Get Started

With SalesHive

For other inquires, please email carly@saleshive.com
We've Set 91,543 B2B Sales Meetings.
close (x)

The Science of A/B Sales Testing and Sales Prospecting Emails

Looking to become an expert email marketer? Read this post to learn "The Science of A/B Sales Testing and Sales Prospecting Emails"

Very rarely does a marketer, sales rep, or copywriter find the perfect version of copy on the first try. Marketing and outbound sales are more of a science experiment: sometimes what you try works, sometimes it fails miserably, but you are never really done tweaking and experimenting and trying new things. Just when you think you’ve found the best possible version of copy for your targeted audience, the structure or subject lines are old and tired (and being used by EVERYONE) or you are reaching out to prospects who have received emails from you before so you have to find a new way to say the same thing in different words.

It’s a never-ending cycle of try this, look at the data, tweak that, look at the data, lather, rinse repeat. All at the same time you’re expected to be getting immediate results.

It can be daunting for even the most experienced copywriter, but that is why A/B testing is so important. Through trial and error you can not only show clients exactly why a version of the copy was not performing and how you intend to fix it, but you can find ways to improve or change even the seemingly best version of an email you are sending.

Here are some best practices for having accurate A/B testing:

Data. Data. Data.

It’s impossible to know what to test, what to change, and what is working or not without enough data. When our company switched over to a new marketing automation tool earlier this year, our A/B testing capabilities became more limited and we had to get creative with how we tracked our data. It was a learning experience but the two main things we learned were that you need enough data to make a decision, and that certain kinds of data could signal what needed to be tested.

When launching new campaigns, there is almost always a warm up period to make sure domains are set correctly and nothing is going to spam. The downside to this period is that lower than normal volume is going out. Without volume, the open and reply rates on various versions of copy can be skewed and running a test will take a longer amount of time to get enough meaningful data back to know what version was the winner. There were instances where clients wanted to immediately change all of the copy in order to get results faster but we had to explain to them that without enough time and volume to test, we could be throwing out perfectly good copy that just needed time to generate enough data.

Once you have enough data on your copy versions in, it’s then a matter of “What is my data trying to tell me?”. If your open rates are lower than 20% it can mean one of two things: either you’re in spam, or your subject lines suck. Going off this data, you will be able to determine what kind of tests to run and what needs to be changed. If the open rate is decent but your reply rate is low it can mean that the actual body of your email needs to be tweaked, or your emails haven’t had enough touches go out to get a response back.

What to test first

We have a very set order of what we test when copy isn’t performing:

Key Testing Variables (In Order)

Subject LineLength, personalization, trigger words, word order
First Initial Sentence     First 5-7 words impact open rate
Email CopyTemplate, value proposition, spacing
Call-to-ActionWording, placement
Time & DayMorning, evenings, weekends

This gives us a clear way to determine what we should be tweaking.  If we change the call to action first, but the first initial sentence is turning prospects off, our test will be a failure and we won’t be doing anything to fix underperforming copy.

Don’t run too many sales testing procedures at once

Similar to point 1, you need enough data to be able to make a concrete decision on what works and what doesn’t. If you are testing 3 different subject lines across 4 different versions of copy, it will be incredibly difficult to determine which subject line and which copy version performed the best. Instead, the data gets muddled and it takes longer to run the test to know what is working.  I try to stick to testing a max of 2 subject lines and 2 versions of copy at a time, but prefer one test a week if possible to get the most data back.

Be creative

Sometimes it just comes down to one word that convinces someone to open your email or reply. If your subject line is too generic, use a synonym to find a word that is less common that may make your email stand out. Every prospect gets emails with subject lines “Increase sales for {Company}”, but it’s not every day that Jim in Sales gets an email titled “Oodles of new business for {Company}”. Is it wacky? Yes. Is Jim more likely to click on it? You bet.

If you feel your copy is too convoluted, try re-writing it as if you were explaining the product or service to your 90 old grandma. The result will be a more concise, easy to read, and straight to the point email that is more likely to be responded to.

These are just some of the ways that you can A/B test your campaigns to make sure you are constantly improving your outreach. Remember, it’s an experiment. Sometimes you’re going to write a shitty subject line. But you aren’t going to know it’s shitty or find one that works better without a little testing first.

Loading...

Learn more about our B2B Lead Generation Services.

