Lead Segmentation Strategies

Most brands segment by demographics. Top performing brands segment by behavior. Demographics tell you who someone is. Behavior tells you what they're about to do. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: → Engaged non-buyers (opened 3+ emails, no purchase) → One-time buyers who haven't returned in 60 days → High AOV repeat customers → Cart abandoners by product category → Browse abandoners by price tier 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻: → Age ranges → Location → Gender → "VIP" based on spend alone These aren't useless. But they don't predict action. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: Start with purchase behavior. Recency, frequency, monetary value. Layer in engagement. Opens, clicks, site visits. Add intent signals. Browse history, cart activity, wishlist adds. Build flows around each segment. Not one welcome series for everyone. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: A 35-year-old in Texas and a 35-year-old in New York might have nothing in common. But two people who both browsed the same $80 product three times this week? They're the same segment. Segment by what people do. Not just who they are.

I discovered why some brands generate 45% more revenue with 67% less work. It's not about working harder. It's about working smarter. The Two Extremes: The Perfectionist: Creates 15 micro segments, polishes copy, and design for hours and spends 4 hours per campaign, sends to 100K people, makes $6,300 The Pragmatist: Focuses on 3 high-impact segments, spends 1.5 hours per campaign, sends to 100K people, makes $5,000 Plot Twist: The Pragmatist sends 11 campaigns per month. The Perfectionist sends 6 campaigns per month. The Math: • Perfectionist: $6,300 × 6 campaigns = $37,800/month • Pragmatist: $5,000 × 11 campaigns = $55,000/month The Pragmatist generates 45% more revenue with 67% less work per campaign. The reason over-segmentation and over-polishing kills profits is because of analysis paralysis. The High-Impact Segmentation Rule: Focus on segments that move the needle, not segments that sound smart. The 3 core segments that actually matter: 1. Engaged Subscribers (80% of campaigns) • Opened/clicked in last 90-180 days • Your bread and butter audience • Highest conversion rates 2. Window Shoppers (15% of campaigns) • Recent site visitors who haven't purchased • High intent, need gentle nudge • Perfect for product spotlights 3. Winback Opportunities (5% of campaigns) • Previous customers, 30-90 days since purchase • Known buyers, just need reminding • Great for promotions and new products What to Avoid: • "VIP customers who bought red products on Tuesdays" • Gender-based segments (unless you sell gender-specific products) • Hyper-specific behavioral triggers • Segments with less than 1,000 people The Action Plan: Audit your current segments Kill anything with <1,000 subscribers Combine similar segments Focus on the big 3 Measure revenue per hour invested The Bottom Line: Perfect segmentation is the enemy of profitable segmentation. Your goal isn't to impress other marketers. It's to make money.

Teams who take a “boil the ocean” approach to outbound will fail. Here’s how to fix it and build sequences that actually drive results: Step 1: Focus your team on accounts most likely to buy now, invest at a premium, and become long-term customers or referral sources. This means moving beyond “anyone who fits the ICP” and zeroing in on high-priority targets. Step 2: Create deeper, more meaningful segments from that refined group. Traditional segments are great for organizing territories but fall short for crafting sequences that resonate. Instead, you need segmentation that helps your team speak the language of specific sub-groups. Use multiple layers of data—firmographics, intent signals, and contact-level insights—to break your TAM into smaller, actionable groups. Step 3: Launch micro-campaigns that target those precise segments with messaging designed to feel tailor-made. When you take this approach, personalization becomes scalable because it’s rooted in segmentation. Your reps don’t waste time on one-off customization, and your messaging feels 99% relevant to the prospect. I've been teaching this process as #ValueBasedSegmentation for the better part of a decade. It’s the key to building sequences that drive higher CTRs, replies, and engagement without tedious manual effort. ➡️ With this approach, you’ll: - Improve email performance - Write copy that prospects actually care about - Give your team a clear roadmap for focused outbound 📌 How are you helping your team build relevance into their outbound sequences?

