Manifesto" who generated over $100 million through cold email campaigns. He's evolved from high-volume, low-conversion approaches to sophisticated psychological targeting that achieves higher conversion rates with fewer emails.

<iframe width="100%" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/881Dr4lMey4" title="How To Write Killer Cold Emails That GUARANTEE Responses (45.8% Reply Rate?!)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

**Current Focus:** Custom SMTP infrastructure + AI-powered psychological profiling + tribal alignment at scale

**AB Mastermind:** His program that provides the custom SMTP setup and advanced psychological targeting methods

---

## Alex Berman's 2025 Smart Volume Strategy

### **The Core Philosophy: "Tribal Alignment"**

Alex's current approach focuses on finding hidden psychological signals that create instant tribal connection. Instead of generic personalization, he finds psychological triggers that make prospects think "this person is like me" before they even read the pitch.

**The Evolution:**
- **Old Way**: 30+ emails per domain daily with basic personalization
- **New Way**: Super low volume per inbox with psychological triggers and tribal alignment
- **Result**: Higher conversion rates, lower costs, better engagement

### **The Infrastructure Requirements**

**2025 Stack Requirements:**
- **Custom SMTP**: Not Google Workspace or traditional providers
- **Super Low Volume**: Per inbox to maintain deliverability
- **Advanced Qualification**: Clay automation to qualify leads before outreach
- **Cost Structure**: 5K leads per month for "a few hundred bucks"

<iframe width="100%" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AApSKUGVw0E" title="Cold Email in 2025 (My Exact Tech Stack)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This shift aligns with industry trends toward [dedicated cold email infrastructure](/blog/apollo-vs-outreach-vs-dedicated-cold-email-infrastructure-2025) that prioritizes psychological targeting over volume.

---

## The Psychological Signal Detection System

### **Alex's "Forbidden" Signal Detection Methods**

Alex uses AI to detect private psychological signals that most people try to hide, then creates emails that reference these signals to build instant tribal connection.

<iframe width="100%" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WsMmo2VfcW4" title="I Wrote Forbidden Cold Email Hooks" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### **Specific Signal Detection Tactics**

**1. Visual Analysis Using Salesforce Image API**
- Analyze LinkedIn profile photos for physical characteristics
- Use AI to detect personal details from background objects
- Example: "Noticed you have a signed Trump photo behind you..."

**2. Social Media Follow Analysis**
- Analyze Twitter follows to detect interests and affiliations
- Example: Following Snoop Dogg = likely cannabis-friendly
- Email: "Hey Aaron, want to buy my SaaS? We can do a little sessions when we're done talking biz."

**3. Educational Institution Targeting**
- Search LinkedIn Sales Navigator by specific schools
- Example: Delphi Academy (affiliated with Scientology according to GPT)
- Email: "Your name actually came up while I was trying to get clear in an audit yesterday..."

**4. Religious/Cultural Identification**
- Use name analysis to identify religious/cultural background
- Example: Jewish names → "Hey Rivka, fellow member of the tribe here. Just got back from my nephew's bar mitzvah..."

**5. Political Alignment Detection**
- Analyze social media activity for political signals
- Create subtle references that align with their viewpoint
- Example: Liberal joke for SF founders vs. conservative reference for others

### **The Technical Implementation**

**Data Collection Process:**
1. **Apollo Search**: Generate initial lead list by geography, job titles, company size
2. **Social Media Scraping**: Extract Twitter handles, LinkedIn profiles, Instagram follows
3. **AI Analysis**: Use Salesforce Image API or GPT to analyze photos and social follows
4. **Psychological Profiling**: Categorize leads by detected tribal signals
5. **Email Generation**: Create emails that reference specific psychological triggers

**Tools Used:**
- **Apollo**: Initial lead generation
- **Salesforce Image API**: Visual analysis of profile photos
- **Clay**: Advanced automation and qualification
- **GPT Integration**: Social media analysis and psychological profiling
- **Galladon Email Finder**: Email address discovery

---

## The Three Core Email Frameworks

### **Framework 1: PC Formula (Pain + Call to Action)**

**Structure:** Pain point + Call to action

**Example - Digital Sales Manager Role:**
```
Subject: Quick question

Hey Andrew,

Noticed that Workday still hasn't found a digital sales manager. Bummer.

I run a cold email automation tool that can make this role irrelevant and flood you with meetings.

Want me to send more info?
```

**Example - Website Speed Issue:**
```
Subject: Quick question

Hey Mike,

Your website speed is worse than 87.6% of your competitors based on a test our dev team just conducted.

We developed software that can drastically improve this so you can increase your sales and make more money.

Want to try it out?
```

### **Framework 2: PEC Formula (Personal Fear + Evidence + Call to Action)**

**Structure:** Address their biggest fear + Provide evidence + Call to action

**Example - Video Messaging Company:**
```
Subject: Quick question

Julia,

I know you're worried about missing out on building personal connections and trust with your clients and prospects by solely relying on text-based emails instead of utilizing the power of video messaging.

With that in mind, I created a tool that will help BombBomb qualify leads faster and better connect with real estate agents, mortgage brokers, insurance agents that come into your site.

Just like we did for MailChimp, this can be a game changer for your sales team.

Want to see how?
```

### **Framework 3: PPC Formula (Pain + Partial Solution + Call to Action)**

**Structure:** Pain point + Partial solution + Call to action for full solution

**Example - Agency Spending on Clutch:**
```
Subject: Quick question

Hey Scott,

Noticed your team was spending a ton of money to sponsor Clutch.

Did you know that by tweaking the wording on your profile every day you can rank higher organically? The clients I've done this for have seen no reduction in lead flow even after they stopped their sponsorships, saving them thousands each month.

If you like that, I've got three more ideas for you to implement to increase your agency lead flow.

Let's do a call this week?
```

<iframe width="100%" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NAHRRm-9S6k" title="I Sent 10 Million Cold Emails - These 5 Scripts Made the Most Money" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

---

## Alex's Complete 2025 Tech Stack

### **The Infrastructure Stack**

| **Tool** | **Function** | **Purpose** | **Alex's Notes** |
|----------|-------------|-------------|------------------|
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Lead Generation | Primary prospecting by filters | "Pick your geography, job titles, company list" |
| Apollo.io | Lead Generation | Lead database with contact data | "Similar to Sales Navigator but more data provided" |
| BuiltWith | Lead Generation | Technology-based targeting | "Search by competitor tech - 33M WordPress sites available" |
| Clay (Waterfall) | Email Verification | Multi-provider verification | "Includes Findymail, Datagma, LeadMagic, Hunter" |
| API Integration | Email Verification | Cost-effective verification | "Use APIs instead of Clay credits" |
| Clay + ChatGPT | Personalization | AI-powered psychological research | "Find niche, competitors, biggest fears, childhood stories" |
| Salesforce Image API | Personalization | Visual analysis of photos | "Detect personal details from profile photos" |
| Custom SMTP | Sending | Low-volume, high-deliverability | "AB Mastermind setup - couple hundred bucks/month" |
| Smartlead | Sending | Email sending platform | "Similar to Instantly but more up to date" |
| Close.io | CRM | Warm lead management | "Warm call interested prospects immediately" |
| Google Sheets | CRM | Initial lead tracking | "Track, follow up, and close deals" |

### **The Psychological Profiling Stack**

| **Signal Type** | **Detection Method** | **Tools Used** | **Email Application** |
|----------------|---------------------|----------------|---------------------|
| Physical Traits | Visual analysis of photos | Salesforce Image API | "Hey fat bro, want to buy my SaaS?" |
| Cannabis Use | Social follows analysis | Twitter followers of Snoop Dogg | "Want to do a little sessions when we're done?" |
| Religious Identity | Name analysis + GPT | LinkedIn names | "Fellow member of the tribe here" |
| Political Alignment | Social media analysis | Twitter follows, LinkedIn activity | Liberal jokes for SF founders |
| Educational Background | LinkedIn school search | Sales Navigator filters | Scientology school targeting |
| Personal Interests | Social follows analysis | Twitter follows | "Didn't know you were so adventurous" |

### **The Cost Structure**

**Alex's Current Economics:**
- **5,000 leads per month**: Highly qualified prospects
- **Total cost**: "Few hundred bucks" monthly
- **Infrastructure**: Custom SMTP through AB Mastermind
- **Conversion**: Higher rates than million-email campaigns

This approach helps avoid the [common infrastructure problems](/blog/5-signs-cold-email-infrastructure-holding-back-sales-team-2025) that plague high-volume campaigns.

