2 days, 20 messages, 2 calls, zero personalization
Last week I switched on a new automated sequence. Zero personalization, small test group. And within the first 2 days? Two qualified calls booked.
Now, the positive reply rate on that sequence is 20%. That's very respectable for generic automation.
I mention this number because I constantly see people stretching the truth with their metrics. You see posts boasting incredible "positive reply rates," but when you dig a little deeper? You find they're calculating positive replies as a % of all replies, then all replies as a % of opens, and opens as a % of sent.
Layering percentages like that is a fantastic way to make a mediocre result look stellar. It's a vanity metric. It feels good, but it doesn't pay the bills.
Let's cut through that noise.
If we are going to look at positive reply rates, let's use the only calculation that gives you an honest picture of how your message resonates with your entire target list:
(Positive Replies / Total Messages Sent) × 100%
That's it. Simple, clean, brutally honest.
(And by "positive reply," I mean anything that isn't a clear, hard "No thanks," "Unsubscribe," or an out-of-office bounce.)
So, using this real metric, what does your reply rate actually tell you about why you might not be getting those booked calls? Think of it as a diagnostic tool:
Decoding your reply rate
1-5% - The Spray and Pray Zone: If you're here, you're likely blasting generic messages. It screams "spam." Don't expect many, if any, booked calls. Your outreach probably feels irrelevant to recipients. This needs a fundamental rethink of your list and message. You aren't resonating at all.
5-10% - Something's Clicking, But Not Enough: Okay, a glimmer of hope. Your message might hit home with a tiny fraction, but it's missing the mark for most. Likely culprits stopping you from booking calls consistently? Poor prospect qualification (wrong list) or weak messaging (doesn't address real pain). Time to refine your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and value prop.
10-30% - Solid for Automation, Weak for Manual: This is a respectable range if it's automated (like my 20% example that booked calls). You're getting some traction. However, if you're pouring significant manual effort (research, personalization) into getting this rate, it's not good enough for the time invested. With manual work yielding this rate, you should be booking meetings very frequently. If not, your call-to-action or follow-up might be the weak link preventing replies from converting to calls.
30-60%+ - The High-Performance Zone: Nice! You've nailed your audience, messaging, and offer. You should absolutely be booking meetings consistently (think one or more per day, depending on volume). If you're hitting these numbers but not seeing that meeting volume, the bottleneck isn't your message quality—it's your scale. You need to send more of these high-quality messages, which likely means leveraging smart automation to handle volume without losing effectiveness.
So, where do your real reply rate numbers fall? And more importantly, are they translating into the booked calls you expect for that tier and effort level?
If not, it's a clear signal: you need to improve your list building, refine your messaging, or figure out how to scale your process effectively to turn those positive signals into actual meetings.
Want a hand with that?
I'm currently building out a system designed to consistently generate qualified leads via LinkedIn outreach—combining smart automation (like the one booking calls already) with messaging frameworks that actually get positive replies and turn them into meetings.
If you'd like help diagnosing your current outreach, just reply to this email. I'm looking for a few people to test and refine the system with.
Have a great week!