I set up 37 AI Agents for our $6M ARR outbound agency. These are the 6 AI Agents we deploy across our >$10M ARR clients. I used to spend HOURS trying to figure out what makes a cold email work. Which pain points hit hardest. What signals show someone is ready to buy. When to reach out. How to segment my lists without losing my mind. Now? I run everything through a squad of AI agents (built in n8n) that do the heavy lifting for me. Here’s the team: → 1. COMPANY_ANALYST Analyzes your website, case studies, and G2 reviews. Finds what problems you solve, what ROI you deliver, and what makes you different. Outputs: • Top pain points (ranked 1-10) • Customer impact metrics • Differentiation hooks • Real customer language → 2. PAIN_EXPERT Takes those insights and builds a Pain Point Matrix. Scores each pain by: • Frequency • Financial impact • Time savings • Risk reduction • Emotional relief • Urgency Then ranks them-so you know what matters MOST. → 3. SIGNAL_HUNTER Searches for digital breadcrumbs showing a company feels that pain. Looks at: • Tech stack • Website copy • Job posts • Social posts • Event attendance • Review activity Even gives you ready-to-use Boolean search strings for LinkedIn. (Yes, you get a literal playbook for signals.) → 4. SEGMENT_STRATEGIST Breaks your market into micro-segments (100-200 companies each). Maps the most intense pain for each. Defines how to spot them, what triggers that pain, and what NOT to target. Helps you focus on the best-fit group first. → 5. TRIGGER_SPECIALIST Watches for buying signals in that top segment: • Researching solutions? • Budget approved? • Leadership change? • Tech stack updates? Sets up real-time alerts and tells you exactly when/how to reach out. → 6. CAMPAIGN_BUILDER Takes all this and builds 3 outbound campaigns you can launch. For each: • Campaign name • Target audience • Trigger event • Messaging • Data sources • Personalization fields • Target KPIs • A/B test plan • Launch checklist If you want to see how these AI agents actually work in a real outbound workflow (step-by-step) - I'll be putting together an entire SOP over the weekend, let me know if you want it!

If you’re segmenting based on engagement, you’re already behind. Everyone does 30/60/90 day engagement windows. It’s not advanced. It’s basic hygiene. Here’s the real segmentation play most marketers miss: Segment by intent signals, not just opens/clicks. Examples: • Viewed shipping/returns policy? ➝ Hit with reassurance focused CTA • Time on product page > 30 seconds? ➝ Trigger a cart based reminder • Opened 5+ product emails but never clicked? ➝ Try plain text emails with a customer story • AOV based segments - low priced vs high priced ➝ show them the right products • FAQ viewers ➝ Give them more trust • Recent abandon carts/checkouts ➝ Leverage their interests • Time since they opted in for a coupon ➝ Remind them about it • Time since last purchase ➝ Show them complimentary products The list goes on and on... THEN add your engagement for best deliverability Engagement ≠ intent. Intent = actual buying behavior. Stop treating every click the same. Treat the reason behind the click differently.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗳? Customer segmentation by size, industry, and geography. Why? Because when you stop treating all customers the same, you start growing 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿, more 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆, and with fewer 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀. This analysis is the unlock for: 📈 Smarter growth strategies 💰 Healthier margins 🤝 Happier customers 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆? ✅ 1. Sales & service effectiveness • A $250M CPG distributor in the Midwest doesn’t need or want the same approach as a $7bn manufacturer in Germany. • Segmentation helps you sell and support the right way - for the right customer. ✅ 2. Better strategic & operational decisions • Want to know which customers are high-effort but low-margin? Which industries are expanding the fastest? Which region has the stickiest customers? • Segmentation brings that clarity. ✅ 3. Improved customer experience • Customers don’t expect to be treated equally - they expect to be treated relevantly. • When all your teams understand the nuances of the customer they're serving, retention and satisfaction go up. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹: 1️⃣ Group customers by: • Size (revenue or headcount) - a useful proxy for complexity • Industry (manufacturing & industrials, tech, services, life sciences & healthcare, CPG, etc.) • Geography (region, market, country) 2️⃣ For each segment, analyze: • Profitability • Support/service effort • Sales cycle and retention • Volumes, expansion or upsell potential 3️⃣ Find your high-leverage segments 4️⃣ Align GTM, finance, ops, and support around them 5️⃣ Refresh regularly - your base will evolve 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 • Customer segmentation isn’t just a data exercise. It’s a strategic advantage hiding in plain sight. • When you know who your best customers really are - you build better, sell smarter, and scale faster. #CustomerStrategy #Operations #Finance #Growth #Segmentation #BusinessStrategy #fpanda