---

## ColdSend Implementation Guide

### **Replicating Alex's System with ColdSend**

While Alex uses custom infrastructure through AB Mastermind, you can replicate his psychological targeting approach using ColdSend's platform.

**Infrastructure Setup:**
- **Pro Plan**: $100/month for 3 domains
- **Smart volume**: 50-100 emails per inbox per day
- **Psychological focus**: Quality over quantity
- **Advanced tracking**: Monitor psychological trigger effectiveness

### **Signal Detection Implementation**

**Step 1: Lead Generation with Psychological Profiling**
```
prospect_email, company, psychological_signal, trigger_type, tribal_alignment, competitor_used
```

**Step 2: AI-Powered Research Automation**
1. **Visual Analysis**: Use GPT-4 Vision to analyze LinkedIn photos
2. **Social Media Scraping**: Extract Twitter follows and interests
3. **Educational Background**: Search LinkedIn for specific schools
4. **Religious/Cultural Markers**: Analyze names and affiliations
5. **Political Alignment**: Social media activity analysis

**Step 3: Email Template with Psychological Triggers**
```
Subject: {{psychological_hook}}

Hi {{first_name}},

{{tribal_alignment_opener}}

{{pain_point_with_evidence}}

{{partial_solution_or_case_study}}

{{call_to_action}}

{{signature}}
```

### **ColdSend Template Examples**

**PC Formula Template:**
```
Subject: Quick question

Hi {{first_name}},

{{pain_point_observation}}

{{solution_statement}}

Want me to send more info?
```

**PEC Formula Template:**
```
Subject: {{fear_based_hook}}

{{first_name}},

I know you're worried about {{biggest_fear}}.

{{case_study_evidence}}

{{call_to_action}}
```

**PPC Formula Template:**
```
Subject: {{pain_point_hook}}

Hey {{first_name}},

Noticed {{specific_pain_point}}.

{{partial_solution}} - the clients I've done this for have seen {{specific_result}}.

If you like that, I've got {{number}} more ideas for you.

Let's do a call this week?
```

Unlike traditional approaches requiring weeks of warmup, ColdSend enables [immediate campaign deployment](/blog/start-cold-email-campaigns-immediately-no-warmup-required) for testing psychological triggers.

---

## Advanced Psychological Targeting

### **The "Tribal Alignment" Process**

**Step 1: Psychological Signal Detection**
- Analyze visual cues from profile photos
- Map social media follows to interests/affiliations
- Identify educational and cultural markers
- Detect political and religious alignment signals

**Step 2: Tribal Categorization**
- **Religious Groups**: Jewish, Christian, Muslim, etc.
- **Political Alignment**: Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian
- **Interest-Based**: Cannabis-friendly, Tech enthusiasts, etc.
- **Educational**: Ivy League, specific schools, certifications
- **Cultural**: Geographic, industry-specific, lifestyle

**Step 3: Psychological Trigger Mapping**
- **In-Group References**: "Fellow member of the tribe"
- **Shared Experiences**: "Just got back from my nephew's bar mitzvah"
- **Cultural Signals**: "Want to do a little sessions when we're done?"
- **Educational Bonds**: "Your name came up in an audit yesterday"

### **Ethical Considerations and Boundaries**

**Alex's Approach:**
- Uses publicly available information
- Creates connection through shared identity
- Focuses on psychological alignment, not exploitation
- Maintains professional boundaries while being personally relevant

**Risk Mitigation:**
- Test psychological triggers with small segments
- Monitor response rates and sentiment
- Avoid offensive or inappropriate references
- Focus on positive tribal alignment rather than exclusion

---

## Scaling and Optimization

### **Alex's Current Volume Strategy**

**Monthly Framework:**
- **5,000 highly qualified leads**: Selected through psychological profiling
- **Custom SMTP infrastructure**: Super low volume per inbox
- **Advanced qualification**: Clay automation before outreach
- **Psychological segmentation**: Different triggers for different tribes

**Performance Metrics:**
- **Response rates**: 5-15% (vs. 1-3% for mass email)
- **Conversion rates**: Higher due to psychological alignment
- **Cost per lead**: Lower than traditional high-volume approaches
- **Relationship quality**: Stronger connections through tribal alignment

### **Testing and Optimization Process**

**A/B Testing Framework:**
1. **Psychological Trigger Testing**: Different tribal alignment approaches
2. **Signal Detection Accuracy**: Validate psychological profiling
3. **Email Framework Testing**: PC vs. PEC vs. PPC formulas
4. **Tribal Segmentation**: Different approaches for different groups

**Optimization Areas:**
- **Signal Detection Accuracy**: Improve psychological profiling
- **Tribal Alignment Messaging**: Refine connection language
- **Framework Selection**: Match framework to psychological profile
- **Volume Management**: Balance reach with personalization depth

For detailed performance tracking, see our guide on [maximizing cold email deliverability](/blog/cold-email-deliverability-why-infrastructure-matters-more-than-content).

---

## The Bottom Line

Alex Berman's 2025 strategy proves that psychological targeting beats volume. By finding hidden tribal signals and creating instant connection through shared identity, you achieve higher conversion rates with fewer emails.

**Why This Strategy Works:**
- **Psychological connection** trumps generic personalization
- **Tribal alignment** creates instant trust and rapport
- **Signal detection** provides unfair advantage in crowded inbox
- **Quality targeting** generates better ROI than mass email

**ColdSend Implementation Advantages:**
- **Immediate deployment** without warmup delays
- **Transparent pricing** that makes psychological targeting economically viable
- **Advanced tracking** to measure psychological trigger effectiveness
- **Scalable infrastructure** for growing psychological targeting programs

Unlike [traditional platforms with complex pricing](/blog/instantly-to-coldsend-migration-guide-escape-complex-pricing-2025), ColdSend provides the infrastructure needed to execute Alex's sophisticated psychological targeting at scale.

**Ready to implement Alex's psychological targeting method?** [Try ColdSend](/) and see how our infrastructure can power your tribal alignment campaigns with the reliability and deliverability that psychological approaches require.

---

*Want to discuss implementing psychological targeting for your specific industry? [Schedule a call](https://cal.com/coldsendpro/coldsend-demo) for advanced psychological profiling and tribal alignment strategies.*

Alex Berman generated over $100M using volume-based cold email with psychological triggers. Here's his evolved 2025 strategy and how to replicate it with ColdSend.

Author of The Cold Email Manifesto

My cold email tech stack (here's what works in 2025):

I've generated over $100 million with cold email - but do you know the biggest reason most people fail at it?

They're trying to wing it with bad tools, outdated strategies, or no system at all.

The truth is, the old cold email methods that worked even a year ago are dead.

Google and Outlook have cracked down...

Sending 30 emails per domain through Google Workspace is now a direct ticket to the spam folder.

You need a better system.