More  Blog Posts

B2B Email Marketing: The 2025 Playbook for Success
The B2B email marketing landscape is undergoing its most transformative shift in decades. With decision-makers drowning in 127+ daily emails and spam filters growing increasingly sophisticated, generic outreach campaigns no longer cut through the noise. At SalesHive, we’ve spent 8+ years perfecting data-driven email strategies that achieve 42%+ average open rates for clients. Here’s your...
Read More
How to Write Subject Lines That Boost Open Rates
In the competitive world of B2B email outreach, your subject line is the gatekeeper to engagement. With 47% of recipients deciding whether to open an email based solely on the subject line, crafting compelling headers isn’t just an art—it’s a science. At SalesHive, we’ve booked over 85,000 sales meetings by mastering this balance of creativity...
Read More
B2B Email Marketing: Best Practices for 2025
In the rapidly evolving world of B2B marketing, email remains a cornerstone of effective communication. By 2025, however, the strategies that drive success are shifting dramatically. With advancements in AI, changing buyer expectations, and heightened focus on compliance and sustainability, businesses must adapt to stay competitive. Below, we break down the most impactful trends and...
Read More
Open Rate Tracking: Metrics Every B2B Team Needs
In the fast-paced world of B2B sales, email open rates remain a critical metric for gauging campaign effectiveness. While the average B2B email open rate hovers around 15.14%, top-performing industries like healthcare and education see rates as high as 44.60% and 45.32%, respectively. But in 2025, simply tracking opens isn’t enough. Teams need a holistic...
Read More
Using Ahrefs to Optimize B2B Email Campaigns
In the competitive landscape of B2B marketing, email outreach remains one of the most effective channels for driving lead generation and sales pipeline growth. But with inboxes growing more crowded by the day, optimization is no longer optional—it’s essential. Tools like Ahrefs, traditionally known for SEO, have emerged as game-changers for email marketers looking to...
Read More
How to Write Subject Lines That Generate B2B Leads
In the competitive world of B2B sales, your email subject line is the first—and sometimes only—chance to capture a prospect’s attention. With decision-makers receiving hundreds of emails daily, crafting a subject line that stands out is critical for driving opens, engagement, and ultimately, qualified leads. At SalesHive, a leading B2B sales agency specializing in AI-powered...
Read More
How to Use HubSpot for B2B Email Success
In today’s competitive B2B landscape, email outreach remains one of the most effective ways to generate leads, nurture relationships, and drive conversions. HubSpot’s robust suite of tools empowers businesses to execute data-driven campaigns at scale—but success requires more than just hitting “send.” This guide explores proven strategies for leveraging HubSpot’s capabilities, with insights from industry...
Read More
DKIM, DMARC, and SEO: Email Credibility in 2025
In today’s digital landscape, email credibility isn’t just about getting your message delivered—it’s about building trust with recipients, protecting your brand reputation, and even boosting your SEO performance. As email authentication protocols like DKIM and DMARC become critical components of outreach strategies, understanding their role in email deliverability and search engine visibility is essential for...
Read More
Open Rate Tracking: Techniques to Boost Emails in 2025
Email open rates remain one of the most critical metrics for measuring the success of outreach campaigns. In 2025, as inboxes grow more crowded and algorithms prioritize relevance, mastering open rate optimization is essential. At SalesHive, our AI-driven email outreach platform has helped clients set over 85,000 B2B sales meetings by combining cutting-edge technology with...
Read More
How to Avoid Spam Filters in B2B Email Campaigns
In the competitive world of B2B sales, email outreach remains a cornerstone of lead generation—but only if your messages actually reach the inbox. With spam filters evolving rapidly, even well-crafted campaigns risk being flagged or buried in junk folders. At SalesHive, a B2B sales agency specializing in AI-driven email outreach, we’ve helped over 200 clients...
Read More
B2B Lead Generation

We’ve Set 85,000+ B2B Sales Meetings.

Contact Us Now To Learn How!

sales development outsourcing and lead generation
Real-Time Alerts

New Meeting Booked

Prospect Company
 
Prospect Title
 
Meeting Source
 

AI Email Customization

Use our eMod customization engine to make emails more engaging and highly customized. Use public information about the prospect and company to send hyper-customized emails.
magic-wandenvelopepicturephonewheelchairlinkchevron-down