Direct or Work Email For Your Outreach?

Every sales manager faces the question — should I pick a work or a direct email of a person for my outreach campaign?

Not every email provider will show you which email in the base is personal and which one is work.

But if you do have that distinction in your base, it's better to pick up the right strategy for each of these types of email addresses.

But first, what defines direct and work emails?

What is the difference between direct and work emails?

A personal (or direct) email is the one that a person uses in personal life. Normally nobody has access to it, except for this person.

Corporate-based emails (or work emails) are usually run by a company a person works at. Work emails are usually protected by a company. They are used solely for business purposes. Such emails often contain the name of a company in it.

When to choose work emails for your outreach

Business emails are supposed to be used for business purposes. That's why people expect you to write them on their work emails — if you have a business offer or any business matter to discuss.

For example, the message about manufacturing products will probably get skipped in personal emails. Most of your business offers won't be treated as should be in personal emails because it's not work environment.

The only exception is when you sell something sensitive — a dating app will probably grab their attention in direct emails (if the person fits your ICP).

...And probably will get scrolled by in business emails.

The takeaway here is: always talk business in business emails, except for when you sell something sensitive

When to choose direct emails for your outreach

Direct emails are best to use when you want to hunt someone.  Recruiters use only direct emails. Generally, it's expected that you will contact a person you want to hunt via their direct emails.

Also, if you sell something personal, like any personal items, it's better to avoid work emails. Courses, procedures, hobby-related items, house products. Basically, everything related to someone's personal life, should drop to their personal email addresses.

The takeaway: always use direct emails in recruiting. Sell personal products using people's direct and not work emails.

Keep in mind that it's imperative that you use only reliable contact data providers because otherwise your reply and open rate will spiral down.

It helps to verify emails before taking them into work. Check out our previous article to learn how to perform email verification.