Here's the stack I'm using in 2025 to stay ahead and ensure my emails hit inboxes, connect with the right people, and drive results:

1. Build a Lead Pool

Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo.io to build the generic list...

BuiltWith is a killer for targeting competitors - just search their software and download a lead list - that's my favorite if you have a famous competitor that you're better than

2. Verify Emails with Automation

Clay is my go-to for setting up a "verification waterfall."

It checks emails across multiple providers to save time and improve accuracy - Findymail, Datagma, LeadMagic... they're all in there

For advanced users, you can use APIs instead of Clay credits to cut costs

3. Personalize with AI

This approach is far more powerful than generic compliments - the old strategy we pioneered back in 2015.

Use AI to identify their competitors, highlight pain points, or even surface hidden fears.

Then your emails will read like a human wrote them

4. Send Campaigns with the Right Tools (Custom SMTP)

While there are a ton of vendors out there, the easiest way to get started is by joining the AB Mastermind and using our setup.

It helps you skip the large onboarding fees that other tools charge, saving you time and money (ours is only a couple hundred bucks)
We paid the large setup fees so you don't have to haha

All you have to do is remain an active mastermind member

5. Manage Warm Leads

Start with Google Sheets to track, follow up, and close deals

Warm call anybody that is interested as fast as possible (using Close)

and then keep calling everyday until you get through

But here's the thing: knowing the tools isn't enough.

Most people fail because they don't know how to put it all together.

What email sequences work? How do you craft the perfect pitch? How do you avoid landing in spam?

That's where I come in.

Inside the AB Mastermind, you'll learn how to:

* Build a reliable cold email system tailored to your niche
* Land 5-10 new high-quality clients every month
* Avoid spam filters and stay ahead of Google and Outlook's updates

People inside the Mastermind are already landing deals worth $50k, $100k, even $1M using these strategies.

We've scaled agencies to $350k/month and way beyond - all with cold email.

Most likely there's someone that's read my book, taken our courses or is actively inside the mastermind right now in your niche with your exact offer who's booking a crazy amount of meetings. Are you next?

I follow every cold email guru in the space and it's kinda funny how every single one of the good ones ended up in the same place in the last few weeks:

* Custom SMTP for sending with SUPER low volumes per inboxes
* Heavy customization on the lead generation side and
* Advanced clay automation to qualify leads before reaching out

So that you can send to 5k leads a month for a few hundred bucks and still get results

But it's funny when I stumble on some of the guys that have been around for a few years that still quote the basics from my book Cold Email Manifesto:

I'm talking 30 emails a day, spintax, AI written first lines....

These aren't even 2023 tactics.

These are legit ripped from 2021 with no changes.

And it's shocking to me that people still buy these courses and masterminds where the content has just not been updated in almost half a decade.

It's not like the cutting edge information isn't out there

Hell they could just join this mastermind or any number of real killer cold email groups and get the latest data...

But they'd rather focus on growth and chasing down the next 10k client to join their group

(paid all upfront of course with no ability to cancel and a fake guarantee)

It'd be scary if there wasn't another option

In this day and age when ALL the info isn't even gatekept...

to be spouting outdated recommendations is sloppy at worst

and negligent at best.

Who Is Alex Berman?

Alex Berman's Volume Psychology Strategy

The 2025 Evolution: From High to Smart Volume

Psychology-Based Email Framework

The Modern Tech Stack (2025)

ColdSend Implementation Guide

Scaling and Volume Management

How to Copy Alex Berman's Volume Psychology Method: 10K+ Emails Monthly with High Conversion


*Updated on: 18 July 2025*

# TL;DR: Nick Abraham's Strategy

Nick Abraham sends 1.5M+ cold emails monthly achieving 40%+ response rates through his 3-layer hyper-personalization framework:

**Layer 1: Social Follow Intent** - Scrape competitor/industry leader followers who show buying intent  
**Layer 2: Colleague Reference** - Use scraped employee data to mention teammates, creating urgency  
**Layer 3: AI Personalization** - Deploy tools like Quicklines for contextual personalization lines  

**Quick ColdSend Setup:**
1. Use competitor follower lists from LinkedIn
2. Enrich with colleague data via Apollo/Clay
3. Generate AI lines with custom prompts  
4. Deploy through ColdSend's infrastructure (no warmup needed)
5. Target 2-4% reply rate, 20-40% positive rate

**Key Insight:** Nick proves personalization scales when you combine intent signals + automation + proven infrastructure.

---

## Who Is Nick Abraham?

Nick Abraham is the founder of LeadBird.io, a B2B lead generation agency that has cracked the code on hyper-personalization at scale. With over 200 active clients and sending 1.5+ million cold emails monthly, Nick has transformed what most consider impossible - making every email feel personally written while operating at massive volume.

**His Track Record:**
- 1.5M+ cold emails sent monthly
- 200+ active clients  
- 40%+ response rates on personalized campaigns
- Built and sold multiple SaaS tools (Quicklines, Scrubby, Golden Leads)
- Recognized by Smartlead as #2 most-replied-to account globally

But what makes Nick different isn't just his volume - it's his obsession with making automated emails feel completely human. As he puts it: "The goal of personalization is making your prospect believe you manually wrote that email specifically for them."

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l_yhQ7tAKCw" title="How Nick Abraham Turned Cold Emailing Into A 7-Figure Business" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

---

## The 3-Layer Personalization Framework

Nick's framework is built on a simple premise: **layer multiple personalization signals to create the illusion of deep research without the manual work.**

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wdwiV4BBUjI" title="Cold Email Personalization: FULL BREAKDOWN" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Layer 1: Social Follow Intent

The first layer identifies prospects based on their social media behavior that signals buying intent.

**The Strategy:**
"If your biggest competitor has 60,000 followers on LinkedIn, scrape all those followers and email them. We generated 450+ leads in under 3 months using this method - it was one of our best-performing campaigns."

**Implementation:**
1. **Identify Intent Sources:** Competitors, industry tools (Clay, Apollo), thought leaders
2. **Scrape Followers:** Use PhantomBuster or similar tools to extract follower lists
3. **Filter by ICP:** Remove irrelevant titles/companies
4. **Craft Opening Lines:** 
   - "Noticed you follow [Company] - curious if you're dealing with [pain point]?"
   - "Saw you're connected to [Industry Leader] - working on [relevant initiative]?"

### Layer 2: Colleague Reference

This layer creates urgency and social proof by mentioning teammates.

**Nick's Approach:**
"We mention we're not sure if this should go to you or [colleague name]. This creates urgency - they'll either respond or forward it to the right person."

**The Psychology:**
- **Social Proof:** Others at their company might be interested
- **Reduces Pressure:** You're not sure if they're the right person
- **Increases Response:** They'll clarify or forward

**Data Collection:**
- Scrape company employee lists from LinkedIn
- Identify decision-makers in relevant departments
- Reference uncertainty about correct contact

### Layer 3: AI-Generated Personalization

The final layer uses AI to create contextually relevant personalization based on recent activity.

**Tools Nick Uses:**
- **Quicklines.ai:** His proprietary personalization engine
- **GPT-4 + Cargo:** For custom personalization at scale
- **Clay:** For complex personalization workflows

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wh5V-Lukrpw" title="How to Use AI to Generate More Leads (Cold Email)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

---

## Intent Signal Identification Methods

Nick's success comes from finding prospects already in buying mode rather than cold prospecting.

### Method 1: Competitor Follower Analysis

**The Process:**
1. **Identify top competitors** in your space
2. **Scrape their LinkedIn followers** using automation tools
3. **Filter by job titles** and company criteria
4. **Craft differentiation messaging**

**Nick's Real Example:**
"We scraped all our biggest competitor's followers and ran campaigns saying 'They don't offer performance-based services, but we do.' We closed 450+ leads in 3 months."

