How to Build a Hyper-Personalized Email Campaign for VIP Prospects

If your sales emails aren't hyper-compelling—they're going straight to the trash (or worse, the spam folder).

It's a harsh reality of outbound sales in 2023. We heard from an executive at ServiceNow that they dedicate 30 minutes daily to deleting unwanted cold emails.

To make your way through the noise and start conversations, you need to show buyers you know them by crafting an email designed for them.

Samantha McKenna, CEO at #samsales and former Head of Sales at LinkedIn Sales Navigator, has built a tried-and-true email writing strategy to get through to your highest-value prospects and build her 8-figure business.

With open rates that could make a unicorn jealous (43%) and a reply rate that defies the laws of email physics (20%), Sam's Show Me You Know Me® method holds the secrets to getting replies from prospects you never thought possible.

Check out her exclusive Master Class now LIVE on the Apollo Academy!

What is an email campaign?

An email campaign isn't just a single email blast. It's a series of coordinated emails sent to a specific group of people with a clear goal in mind. Think of it as a strategic conversation designed to nurture leads, announce a new product, or share valuable content. Unlike one-off emails, campaigns are targeted, measured, and built to guide prospects through your sales funnel. They're the engine that turns cold contacts into warm leads.

Why email campaigns matter for B2B sales

In B2B sales, a good email campaign does more than just get your name out there. It builds trust and demonstrates you've done your homework. When you're targeting high-value or VIP prospects, a generic email is a dead end. A well-crafted campaign, on the other hand, allows you to deliver hyper-personalized messages at scale, address specific pain points, and stay top-of-mind throughout a long sales cycle. It's how you cut through the noise and show decision-makers you're a partner, not just another vendor.

The "Show Me You Know Me" Email

On average, cold emails have a 6% open rate and 0.9% response rate.

The bar is low.

To build trust and drive more engagement, you need to show your buyers you understand them.

And that's what "Show Me You Know Me" is all about.

It's the practice of writing emails that demonstrate your knowledge to buyers and using that information to write intentional and personalized emails.

"The art of knowing your buyers as humans," says Sam, "...and it trickles down to every single touchpoint you have with your buyer, from the very first email you send, all the way until you've had them as a client for 20 years.

Here are Samantha's 7 components of high-quality "show me you know me" emails.

1. Subject line: This should be unique to the recipient. It likely won't make sense to anyone else but the person receiving the email (and that's the sign of a perfectly personalized subject line!).
2. The first sentence: Start with an authentic intro, rather than niceties or your sales pitch.
3. The transition: Make a logical tie from the first sentence to your sales pitch.
4. The challenge: What can you solve for your buyer? Focus on the person, not the company.
5. The value proposition: Consider your hook and your buyer's pain points.
6. Hidden or forthcoming objection: Think about the most common objection you receive and get ahead of it.
7. The close: Always include a call to action, but don't include a calendar link in your first email.

How to build a "Show Me You Know Me" email campaign

1. Identify your target buyers

The success of your email campaign starts and ends with who it is you're reaching out to.

Criteria like job title, company size, industry, technologies used, recent funding, and intent triggers, all have a dramatic impact on whether or not your email will compel the recipient to interact with you.

With Apollo, you have access to 65+ filters, making it easy to narrow your list, and find your ideal buyers. 

Once you've built a robust list of potential buyers, you can select the individual you want to create a custom "Show Me You Know Me" sequence for. 

Keep in mind that "Show Me You Know Me" is about quality, not quantity. You want to focus your time and efforts on your most valuable buyers. And don't be afraid to go higher and reach out to directors or VPs. 

You won't be able to write highly personalized emails for everyone on your target list, so choose wisely. 

2. Do your research

Before you can craft the perfect email that leaves people itching to learn more, you need to roll up your sleeves and uncover information about your list of potential buyers.

Start with a simple search in Apollo. You can get an immediate overview of a prospect's work history, intent signals, previous engagement, tech used, contacts from the same company, existing notes or activities, and more.

As you're starting to build a file of information, you will also want to visit their company's website.

