What good looks like
Opener references a real project or hire;;Body ties your product to a stated priority from a public source;;P.S. mentions a mutual contact or shared interest — never a fake one
The 'would a human be embarrassed?' test
- Apply it to every draft before send. If a smart human SDR would refuse to send it, don't send it.
Instrumentation
Reply rate by personalization depth, not by send volume. That's the only metric that matters.