### Method 2: Tool/Platform Followers

**The Strategy:**
"Someone who follows Clay is likely interested in generating leads. Someone following HubSpot probably needs marketing help. It's about finding the right intent signals."

**Implementation:**
- Scrape followers of tools in your ecosystem
- Target users of complementary platforms
- Reference their tool usage in personalization

### Method 3: Job Posting Intent

**Nick's Insight:**
"If a 150-person company is hiring an SDR, they probably need lead generation help. That's a strong buying signal."

**Process:**
1. **Monitor job boards** for relevant hiring
2. **Identify decision makers** at hiring companies
3. **Reference their hiring needs** in outreach
4. **Position as solution** to their scaling challenges

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/POIU0L0Lsw8" title="He Sends 1.5M Cold Emails Per MONTH, here's what works in 2025" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

---

## AI-Powered Personalization Engine

Nick has systematized AI personalization to work at massive scale while maintaining quality.

### Custom GPT Prompts for Specific Industries

**App Development Prompt:**
"Analyze [website] and think of an app idea that would be relevant to their business. Write in format: 'If we could build an app that [specific functionality], would you be interested?'"

**SEO Services Prompt:**
"Analyze [website] and identify 3 competitors outranking them for relevant keywords. Write: 'I saw [competitor] is outranking you for [keyword] - interested in changing that?'"

**Salesforce Implementation:**
"Analyze [website] and identify how they could leverage Salesforce. Write: 'Have you considered leveraging Salesforce to [specific use case]?'"

### Quality Control Framework

**Nick's 70/30 Rule:**
"About 70% of AI-generated lines are usable as-is. The other 30% need editing or are unusable. But that's still way more efficient than manual writing."

**Quality Indicators:**
- ✅ **Specific to their business/industry**
- ✅ **Sounds like something a human would say**
- ✅ **Relevant to your offer**
- ❌ **Generic compliments**
- ❌ **Overly enthusiastic language**
- ❌ **Weird AI phrases**

### Scaling AI Personalization

**Tool Stack:**
- **Cargo + Google Sheets:** For bulk personalization
- **Clay:** For complex personalization workflows
- **Quicklines:** For LinkedIn-based personalization
- **GPT-4 API:** For custom personalization prompts

---

## ColdSend Implementation Guide

### Infrastructure Setup

Unlike high-volume strategies, Nick's personalization approach requires quality over quantity infrastructure.

**Recommended Setup:**
- **Starter Plan:** $50/month sufficient for testing
- **Domain Strategy:** 1-2 domains for personalization campaigns
- **Inbox Allocation:** 10-20 inboxes (quality over quantity)
- **Daily Volume:** 50-100 emails per inbox

**Why ColdSend Works for Personalization:**
- **No warmup delays** - Start personalization campaigns immediately
- **High deliverability** - Personalized emails need to reach the inbox
- **Easy scaling** - Add capacity as campaigns prove successful

### Campaign Structure

**Email Template Framework:**
```
Subject: Quick question about [company]

Hi {{first_name}},

{{layer_1_intent_signal}} - {{layer_3_personalization}}

Not sure if this should go to you or {{layer_2_colleague}}, but figured one of you might find this relevant.

We just helped [similar company] [specific result] using [method].

Worth a quick conversation to see if it's relevant for {{company}}?

Best,
[Your name]

PS: {{additional_personalization_signal}}
```

---

## Nick Abraham's Complete 3-Layer Email Templates

Here are proven email templates implementing Nick's hyper-personalization framework:

### **Template 1: Social Follow Intent + Colleague Reference**

```
Subject: Re: [Company] growth

Hi {{first_name}},

Noticed you follow Clay on LinkedIn - guessing you're dealing with lead generation challenges like most companies scaling past 50 employees.

Not sure if this should go to you or {{colleague_name}} on your sales team, but figured one of you might find this relevant.

We just helped Zapier increase their qualified leads by 40% using a similar approach to what Clay teaches, but specifically for companies your size.

Worth a quick chat to see if it's relevant for {{company}}?

Best,
[Your name]

PS: Saw you're hiring SDRs - probably perfect timing for this conversation.
```

### **Template 2: Competitor Intelligence + AI Personalization**

```
Subject: Quick question about {{company}}

Hi {{first_name}},

Saw you're connected to the team at Outreach - curious if you're exploring alternatives given their recent pricing changes.

Not sure if this should go to you or {{sales_ops_colleague}}, but thought you might be interested in how we helped {{similar_company}} maintain the same results while cutting costs by 60%.

{{ai_personalization_line}}

Worth a brief conversation about your current setup?

Best,
[Your name]

PS: Your recent LinkedIn post about {{recent_post_topic}} was spot on.
```

### **Template 3: Industry Event + Social Proof**

```
Subject: [Event Name] follow-up

Hi {{first_name}},

Saw you attended {{industry_event}} - guessing you're in the same boat as most attendees looking to actually implement what you learned there.

Should this go to you or {{marketing_colleague}}? Not sure who owns lead gen at {{company}}.

We helped 3 other {{industry_event}} attendees turn their new strategies into 25+ qualified meetings in the first month post-event.

{{ai_insight_about_company}}

Up for a quick call to share what's been working?

Best,
[Your name]

PS: Noticed you're using {{tech_stack_tool}} - we have some specific integration strategies that might help.
```

### **Template 4: Hiring Intent + Colleague Uncertainty**

```
Subject: New hire onboarding

Hi {{first_name}},

Noticed {{company}} is actively hiring sales reps based on your recent job postings - always exciting to see teams scaling.

Not sure if this should come to you or {{hr_colleague}}, but figured someone on the team might find this useful.

We just helped {{similar_company}} reduce their new hire ramp time from 3 months to 6 weeks using our onboarding framework.

{{ai_personalization_about_growth}}

Worth exploring for your new hires?

Best,
[Your name]

PS: {{phone_number}} - easier to discuss over a quick call if that works better.
```

### **Template 5: Technology Stack + Performance Issues**

```
Subject: {{company}} tech stack

Hi {{first_name}},

Saw you're using {{current_tool}} - noticed from {{data_source}} that performance has been inconsistent lately (not uncommon with that platform).

Should this go to you or {{technical_colleague}}? Wasn't sure who handles this at {{company}}.

We helped {{competitor_company}} switch to a more reliable solution and saw 35% improvement in their key metrics within 30 days.

{{ai_insight_about_current_challenges}}

Interested in hearing how they did it?

Best,
[Your name]

PS: {{recent_company_milestone}} - congrats on the growth!
```

### **Template 6: Content Engagement + Social Proof**

```
Subject: Your {{content_type}} strategy

Hi {{first_name}},

Really enjoyed your recent {{content_type}} about {{topic}} - the point about {{specific_insight}} especially resonated.

Not sure if content strategy falls under you or {{content_colleague}}, but thought you'd appreciate what we've been testing.

We helped {{similar_company}} implement a similar approach and they increased engagement by 150% in 2 months.

{{ai_comment_on_their_content}}

Worth a quick chat about what specifically worked for them?

Best,
[Your name]

PS: The LinkedIn post about {{recent_post_topic}} had great engagement - clearly hitting a nerve with your audience.
```

### **Follow-up Sequence for Hyper-Personalized Campaigns**

**Follow-up #1 (4 days later):**
```
Subject: Re: {{original_subject}}

Hi {{first_name}},

Quick follow-up on my note about {{original_pain_point}}.

Just wanted to clarify - should I be talking to you about this, or would {{colleague_name}} be a better contact for {{specific_initiative}}?

Either way, here's the case study I mentioned: [link]

{{additional_personalization_signal}}

Best,
[Your name]
```

