So below is an email I just received from the Slack team at Salesforce. It’s just … mid. It’s pretty bad. Even in 2025. Even with AI and Salesforce’s $300+ Billion market cap behind it:
Let’s break down a few mid things:
- Only 2 times to talk provided. I understand some argue this is a good “tactic” but it’s pretty mid when I didn’t even ask for a meeting.
- Zero personalization. We’ve been Salesforce customers for a decade. You know nothing about us?
- Doesn’t even attempt to solve my problems. The email has no connection to the problems we’re facing or at our org size.
- Have no idea we are already using and paying for Slack (!). This has to be the worst part of all. Perhaps it’s because we’ve been paying customers since before Salesforce bought them, but still.
- The explainer video isn’t even titled — It’s just linked “Slack_Video_1” (!). How inviting!
- Font size and CAPS don’t match. Really?
- Still (c) 2024. C’mon. No one cares?
My only point is this: this is considered OK today. In 2025. In the age of AI. By the #1 SaaS company in the world.
You can do so, so much better. Truly epic outbound always works. But you gotta help and enable the team. Read the emails, watch the Zooms, listen to the calls. Help them make it great.
SDR may still be an entry level job in many cases, but it doesn’t mean you can’t make your SDR team great.
Even the #1 SaaS company in the universe is sending Mid non-personalized outbound emails. To its own customers. In 2025.
Now … why is it so bad? A few guesses:
- It’s using an old list. They have bad data and are using an older email and don’t know we’re already a customer.
- This may be outsourced. Can’t be sure but are some signs it could be. The email is from Salesforce itself for sure (and an SDR that works there) but it might be a captive agency or contractor working at Salesforce.
- It’s being sent by the C team. One thing is clear is the team that send this isn’t the A or B sales team. Which makes sense, since Salesforce is mainly hunting big enterprise deals.
- It’s being sent by someone very junior with very little training. This much is clear.
But every customer matters. At least to themselves.
Put the C tier team on a deal with a D tier pitch, and don’t expect much more than Mid results at best. And that’s if you’re Salesforce. Do this with a start-up and expect … nothing.
And a great example of running a very successful outbound program at scale here:
And what I’d do better. It took just a few minutes 😉
