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Why Use Prompts and How to Adjust Them

Updated over a week ago

Prompts are the backbone of smart, scalable outreach. They tell the AI what to write, who it’s for, and how it should sound — helping you send emails that feel personal without writing each one by hand.

Whether you're launching a cold campaign, nurturing warm leads, or re-engaging old contacts, prompts help tailor the message to match your audience and goals. And with a few adjustments, you can make each prompt even more impactful, boosting opens, replies, and conversions.

In this guide, you'll learn:

Let’s get started 🚀

Navigation

Step 1: Log in to your account and click the Campaigns icon from the left sidebar.

Step 2: Once you have navigated to the Campaigns dashboard, click on the Campaign or + Create button to add a new one.

Step 3: Go to the Sequences tab and click on the + Add Step button to create a new email step.

Step 4: Choose an email action (e.g., From Scratch) to open the email setup screen.

Step 5: Click on the + Add variant button to open the email editor, where you can begin writing or generating your cold email prompts.

A new window will appear, where you can customize your cold email prompt by using the Prompt option.

This will take you to the Body section, where you can enter your instruction inside {{<prompt>…</prompt>}} to guide the AI on what to generate.

What Prompts Are

A prompt is a short instruction inside your email template that tells the AI what kind of message to generate. It can specify tone, audience, content focus, and even CTA style.

Basic Format:

{{<prompt>Write a follow-up email.</prompt>}}

Improved Format:

{{<prompt>Write a follow-up email to a VP of Product at a SaaS company who attended our webinar but hasn't responded. Emphasize how we can reduce churn and offer a 15-minute demo.</prompt>}}

The improved version provides clarity, relevance, and context, resulting in stronger, more personalized emails.

Why They Matter

Well-written prompts save time and generate content that fits your audience better. A good prompt increases reply chances and keeps your outreach relevant.

Scale Personalization: Prompts help you generate unique emails per contact using variables like industry, role, and prior behavior.

Save Time on Writing: You don’t need to handwrite dozens of emails. One smart prompt can create high-quality outreach for an entire list.

Stay On-Brand: Prompts ensure consistency in tone, structure, and voice across your team and sequences.

Boost Campaign Performance: Well-structured prompts produce messages that feel tailored, boosting open rates, replies, and conversions.

Quick Testing and Learning: You can adjust prompt wording and test which tone, CTA, or benefit drives better results.

How to Adjust Them

1. Be Specific About the Audience: Include:

  • Role (e.g., CTO, Founder, Marketing Manager)

  • Industry (e.g., B2B SaaS, eCommerce)

  • Pain points or outcomes

Example:

{{<prompt>Send a cold email to a founder of a B2B SaaS company. Focus on saving manual effort by automating lead scoring. Use a professional but conversational tone.</prompt>}}

2. Align with Campaign Goals: Each step in your sequence has a purpose. Match your prompt accordingly.

Step

Prompt Focus

Cold Intro

Awareness + Clear Value

Reminder

Social Proof + Benefits

Final Nudge

Friendly Close, Re-engagement

3. Adjust Tone and Length: You can guide the AI to match your brand voice.

  • “Write in a casual and friendly tone.”

  • “Keep under 100 words.”

  • “Use short paragraphs and a direct CTA.”

Example:

{{<prompt>Write a casual LinkedIn-style message to a Product Manager at a tech startup. Mention our automation tool and invite them to connect for a chat. Keep it under 60 words.</prompt>}}

4. A/B Test Prompt Variants: Test multiple versions of the same step to see what resonates most.

Variant A: Benefit-Focused

{{<prompt>Write an email to a Head of Sales. Focus on how our tool improves pipeline visibility.</prompt>}}

Variant B: Pain Point-Focused

{{<prompt>Write an email to a Head of Sales struggling with long sales cycles. Highlight how our tool shortens the deal timeline.</prompt>}}

Use results to refine your future prompts.

5. Monitor and Iterate: Watch your campaign metrics and adjust accordingly:

Problem

Adjustment Suggestion

Low open rate

Rewrite the subject-line prompt with more punch

Low replies

Clarify CTA or value in body prompt

Low engagement

Add more role-specific context

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