**Follow-up #2 (1 week later):**
```
Subject: {{company}} + {{similar_company}} comparison

Hi {{first_name}},

Circling back on {{original_topic}} - realized I should share this specific example that's super relevant to {{company}}.

{{similar_company}} had the exact same challenge with {{specific_pain_point}}. Here's the 3-step process that solved it for them: [attachment/link]

{{ai_insight_about_recent_company_activity}}

Worth 15 minutes to see if it applies to your situation?

Best,
[Your name]
```

### **Subject Line Variations for A/B Testing**

```
Internal-Looking Subject Lines:
- Re: {{company}} metrics
- {{first_name}} - quick question
- {{company}} growth update
- FWD: {{industry}} benchmark data
- {{colleague_name}} recommended I reach out

Question-Based Subject Lines:
- Quick {{department}} question
- {{company}} vs {{competitor}} approach
- Your thoughts on {{industry_trend}}?
- {{recent_company_news}} impact
- {{mutual_connection}} connection
```

### **Data Requirements for Automation**

```
Required Fields:
- first_name
- company
- email
- job_title
- colleague_name (same department)
- colleague_title
- social_follow_signal
- recent_company_activity
- phone_number
- tech_stack_tool
- recent_content/post

Optional Enhancement Fields:
- mutual_connections
- recent_job_postings
- company_funding_stage
- employee_count
- industry_specific_pain_points
```

**Data CSV Format:**
```
email,first_name,company,intent_signal,colleague_name,personalization_line,phone_number
```

### Performance Benchmarks

**Nick's Targets:**
- **Reply Rate:** 2-4% (vs. 1% for generic emails)
- **Positive Reply Rate:** 20-40%
- **Meetings Booked:** 1 per 350-500 contacts
- **Unsubscribe Rate:** <1%

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4kljkbbfs_8" title="Cold Email State of The Union: How to Send 2M Emails a Month to Generate 1500 Leads" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

---

## Advanced Scaling Strategies

### The Tech Stack that Powers 1.5M Monthly Emails

**Data Collection:**
- **Ocean.io:** AI-powered lookalike company discovery
- **Apollo:** Contact enrichment and email finding
- **Golden Leads:** LinkedIn Sales Navigator scraping
- **Drop Contact:** Email enrichment for LinkedIn profiles

**Personalization Engine:**
- **Quicklines.ai:** LinkedIn-based personalization
- **Cargo + GPT-4:** Custom personalization workflows
- **Clay:** Complex data enrichment and personalization

**Infrastructure:**
- **Smartlead:** Campaign management and sending
- **Outlook-based:** Primary infrastructure choice
- **1:1 inbox-to-domain ratio:** For maximum deliverability

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYMtt4ZTa3Y" title="Use THESE Cold Email Tools to Book More Calls" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Quality Control at Scale

**The 3-Step Process:**
1. **Account List Building:** Use Ocean.io to find lookalike companies
2. **Contact Enrichment:** Upload to Apollo/Clay for contact discovery
3. **Manual Review:** Filter contacts for relevance and quality

**Nick's Quality Framework:**
"We build account lists first, then find contacts, then review each contact manually. It's the only way to ensure quality at scale."

### Team Structure for Personalization

**Key Roles:**
- **Research Specialist:** Identifies intent signals and builds account lists
- **Personalization Manager:** Manages AI tools and quality control
- **Campaign Manager:** Executes campaigns and manages responses
- **Sales Team:** Converts meetings from increased response volume

---

## The Bottom Line

Nick Abraham has proven that personalization and scale aren't mutually exclusive. His 3-layer framework - Social Follow Intent, Colleague Reference, and AI Personalization - achieves 40%+ response rates while sending 1.5M+ emails monthly.

**The key insights:**
1. **Intent signals matter more than perfect copy** - Find people already in buying mode
2. **Layer personalization for maximum impact** - Multiple signals create believability
3. **AI is a tool, not a replacement** - Use it for efficiency, not authenticity
4. **Quality infrastructure enables quality personalization** - High deliverability is non-negotiable

**Why this works with ColdSend:**
- **No warmup delays** - Start personalization campaigns immediately
- **High deliverability** - Personalized emails must reach the inbox
- **Scalable infrastructure** - Add capacity as campaigns prove successful
- **Cost-effective** - Focus budget on personalization tools, not infrastructure

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YZg1uBWN2pA" title="The Truth About Cold Email - Nick Abraham" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

**Ready to implement Nick's hyper-personalization framework?** [Try ColdSend](/) and see how our infrastructure can power your personalized campaigns without the traditional setup delays and complexity.

---

*Want to discuss implementing hyper-personalization for your specific market? [Schedule a call](https://cal.com/coldsendpro/coldsend-demo) for personalized strategy development and campaign planning.* 

Nick Abraham achieves 40%+ response rates using automated hyper-personalization. Here's his exact 3-layer framework that powers LeadBird's 1.5M monthly emails and how to replicate it with ColdSend.

Founder of LeadBird.io

HYPER personal cold email template that's 100% automated (steal it):

If you have a somewhat decent offer, steal this.

Why?

1. Subject line looks super internal.

You never want your subject line to appear sales-y. This is a great way to make it look the opposite — like an internal email from a colleague.

As long as your email is valuable, this is fair play. If it's not, you look like you're spamming....just saying.

2. First line "confirms" their ICP.

Look at how this is framed — the way it poses a curious question instead of a hard pitch is super intentional. You appear more as a helper than a seller.

3. Case study call out + social proof.

The previous line brings us into why we're here, and lets us easily tie in our relevant social proof.

Notice how the first line nicely blends into the one about our social proof — which is exactly the point.

4. Soft CTA

We are NOT asking for a call. We're simply asking to show them how we did something they should care about.

If targeted right, the reader doesn't have much of a reason to say no.

5. PS looks very human.

You can just pull phone numbers and add them to your lead list, then map it in Smartlead as a dynamic field to pull this off.

But most prospects would see this as an email that looks very human!

Try it out and let me know what you think.

This 3-layer cold email personalization tactic looks 100% human but is fully automated. Here's how it works:

(for context, we are still sending this and seeing great results).

LAYER 1 – Social follow

We scrape a list of a certain company or entity's followers that might signal the person is interested in our services.

In this case, someone who follows Clay is likely interested in generating leads, one way or another.

LAYER 2 – Colleague reference

After that, we mention we aren't sure if this should be sent to their colleague, and we name them. Again, this information is scraped, but they don't need to know that.

It looks human.

LAYER 3 – Quicklines

AI-personalized line. Hate on these all you want...we have the data: They perform better than emails without them.

You can see what the entire email looks like in the second half of the picture below.

It looks like a short, relevant, personalized email written by a human. It's short, relevant, and personalized — but certainly not written by a human (at least not at scale).

Any questions on this?

TL;DR: Nick Abraham's Strategy

Who Is Nick Abraham?

The 3-Layer Personalization Framework

Intent Signal Identification Methods

AI-Powered Personalization Engine

Advanced Scaling Strategies

The Bottom Line

How to Copy Nick Abraham's Hyper-Personalization Framework: 40%+ Response Rates at Scale


*Updated on: 18 July 2025*

## TL;DR: Taylor's TAM Domination Strategy

**The Strategy**: Send 1 email every 60 days to your entire Total Addressable Market (TAM). No follow-ups or sequences, just valuable touchpoints that build brand awareness and capture prospects when they're in a buying cycle.