I've been running cold email campaigns for years now. And one thing is very clear: Cold email still works. Meetings are getting booked. Deals are still closing. Pipelines are still being built. But the way most people run outbound today is completely outdated. What worked even 12-24 months ago is now quietly failing. Here are the biggest shifts we're seeing. 1. Deliverability is now the real bottleneck Getting emails into the inbox has become exponentially harder. The old playbook was simple: Buy domains → warm them → blast emails. That approach is dying fast. Today you need to: Test inbox placement before campaigns Monitor sender reputation constantly Keep warmups running always. A good rule we follow: → Send 15-20 warm-up emails per day per inbox → Send 15-20 real emails per day per inbox This balances your sending patterns and keeps inbox providers comfortable with your activity. 2. Segmentation has replaced "personalization" A few years ago a custom first line was impressive. Now? Everyone is doing AI personalization. And most of it is terrible. You've probably seen emails like: "Hey John, saw your LinkedIn post about AI." Congratulations. You scraped LinkedIn. That's not impressive anymore. Instead of writing a custom line for every person… We focus on segmented personalization. 3. The segmentation framework we use Before writing a single email, we segment markets across five dimensions: Sub-industry Example: fintech → payments → embedded finance Company size Startup vs SMB vs enterprise Geography Region, country, or even state Company maturity Bootstrapped vs VC-backed Core problem Transaction fees, reporting, payout delays, etc. Once you combine a few of these… You end up with hyper-relevant segments. 4. Match segments to the right persona Once segments are defined, map them to the right decision maker. Example: Ecommerce brands → Head of Ecommerce / Growth SaaS companies → VP of Revenue / CRO Real estate firms → Managing Partners Different personas = different angles. 5. One underrated tactic: resonance campaigns Sometimes the best segmentation is shared identity. Examples: People who previously worked at Google Founders with product background Engineers who moved into product leadership People naturally trust others who share their background. These "resonance campaigns" often outperform generic outreach. 6. For small markets, go ultra-personal If your TAM is small… Consider high-touch outreach. Things like: Handwritten notes Personalized gifts Physical mail We've seen surprisingly strong results using this for high-value accounts. Cold email isn't dying. But lazy outbound is. The future of outbound is: Strong deliverability infrastructure Hyper-specific segmentation Relevance over volume If your campaigns feel stale right now… It's probably because the old playbook finally stopped working.

Most of us think we have a clear ICP. But when you look at the pipeline? It’s a wild mix of company sizes, industries, and personas — all getting the same campaigns & pitch. 3. Some deals move fast. Others stall for months. 2. Some channels print money. Others burn cash. 1. Some personas love the product. Others ghost after a demo. This isn’t a sales problem. It’s a segmentation problem. If we don’t know who our best-fit customers are, we’re running blind. Here’s how I segment 👇 Side note: Get the spreadsheet template along with step-by-step guide from my newsletter. Click the link in my profile to get a copy. 📌 Step 1: Pull Closed-Won Deals Your best customers leave clues — follow them. - Pull closed-won deals from the last 6-12 months. - Grab key data: Job titles, company size, industry, ACV, deal cycle. - Clean up your CRM (because it’s always messy). Why? Real data > gut feelings. Sell to who’s already buying. 🔍 Step 2: Enrich Your Data CRM data alone won’t cut it. Use Clay to enrich contacts (seniority, decision-making power). Pro Tip: Integrate Keyplay to your CRM have accurate industry tags added to your account. Add growth signals (hiring, funding, ad spend). Think of it as turning an old map into GPS with live traffic. 📊 Step 3: Find Your Winning Segments Look for patterns in your best deals: - Which industries & company sizes close the fastest? - What roles drive decisions? - Which channels bring in high-ACV deals? Example: Demos from Marketing VPs at Mid-market Dental SaaS = High ACV & 2x faster close rate. When they come from Paid Channel, the sales cycles are longer compared to when they come organically. Once you see the patterns, targeting becomes easy. ❌ Step 4: Learn from Closed-Lost Deals Your losses reveal what’s broken. - Pull & enrich closed-lost deals. - Identify why deals fell through — wrong fit? Wrong persona? Budget? - Which channels did these closed lost deals come from? - Compare all of these with your closed won patterns. Red flags to watch: - High demo volume, low conversion → Fix qualification/messaging. - Some industries never close → Stop targeting them. - Prospects ghost post-demo → Value prop isn’t landing. 📈 Step 5: Prioritize, Cut, Scale Put your segments into a 2x2 matrix: - High demo volume, high conversion → Scale this segment fast. - High demo volume, low conversion → Fix qualification/messaging. - Low demo volume, high conversion → See if it makes sense to prioritize based on if you have enough time, money, and people. - Low demo volume, low conversion → Stop wasting effort. Why? More focus = more predictable pipeline 🚀 👆Link to the template along with the full guide in my latest newsletter. Grab it by clicking on the link in my profile.