Familiarize yourself with the product and how the company speaks about themselves. For example, if you wanted to reach out to Pilot Flying J's, a simple Google Search will tell you that they refer to themselves as "travel centers" rather than "gas stations".

Messaging matters. 

Then, it's time to hop into LinkedIn.

Scroll through their posts, comments, and likes to get a better idea of what they care about, their role, and their team. You can also review past job experience, learn where they went to school, or identify groups they are involved in today.

A bonus here: You can streamline this workflow and bring Apollo data and engagement straight into LinkedIn with the Apollo Chrome Extension. Check out this video for a quick walkthrough!

Now that you have all the context you need, it's time to start writing.

3. Craft your personalized email

Bring together the elements from the prior step and start crafting your email. 

As you're writing the email, be sure to reference schools, organizations, company value props, and any other relevant information you learned from your search. Use of flattery and a little FOMO doesn't hurt either. 

Since you're working to build trust with your potential buyer, we don't recommend including a calendar link in the first email. Wait until the recipient has shown interest and then offer your calendar booking link.

Here's an example of a well-crafted "Show Me You Know Me" email using all the elements we discussed above – a tailored subject line, strong intro, relevant value proposition, and more. 

Want to see more examples of A+ emails? Check out our latest webinar with Samantha McKenna. 

To work your "Show Me You Know Me" email into a full campaign, add a "Manual Email" step into an automated Apollo Sequence. From there, it's easy to surround your send with other relevant touchpoints like automatic emails, phone calls, LinkedIn messages, and personalized action items.

Apollo Sequences are one of the easiest ways to create personalized campaigns with messaging that convert.

Learn how to build your first one.

4. Facilitate next steps

You crafted the perfect email and got a response! Now what?

When someone replies to your email and expresses interest, you can offer next steps.

Remember when we said not to share your calendar in the prior step? Well, now's the time. Ask them when it works best to chat, and offer your calendar link. 

Apollo Meetings enables you to easily and quickly schedule calls with your prospects or customers. With an Apollo meeting link, you can consolidate your sales tools by scheduling sales conversations directly from where you send outbound.

Using Apollo's Chrome Extension, you can also drop your meeting link directly into an email with just one click.

For Sam's full approach on supercharging your email personalization efforts and unlocking record-breaking reply rates, check out her Master Class on the Apollo Academy.

Start building campaigns that convert VIP prospects

Building an email campaign that gets replies from VIP prospects isn't about luck — it's about strategy. By focusing on the "Show Me You Know Me" approach, you move beyond generic blasts and start building real connections. You've seen how to identify the right buyers, do the research that matters, and craft messages that prove you understand their world. Now it's time to put it into action. Ready to build campaigns that your highest-value prospects can't ignore? Get Started with Apollo's AI-powered personalization tools.

Frequently asked questions about email campaigns

How long should an email campaign be?

There's no magic number. The length depends on your goal and the complexity of your sales cycle. A simple announcement might be one or two emails, while a nurture campaign for a VIP prospect could span several weeks with multiple touchpoints. Focus on providing value in each step, not hitting a specific email count.

What's the difference between email campaigns and sequences?

Think of it this way: a campaign is the overall strategy and goal (like launching a new feature), while a sequence is the automated series of emails and tasks used to execute that strategy. In Apollo, you build sequences to power your campaigns.

How many prospects should I include in a hyper-personalized campaign?

For a true "Show Me You Know Me" campaign, quality trumps quantity. Focus on a small, highly-curated list of your most valuable prospects. This allows you to invest the time needed for deep research and crafting genuinely unique messages for each person.

Can I automate personalized email campaigns?

Absolutely. That's the power of a platform like Apollo. You can use automated sequences for the structure of your campaign (like follow-ups and task reminders) while injecting manual, hyper-personalized steps for your most critical emails. It's the perfect blend of efficiency and customization.

How do I measure success for VIP prospect email campaigns?

Go beyond open rates. For VIP campaigns, the most important metrics are positive reply rates, meetings booked, and ultimately, opportunities created. You're looking for engagement and conversation, not just clicks.