**Quick Execution with ColdSend**:
1. **Define Your TAM**: Use Clay to identify 50K+ prospects in your market
2. **Simple Copy**: "Hey [Name], we just built [solution] that [benefit]. Reply yes if you want to try it free."
3. **Set Up ColdSend**: $50/month gets you instant deployment without warmup delays
4. **Send Schedule**: One email every 60 days to entire TAM (no follow-ups)
5. **Track Results**: Focus on signup rate, not reply rate—Taylor sees 1.2x-2x signup lift

**Key Metrics**: 459:1 email-to-signup ratio for Fyxer AI, 42% of RB2B's $4M ARR, 8.5M emails/month at scale.

---

# How to Copy Taylor Haren's TAM Domination Strategy: Send 1 Email Per Quarter to Your Entire Market

Taylor Haren generates millions in pipeline by "carpet bombing" entire markets quarterly. Here's the exact strategy that helped RB2B hit $4M ARR and how to replicate it with ColdSend.

---

## Who Is Taylor Haren?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqsGn_yiZVU" title="How Cold Email Drove 42% of RB2B's Revenue" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Taylor Haren is the Founder/CEO of Sales Automation Systems, the architect behind some of the highest-performing outbound systems in B2B. As he explains in this recent interview, he's built a $2.2M business with just 2 people and hundreds of AI automations, managing 20,000+ email accounts and 10,000+ domains for clients.

**Background**: Former account executive who discovered he could send 2,000 emails daily from his Gmail with no issues—until Google changed the rules. This led him to pioneer multi-domain cold email infrastructure before it became mainstream.

**Current Scale**: Sends 6-12 million emails monthly, generated 42% of RB2B's $4M ARR, and helped Fyxer AI scale from $1M to $10M in 5 months.

**The Core Philosophy**: "I view cold email like advertising. It's a channel where you must understand the rules that Google has set up, even though they don't tell you what those rules are."

---

## Taylor's TAM Strategy: The "Carpet Bombing" Approach

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DzilQ4qCGgw" title="How I generated 42% of RB2B's revenue using cold email" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### **The Two-Bucket Framework**

In this detailed breakdown of his RB2B success, Taylor explains his two-bucket approach:

**Bucket 1: Navy SEALs (Targeted Approach)**
- Sales teams writing manual emails
- Best when reps send fewer than 50-100 emails/day
- Assigned to most valuable accounts
- Focus on relationship building

**Bucket 2: Carpet Bombers (TAM Approach)**
- AI-powered high-volume campaigns
- Send one email every 60 days to entire TAM
- No follow-ups or sequences
- Pure brand awareness and pipeline building

### **Why the Carpet Bombing Strategy Works**

**Market Coverage Over Precision**: "While most people are trying to squeeze everything out of the market in the next three months, I'd rather build goodwill in the marketplace and not burn an entire list."

**Buying Cycle Alignment**: Only 3% of your TAM is actively buying at any given time. Rather than trying to identify that 3%, Taylor reaches the entire 100% when they're ready.

**Brand Building**: "I want to be everywhere so they know I'm the guy for the thing, and when they need it, I'm the one they think of."

---

## The Complete TAM Identification Process

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IG17k8GHAc0" title="How to Do Cold Email for SaaS in 2025" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

In this comprehensive strategy session, Taylor breaks down his exact TAM building process:

### **Step 1: TAM Size Requirements**

**Minimum Viable TAM**: 50,000 prospects for quarterly campaigns
**Optimal TAM**: 200,000-500,000 prospects  
**Enterprise TAM**: 1M+ prospects (like his current clients)

"If your TAM is smaller than 50,000, you should probably be doing more targeted, higher-touch approaches instead."

### **Step 2: Clay-Powered TAM Building**

Taylor processes **17.6 million enrichments monthly** through Clay using this system:

**The Clay Workflow**:
1. Import seed data from existing customers
2. Use "Find Similar Companies" to expand
3. Layer multiple enrichment providers (Apollo, ZoomInfo, Clearbit)
4. Add people data for each company
5. Use AI to determine contextual benefits for each role

**Pro Tip**: "I pay $350/month for Clay and delete completed tables daily to keep processing 17.6 million enrichments. My team suggested getting a second Clay account to double our capacity."

### **Step 3: AI-Driven Personalization**

Rather than generic personalization, Taylor uses AI to contextualize benefits:

**His Framework**:
- "If you suddenly had [specific benefit], how would you use it?"
- AI infers time-saving benefits based on job title
- Ends with personal context: "picking up your kids early" or "extra hour for growth"

"I look for sophistication in emails. Having an AI line that contextualizes based on their job is way better than 'Oh, I saw you went to Penn State' nonsense."

---

## The Proven Copy Framework That Converts

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-GDzNq_R0b8" title="Cold Email Is Dead (Unless You Do This)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### **Taylor's "Short and Punchy" Template**

From his detailed copy analysis with Adam Robinson, here's the exact template that drives results:

**Subject Line**: "inbox" (lowercase, says nothing)
**Opening**: "Hey [Name], if you suddenly had [specific benefit], how would you use it?"
**Body**: "We just built [solution] that [specific function]. It integrates with [their platform] and is super easy to use. Most people save [time/money benefit]. Reply yes if you'd like the link to sign up."
**Close**: "Either way, thanks for reading."

### **Why This Copy Works**

**No Links Strategy**: "The trustworthiness immediately breaks through security barriers. If you've never emailed someone and there's no link, the odds of you phishing them are zero."

**Reply Yes Method**: Creates 1.2x-2x signup lift. For RB2B: 100 positive replies = 200 actual signups.

**Automated Follow-up**: "Awesome, you can sign up at [link]. If you need support, here's where to reach them. This inbox is not monitored for future replies."

### **The Subject Line Philosophy**

"I think subject lines don't matter literally at all. Your subject line should say absolutely nothing because the second you write 'Do you have X problem?' I know you're selling me something."

---

## Infrastructure and Scaling Insights

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EnAKshK7uhs" title="How to Scale Cold Emails - TT Sessions" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### **Taylor's Current Tech Stack**

**Primary Tools**:
- **Instantly**: "Better at sequencing and organizing high-volume campaigns"
- **Premium Inboxes**: For Gmail account management
- **Email Bison**: For enterprise deliverability (Fortune 500 accounts)
- **Clay**: For enrichment and data processing

**Infrastructure Scale**:
- Manages 20,000+ email accounts
- 10,000+ domains across clients
- $120K+ upfront domain investment for major clients
- Sends 6-12 million emails monthly

### **Why Traditional Multi-Touch Sequences Fail**

"Most people hurt themselves by doing follow-ups. The first email is like 'Cool, make your pitch.' The second email comes in and I'm like 'Bro, you're just going to keep sending these and your offer sucks anyway.'"

**The 60-Day Rule**: "We know for sure that if you send it every two months, they don't remember the email from two months ago. But if you send a follow-up, that's when I hit spam."

### **Domain Management Strategy**

**Current Approach**: Moving away from Cloudflare due to account shutdowns
**New Strategy**: DinoDot for purchasing, considering Amazon Route 53 for name servers
**Cost**: $0.50 per domain until 10,000 domains, then pricing drops significantly

"Don't use Cloudflare for managing domains anymore. I had 15,000 domains shut down last month."

---

## ColdSend Implementation for TAM Strategy

### **Why ColdSend Enables Taylor's Strategy**

**Immediate Deployment**: Unlike competitors requiring 2-3 week warmup periods, ColdSend enables same-day campaign launches—critical for quarterly TAM campaigns.

**Cost Efficiency**: Taylor mentions clients investing "$120K in upfront domain costs." ColdSend's flat $50/month pricing eliminates this barrier.

**Infrastructure Management**: "A lot of people underestimate how many emails they need to send. I operate by a rule of 1,000—if you're not sending 1,000 emails minimum, it's hard to gauge efficacy."

