Winning B2B Email Strategies For Sales & Marketing Teams

Your prospects’ inboxes are inundated each day with email after email, so the days of “spray and pray” are over and it’s time to level up your email game! But make no mistake, there’s way more that goes into email success than how your email is written. Mailbox providers don’t just let any old email in, your email sender reputation isn’t just a number, and quality data is more important than ever.

Emerald Intel and The Source Marketing Group have teamed up to create a comprehensive guide for establishing and maintaining a successful, high performing email strategy. Below are key highlights from our latest ebook, Winning B2B Email Strategies For Cannabis Brands & Suppliers. Download the entire ebook for actionable next steps and a thorough understanding of what you need to do to take your email program from good to great!

Building A Strong Technical Foundation

“Before writing the first email, there are several foundational items you need to evaluate and/or establish that, from a technical aspect, could bring your email program to a screeching halt,” shares Kristin McFarland, CEO of The Source Marketing Group. Following are five key takeaways from section one of the ebook:

  1. The Three Pillars of Email Authentication – SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential protocols for verifying email legitimacy, preventing spoofing, and ensuring deliverability. Without proper authentication, emails risk being rejected or marked as spam.

  2. Domain Reputation and Infrastructure Matter – Managing domain and subdomain setup is crucial for email deliverability. Organizations sending high volumes should consider a dedicated IP to maintain security and avoid issues associated with shared IPs.

  3. Choosing the Right Email Sending Provider (ESP) – Selecting an ESP should align with business needs, with a strong emphasis on integration capabilities with CRM and marketing systems for seamless data management.

  4. Sender Reputation Impacts Email Success – Factors like sender history, spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement levels influence sender reputation, which determines inbox placement. Regularly monitoring sender scores (e.g., senderscore.org) is essential for maintaining trustworthiness.

  5. Data Quality and Compliance Are Non-Negotiable – Clean email lists and adherence to global data privacy laws (CASL, CAN-SPAM, GDPR) are critical. Ensuring data accuracy and respecting opt-outs help maintain compliance and protect domain reputation.

Crafting The Perfect Email

The same message won’t resonate with everyone on your list, but if you follow best practices, craft messages based on specific target audiences, and add a touch of personalization, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t see your email performance improve dramatically. Following are five key takeaways from section two of the ebook:

  1. Craft Emails with a Clear, Personalized Approach – Sales and marketing emails should be tailored to their audiences. Avoid generic messaging and focus on personalization to build meaningful connections and engagement.

  2. Avoid Common Mistakes in Sales & Marketing Emails – Marketing teams should steer clear of overusing AI, writing overly long emails, and sending mass, untargeted messages. Sales teams should prioritize personalization, focus on the prospect’s needs rather than their own product, and keep emails concise.

  3. Subject Lines & CTAs Determine Success – A/B testing subject lines, incorporating personalization, and avoiding spam-triggering tactics improve open rates. Keep emails action-oriented with a single, clear CTA to drive engagement.

  4. AI is a Tool, Not a Replacement – AI can assist in structuring content, improving sentiment, and streamlining email writing, but it requires clear direction. Over-reliance on AI without proper input results in robotic and ineffective messaging.

  5. Optimize for Deliverability & Readability – Use full URLs in initial outreach to build trust, minimize links and attachments to avoid spam filters, and test different email formats. Modular and text-based emails can improve conversions, especially with AI-driven email summarization tools.

Be Strategic… It’s The Only Way To Be

Is email dead? “No Way!,” Kristin says passionately. “If anything, it's more alive than ever, especially in an emerging, highly regulated industry like CBD and cannabis. That said, effective email outreach takes time and dedication. As a sales or marketer, your emails are competing for attention every day, which means you need to be strategic, creative, and thoughtful about your email approach, and that takes conscious effort.” Following are three key takeaways from section three of the ebook:

  1. Segmentation Drives Higher Conversions – Understanding different personas within an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) allows for tailored messaging. Decision-makers at different levels (CEOs vs. managers vs. contributors) have unique priorities, and personalized content improves engagement and conversion rates.

  2. The Right Tools & Processes Matter – Success in email marketing depends on having the right people, clear processes, and a well-integrated tech stack. Essential tools include a CRM, marketing automation platform, and a data intelligence solution like Emerald Intel to streamline operations and enhance targeting.

  3. Measuring Key Metrics for Success – Tracking open rates, click-through rates, customer acquisition costs, unsubscribe rates, and bounce rates provides insight into email performance. High bounce or unsubscribe rates indicate poor data quality or messaging misalignment, which can harm deliverability and engagement.

Don’t miss out on the knowledge that could shape your success in 2025. Download Winning B2B Email Strategies For Cannabis Brands & Suppliers now and take the first step toward a more strategic and successful marketing program today!