How should you segment B2B markets? (Hint: you need more than firmographics) Here are the elements we recommend including in your segmentation: 🟨 Firmographics What are the attributes of a company that might need your product? (employee count, industry, team sizes, location, revenue, etc.) These are easy to find, but they aren’t very useful on their own — because companies can look the same from the outside and have very different situations, goals, and problems on the inside. 🟩 Champion Who is the person or team that actually cares about the problem you solve? These are the people that you’ll be creating content for in your marketing and targeting in your channel strategies. 🟫 Job-to-be-Done A good JTBD definition answers the question “What is the champion trying to do?” and it consists of two parts: 🟤 The activity the team is carrying out. 🔵 The outcome(progress) they are trying to achieve. This is the crux of good customer segmentation — and it sets the stage for identifying channels and creating quality content to reach your champion. ⬛️ Current Tools or Methods How are they carrying out this activity to achieve their outcome today? This could be a specific tool, a collection of tools, or a method. This is the competitive alternative to your product (what you are competing with) 🟥 Problem What challenge(s) is your champion running into in relation to the tools and methods they’re using to carry out the JTBD? It’s important to frame the problem in the way the champion frames the problem (not how you see the problem). ——— Check out the example shown for what a good customer segment definition could look like for Linear (related to selling product development software). 👉 When you segment in this detailed manner, you’ll likely have a large collection of customer segments — And you’ll realize that B2B markets are incredibly fragmented. The startups that ignore this fragmentation usually fail. 😬 They’ll try to go to market at the firmographic level with broad messaging across every channel. The startups that embrace this fragmentation usually win. 😎 They recognize that the way to win a big market is actually by winning many small markets. Which segmentation approach is your startup taking? #startups #customersegmentation #b2b #marketing

How to segment your email list into groups? (step-by-step) One strategy is to segment your email list into these 3 groups. - most engaged (active), - least engaged (inactive), - highest-value (VIP). This is the simplest way you can approach this topic. We build over 30 segments for our brands but this is the 101 for you to start.  1 - Analyze Subscriber Engagement Metrics Study your subscriber’s engagement data over the past 3-6 months. Look at: - Open rate (although somewhat unreliable) - Click-through rate - Conversion rate - Purchase frequency - Average order value This will help you identify each group. 2 - Define Engagement Thresholds Based on your analysis, set clear thresholds for each group of subscriber: For example: - Active: Opened 50%+ of emails, clicked 25%+ of emails - Inactive: No activity in past 3 months - VIP: 5+ purchases, $100+ average order value 3 - Segment Your List Accordingly Use ESP segmentation tools. Divide your list into the active, inactive, and VIP subscribers based on the thresholds. It creates dynamic segments that automatically update as subscriber behavior changes. 4 - Develop Targeted Campaigns Create personalized campaigns for each group: - Active: Send frequent emails with exclusive content and offers. - Inactive: Send a re-engagement campaign with a strong incentive. - VIP: Provide special perks, early access, and recognition for their loyalty. 5 - Monitor and Refine Testing is your new favorite hobby — observe your segmented campaigns, improve your thresholds as needed. Engagement and purchase behavior changes over time. So it's important to audit your segments every 6 months. This level of personalization improves your email performance and ROI.