### **ColdSend Setup for TAM Campaigns**

**Basic Setup**:
- **Domains**: 1 domain per 100,000 prospects  
- **Inbox Creation**: Bulk CSV upload for instant deployment
- **Volume**: 500-1,000 emails per inbox per day
- **Quarterly Campaigns**: 75,000 emails per quarter = 25,000 per month

**Example for 300,000 TAM**:
- 3 domains ($100/month Pro Plan)
- 300 inboxes
- 25,000 emails/month
- Total cost: $100/month vs $3,000+ with traditional infrastructure

### **Performance Tracking**

**Key Metrics from Taylor's Campaigns**:
- **Fyxer AI**: 459:1 email-to-signup ratio
- **RB2B**: 58:1 best campaign performance
- **Directive**: 259:1 emails per meeting booked
- **Website visitors**: 9:1 conversion rate using RB2B data

**Expected Performance**:
- Open rates: 15-25% for TAM campaigns
- Reply rates: 0.5-2% for quarterly touches
- Signup rates: 2-5x higher than reply rates due to direct signups

---

## Taylor Haren's Complete TAM "Carpet Bombing" Templates

Here are the proven email templates Taylor uses for quarterly TAM campaigns:

### **Template 1: The Simple Value Drop (RB2B-Style)**

```
Subject: {{company}} website visitors

Hi {{first_name}},

We just built a tool that shows you exactly which companies visit your website - names, emails, and phone numbers.

Reply 'yes' if you want to try it free.

Best,
[Your name]

P.S. This is how Klaviyo added $2M in pipeline last quarter.
```

### **Template 2: The Direct Benefit (Fyxer AI-Style)**

```
Subject: {{company}} hiring

{{first_name}},

Built an AI that writes job descriptions in 30 seconds using your company's actual voice and tone.

Reply 'demo' if you want to see it work.

[Your name]
```

### **Template 3: The Problem/Solution (B2B SaaS)**

```
Subject: Quick question

Hi {{first_name}},

Most {{job_title}}s at {{company_size}} companies lose 3-4 hours weekly on {{specific_task}}.

We automated this completely - takes 30 seconds now.

Want to see how?

[Your name]
```

### **Template 4: The Social Proof Drop**

```
Subject: {{company}} growth

{{first_name}},

Just helped {{similar_company}} increase {{specific_metric}} by {{percentage}} using {{solution_type}}.

Figured it might be relevant for {{company}} given your recent {{growth_signal}}.

Reply 'info' if you want the case study.

[Your name]
```

### **Template 5: The Industry Insight**

```
Subject: {{industry}} benchmark

Hi {{first_name}},

{{percentage}}% of {{industry}} companies are switching from {{old_solution}} to {{new_approach}} this year.

We help companies like {{competitor}} make this transition in 30 days.

Worth a quick look for {{company}}?

[Your name]
```

### **Template 6: The News Hook**

```
Subject: {{recent_company_news}}

{{first_name}},

Saw {{company}} {{recent_achievement}} - congrats.

This usually means {{logical_challenge}} becomes a bigger priority.

We solve this exact problem for companies like {{similar_company}}.

Reply 'yes' if you want to see how.

[Your name]
```

### **Template 7: The Competitor Intelligence**

```
Subject: {{company}} vs {{competitor}}

Hi {{first_name}},

{{competitor}} just started using our {{solution_type}} to {{specific_benefit}}.

Given {{company}}'s focus on {{relevant_initiative}}, figured you'd want to know what they're doing.

Want the details?

[Your name]
```

### **Template 8: The Specific Use Case**

```
Subject: {{specific_pain_point}}

{{first_name}},

Quick question - is {{company}} still using {{current_solution}} for {{specific_use_case}}?

We built something that does this 10x faster.

{{similar_company}} switched last month and saved {{time_amount}} per {{time_period}}.

Worth 2 minutes to show you?

[Your name]
```

### **Quarterly Campaign Variations**

**Q1 - New Year/Planning Focus:**
```
Subject: {{company}} 2025 goals

{{first_name}},

If increasing {{relevant_metric}} is on {{company}}'s 2025 roadmap, this might help.

We just launched {{solution}} that helped {{similar_company}} achieve {{specific_result}} in Q4.

Reply 'demo' to see it in action.

[Your name]
```

**Q2 - Mid-Year Optimization:**
```
Subject: Mid-year check-in

Hi {{first_name}},

Most companies reassess their {{department}} strategy mid-year.

If {{company}} is looking to improve {{specific_metric}}, we have a solution that's working for {{similar_company}}.

Want to see their results?

[Your name]
```

**Q3 - Preparation for Q4:**
```
Subject: Q4 prep

{{first_name}},

Q4 planning season - if {{company}} wants to hit {{relevant_goal}}, this might help.

{{solution}} helped {{similar_company}} increase {{metric}} by {{percentage}} last Q4.

Worth a quick look?

[Your name]
```

**Q4 - Year-End Push:**
```
Subject: 2025 planning

Hi {{first_name}},

Planning for 2025? {{solution}} might be relevant for {{company}}'s {{department}} goals.

{{similar_company}} implemented this in December and started 2025 with {{specific_advantage}}.

Interested in seeing how?

[Your name]
```

### **Subject Line Variations for Testing**

```
Direct/Simple:
- {{company}} + {{solution_area}}
- Quick {{department}} question
- {{specific_metric}} improvement
- {{industry}} update
- {{competitor}} comparison

News/Event-Based:
- {{recent_company_news}}
- {{industry_trend}} impact
- {{competitor_activity}}
- {{funding_announcement}}
- {{product_launch}}

Question-Based:
- Still using {{current_tool}}?
- {{department}} priority?
- {{specific_challenge}}?
- Worth 2 minutes?
- Relevant for {{company}}?
```

### **Campaign Timing Strategy**

```
TAM Campaign Schedule:
- January 15: Q1 campaign launch
- April 15: Q2 campaign launch  
- July 15: Q3 campaign launch
- October 15: Q4 campaign launch

Daily Send Schedule:
- Monday-Thursday: Primary sending days
- Friday: Reduced volume (20% of weekly total)
- Weekends: No sends

Time Windows:
- 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (local time zones)
- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (local time zones)
- Avoid: Early morning (<8 AM), Late day (>5 PM)
```

### **Performance Benchmarks by Industry**

```
B2B SaaS (50K+ TAM):
- Target: 1,000+ signups per quarter
- Email-to-signup ratio: 200:1 to 500:1
- Direct signups: 70% of conversions
- Reply rate: 1-3%

Professional Services (100K+ TAM):
- Target: 50+ meetings per quarter  
- Email-to-meeting ratio: 800:1 to 1,200:1
- Phone follow-up conversion: 30%
- Reply rate: 2-4%

E-commerce/Physical Products (200K+ TAM):
- Target: 500+ trials per quarter
- Email-to-trial ratio: 400:1 to 600:1
- Free trial conversion: 15-25%
- Reply rate: 0.5-2%
```

---

## Taylor's Results: The Business Model That Works

### **Performance-Based Pricing Evolution**

Taylor has evolved from retainer-based pricing to performance models:

**Traditional Model**: $14,000/month retainer for 100,000 emails
**Performance Model**: $5,000/month + results-based compensation for unlimited volume

**Client Qualifiers**:
- TAM over 1 million contacts, OR
- LTV over $30,000

### **Proven Client Results**

**RB2B**: 42% of $4M ARR from three campaign buckets:
1. **Waitlist campaigns**: 6% of cash collected
2. **Inbound/outbound**: 15% of revenue (using RB2B's own tool)
3. **Pure cold email**: 21% of cash collected

**Fyxer AI**: From $1M to $10M ARR in 5 months
- 4,000 PLG signups monthly
- 900 people converted weekly at peak
- 8.5 million emails monthly

**Directive**: 70+ positive replies weekly, 50% convert to meetings

### **The Infrastructure Investment Reality**

"The only reason I could take on performance-based models is because I had so many retainer clients where I could invest $120K in upfront domain costs. That's not duplicatable for most people in a fast timeframe."

