Why do some of your emails go unanswered even though they are perfectly written? The reason is simple: your contacts are not all at the same stage in their buying journey. What captures the attention of a curious prospect may leave a contact ready to buy indifferent—and vice versa. Adapting the content and tone of your emails to their level of maturity is the key to a successful strategy. In this article, you will discover a simple method to refine your sequences and convert better.

Understanding contact maturity: the 3 main levels

To design truly effective email sequences, it is essential to address each contact according to their marketing maturity. This maturity level determines how your message will be perceived—as relevant, off-topic, or worse, intrusive. There are generally three main types of leads: cold, warm, and hot.

1. Cold contacts: awareness and discovery

A “cold” contact is at the very beginning of their journey. They know little (if anything) about your solution, have not yet clearly identified their problem, and are not actively searching.

Objective: spark interest and stimulate curiosity without pushing for immediate action.
Adapted content:

• Informative newsletters
• Free guides or mini-courses
• Storytelling emails or “problem awareness”
  For example, an email titled “Why 80% of email sequences do not convert” is ideal for this stage.

2. Warm contacts: evaluation and comparison

The warm contact is more aware of their needs. They are looking for solutions, comparing different options, evaluating the benefits. They are not yet ready to take action, but they want to be reassured.

Objective: demonstrate value, create a bond of trust.
Adapted content:

• Case studies or customer testimonials
• Comparisons of solutions
• Invitations to webinars, demos, or free trials
  Example: an email “Here’s how [client X] doubled their open rate thanks to [your tool]” enhances credibility at this stage.

3. Hot contacts: decision and conversion

A hot contact has already interacted multiple times with your content. They have clicked, downloaded, asked questions. They are ready to buy, but they are waiting for a clear signal or final incentive.

Objective: trigger the decision, without excessive pressure.
Adapted content:

• Limited offers or bonuses
• Personalized email with a strong call to action
• Reminder of benefits or guarantees
  An email like “Only 24 hours left to get your access at -30%” is perfectly calibrated for this level.

How to adapt your email sequences according to the maturity level ?

Knowing how to identify a contact’s maturity is one thing. But to generate real results, you need to adapt your sequences accordingly—without overloading your strategy. Here is a simple and structured method to achieve this.

1. Create differentiated journeys from the start

Segmentation should begin at the first point of contact. Use information from the registration form, behavior on your site, or the source of acquisition (lead magnet, webinar, product page) to guide the contact toward an appropriate sequence.
For example:

• A lead who downloaded a comparison guide = warm maturity
• A simple newsletter subscriber = cold contact
  With a tool like Dripiq, you can automatically create message variants according to these segments without duplicating your efforts.

2. Adjust the tone and CTA according to the maturity level

The same content can be tailored into three versions, depending on the contact’s intention:

• Email for cold contact: informative tone, soft CTA (e.g. “Learn more”)
• Email for warm contact: engaging tone, compelling CTA (e.g. “See a client case”)
• Email for hot contact: direct tone, decisive CTA (e.g. “Start your free trial”)

This subtle adaptation significantly increases perceived relevance—and therefore conversions.

3. Automate the warming process

A contact can evolve. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor their behavior (opens, clicks, sign-ups, replies) to dynamically adapt their journey. Conditional sequences, combined with a scoring system or generative AI like that of Dripiq, allow for the automatic transition of a lead from one level to another without breaking communication.

Adopting this gradual adjustment logic transforms your approach: you move from mass broadcasting to targeted and contextual conversation.