Sales Playbook • 12K+ Reads • New

B2B Sales Email Playbook

Proven templates, sequences, and strategies for B2B sales teams. Learn how to write emails that get responses, book meetings, and close deals faster.

35 min read25+ Templates⭐ 4.9/5 (450 ratings)

B2B Email Benchmarks by Industry

IndustryOpen RateReply RateMeeting Rate
SaaS23%8.5%3.2%
Finance21%6.8%2.8%
Healthcare19%5.2%2.1%
Manufacturing18%7.1%3.5%

What You'll Learn

Chapter 1: B2B Email Fundamentals
  • B2B vs B2C email differences
  • Understanding buyer psychology
  • Building ideal customer profiles
  • Mapping the buyer journey
Chapter 2: Sales Email Templates
  • First touch outreach templates
  • Follow-up sequences that convert
  • Meeting request emails
  • Proposal and closing emails
Chapter 3: Industry-Specific Strategies
  • SaaS and technology sales
  • Financial services outreach
  • Healthcare and compliance
  • Enterprise vs SMB approaches
Chapter 4: Metrics & Optimization
  • Key performance indicators
  • A/B testing frameworks
  • Response rate optimization
  • Pipeline velocity metrics

Template Examples

First Touch
Quick question about [Company]'s [specific initiative]

Personalized opener referencing recent company news or trigger event...

Follow-Up
Thoughts on [previous topic]?

Brief reminder of value prop with new insight or social proof...

Break-Up
Should I close your file?

Final attempt using loss aversion and clear next steps...

Chapter 1: B2B Email Fundamentals

B2B vs B2C Email Differences

B2B email requires a fundamentally different approach than B2C. You're not selling to individuals making personal decisions—you're engaging with professionals who need to justify purchases to multiple stakeholders.

Key B2B Differences

  • Multiple Decision Makers: Average B2B purchase involves 6-10 stakeholders
  • Longer Sales Cycles: Typically 3-12 months vs days/weeks for B2C
  • Higher Stakes: Larger budgets and career impact on decisions
  • Business Value Focus: ROI, efficiency, competitive advantage

Understanding Buyer Psychology

B2B buyers are motivated by both rational and emotional factors. While they need logical justification (ROI, features, case studies), the initial decision to engage is often emotional.

The Trust Equation
Credibility

Industry expertise and social proof

Reliability

Consistent value delivery and follow-through

Intimacy

Understanding their specific challenges

÷
Self-Orientation

Focus on their needs, not your quota

First Touch Email Template

Here's a proven template that consistently achieves 20%+ reply rates:

Subject:Quick question about [Company]'s [specific initiative]

Hi [First Name],

I noticed [specific observation about their company/role/recent news]. Congrats on [specific achievement].

I'm reaching out because we've helped companies like [Similar Company 1] and [Similar Company 2] [achieve specific result].

Based on what I'm seeing with [Company], it looks like you might be dealing with [specific challenge]. Is that accurate?

If so, I'd love to share some insights from what's worked for similar companies. Worth a quick 15-minute call next week?

Best,
[Your name]

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B2B Sales Tools

Subject Line Tester
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ROI Calculator
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Send Time Optimizer
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