ColdSend eliminates this barrier by providing enterprise-grade infrastructure without the upfront investment.

---

## Scaling and Optimization Principles

### **The Testing Framework**

Taylor tests **250+ messaging variants** using this hierarchy:

1. **Vibe/Style**: Short and punchy vs. detailed vs. personal
2. **Offer Testing**: Different value propositions
3. **Audience Segmentation**: Company size, industry, seniority
4. **AI Personalization**: Contextual benefits by job role

**Testing Rule**: "Send at least 1,000 emails per variant before making judgments. You need 1,000 emails per day minimum to gauge efficacy."

### **The "One Email Every 60 Days" Philosophy**

**Why Not More Frequent?**
- Avoids spam complaints that burn domains
- Maintains brand goodwill in marketplace
- Aligns with natural buying cycles
- Builds long-term market presence

**Why Not Less Frequent?**
- Quarterly maintains top-of-mind awareness
- Captures prospects entering buying cycles
- Consistent brand presence across market

### **Quality Control Standards**

"Bad clients keep me from good clients. I'd rather have fewer clients that I enjoy working with than a $100M business with 100 clients I hate."

**Client Qualification Process**:
- If you can't immediately say yes to reaching your entire TAM for $5K, you're not ready
- Must believe in long-term brand building over short-term extraction
- Willing to wait 60-90 days for results

---

## The Bottom Line: TAM Domination in 2025

Taylor's strategy generated 42% of RB2B's revenue and helped Fyxer AI scale from $1M to $10M ARR because it operates on advertising principles rather than traditional sales outreach.

**The Strategy Works Because**:
- Complete market coverage beats partial personalization
- Quarterly timing aligns with natural buying cycles
- Consistent value delivery builds trust and brand awareness
- Scale economics make high-volume outreach profitable

**ColdSend Enables This Strategy** by eliminating warmup delays, providing cost-effective infrastructure, and handling technical complexity—at a fraction of traditional infrastructure costs.

**Implementation Requirements**:
- TAM of 50,000+ prospects minimum
- Strong offer that provides immediate value
- Patience for 60-90 day results timeline
- Commitment to long-term brand building

**Ready to implement Taylor's TAM domination strategy?** [Try ColdSend](/) and see how our infrastructure can handle your quarterly market campaigns without traditional setup delays and infrastructure complexity.

---

*Want to discuss implementing this strategy for your specific market? [Book a demo](https://cal.com/coldsendpro/coldsend-demo) for personalized TAM analysis and campaign planning.* 

Taylor Haren generates millions in pipeline by 'carpet bombing' entire markets quarterly. Here's the exact strategy that helped RB2B hit $4M ARR and how to replicate it with ColdSend.

Founder/CEO of Sales Automation Systems

We send over 6 million cold emails per month, so we've tried all the top sequencers under the sun — Apollo, Outreach, Salesloft, Instantly, Smartlead, and even our own tool (SASMail). Here's which tool I pick, when, and why:

Thought this would be valuable when our newest client Mike Barrett asked me the question in the image below. Here's what I told him:

Most of your strategy will fall under two symbiotic buckets

1) Sales Teams Writing Manual Emails-> ie Your Navy Seals

2) Ai Cold Email at Scale -> ie Your carpet bombers

We usually consult and are tech support for the first, and fully manage the second for our clients.

The first bucket is best when each rep isn't emailing more than 50–100 leads per day.

They get assigned your top most valuable accounts and they build and maintain those relationships.

Salesloft: Not my favorite — I have not had a single client tell me they like it

Outreach: Great if you send under 40 emails/day per rep AND when the client's primary domain can handle the cold email volume

How do we determine that? I call it the 5% rule.

For example, Ramp sends around 300k cold emails per day from their primary domain because, in total, they send 6M emails/day (transactional, marketing, operational). So 6M × 5% = 300k cold emails allowed.

ei. 6M * 5% = okay to send 300K cold emails per day

We've helped companies like RiversideFm implement this strategy.

Apollo: If you're smaller or don't want to risk your main domain, Apollo is my go-to (and personal favorite).

It allows for inbox rotation (5 on Pro, 15 on Enterprise), which protects your domain's reputation while each rep can send up to 100 emails/day.

We've helped companies like Dash.fi and Power Digital Marketing implement this strategy.

Basically, if your sales team is writing each email manually and mixing it with calls or LinkedIn DMs, you probably want Apollo or Outreach.

BUCKET TWO: AI Cold Email at Scale

This part's more straightforward — we use all three, based on what type of inbox the lead is using.

Instantly.ai and Smartlead are basically equal, with the top performer switching spots week over week.

We load all our gmail leads here.

For anything Custom or Enterprise (like Proofpoint or Barracuda) we built our own tool that performs 2X better then Instantly or Smartlead, SASMail.io

For Outlook, we are alpha testing a solution right now with Premium Inboxes that is looking to fix it. Stay tuned for that

We implement this strategy with 20+ clients right now, aiming to 'carpet bomb' everyone in their ICP/TAM with one email per quarter.

The same strategy that helped us sign up 42% of RB2B's revenue on their road to $4M in eight months

As always, this is just what works for us and what I am seeing in the marketplace, and I hope it serves you well.

PEACE

Here's how a single individual can replace a 40 person cold email SDR team (it's way simpler than you think):

BACKGROUND

Last week I was on a call with a prospect (a $14M software developer) and we blew their minds.

We had their CEO, CRO, CMO and VP of Sales on the call.

I asked them a simple question:

"How long would it take your 40 person SDR team to research the following on 41K leads?"

1. Does the target ecommerce business has Free Shipping
2. Do they use FedEx or UPS as part of their shipping policy
3. How many logistics people do they have on staff
4. Come up a niched down industry variable
5. The names of their top three competitors

Their answer?

"Six to eight weeks"

What blew their mind?

I showed them how it would take me 30 minutes

How?

Because correctly prompted AI, piloted by a single individual can do what takes a team months, in minutes.

In fact, I was on a call with Adam Robinson and John Barrows yesterday. Told them this story, and John said, "Let's burn this shit to the ground because this is a fucking joke."

And this isnt just theory, we are doing it right now.

We are currently consulting 18+ teams on how to properly implement Ai Cold Email, Outbound Linkedin, and RB2B at scale.

And we are now going to run this entire company's outbound efforts targeting all of the United States with our system.

And I am not trying to sell you on this idea either, as our waitlist is full and we are not taking on any new clients until July.

Just sharing with you what I am seeing in the marketplace in real time.

Watch the video below to see it in action

Expert Cold Email Playbooks

Troy Ericson

How to Copy Troy Ericson's Reverse Cold Email Framework: Get Prospects to Email You First

Chris Orlob

How to Copy Chris Orlob's SaaS Cold Email Framework: 5-Step Template Used Thousands of Times

Alex Berman

How to Copy Alex Berman's Volume Psychology Method: 10K+ Emails Monthly with High Conversion

Nick Abraham

How to Copy Nick Abraham's Hyper-Personalization Framework: 40%+ Response Rates at Scale

Taylor Haren

How to Copy Taylor Haren's TAM Domination Strategy: Send 1 Email Per Quarter to Your Entire Market

Ready to Implement These Strategies?

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