You know what nearbound and the 3 I’s mean. You might have read The Nearbound Sales Blueprint, and you’ve definitely learned about it if you follow Jared Fuller or Isaac Morehouse on LinkedIn.

At this point of the movement, you know the theory, but do you know how to write a successful email to ask for intel, influence, or intros? 

We’ve gathered some of the most successful email templates from Will Allred’s (Co-Founder of Lavender) Nearbound Summit session and the Nearbound Sales Blueprint you can “copy-paste” right now to amplify and streamline your nearbound strategy. 

(Watch Will’s Summit Session here).

A quick email checklist 

Before sharing with you the real templates you can use to run nearbound sales plays today, it’s important to establish some best practices to ensure that your email is a success: 

Always add context

• Who you want to talk to: Identify the specific person or group you intend to communicate with. 
• When you are looking to talk to them: Specify the timing or urgency of your communication. For example, are you reaching out for immediate assistance, scheduling a future meeting, or providing an update?
• Your partner’s relevance: Highlight why the person you’re addressing is important in this context. What role do they play and how are they connected to the subject matter?
• How you’re relevant to what they sold: Explain why your message is pertinent to what they have previously engaged with or sold.

Help first

• What you’re offering: Clearly outline what you’re willing to give or do in return.
• Highlight mutual benefits: Emphasize how the offer is a win-win situation.
• Encourage dialogue: Create an open channel for further discussion.

Be clear on what you need

• Clearly state your request: Be direct and specific about what you’re asking for, whether it’s intel, influence, or intros. 
• Keep it concise: Avoid unnecessary details that may obscure your request. 
• Provide context for the ask: Briefly explain why your request is important or relevant.

Leverage collective intelligence

• Leverage the partner presence: Analyze your data from a tool like Reveal and leverage the relationship you have with your partner and what you know about them to draft a value proposition. 
• Don’t rely on the intel of just one partner: By using 360° Goals in Reveal, you can see every partner that has a relationship with that prospect. 
•  

Intel email templates

“Intel is discovery. Intel is trying to dig for information.” –Will Allred, Co-Founder of Lavender. 

You can use the intel email templates whenever you want to:

• Know better your buyer before an important call
• Go through the procurement process and identify what steps are involved so you can better forecast your deal
• Build or accelerate pipeline

Email one

This email is a clear example of what you need to write whenever you have to improve your understanding of the business initiative aligned to the account, specifically related to your joint value proposition. 

From: [You]

Subject: Question about [Account name–you’re interested in] and [Account name–your partner is interested in]

Hey [Partner name], 

I’m talking to [Buyer’s name] next week over at [Account name]. I noticed you closed them last quarter with buy-in from the [department] team.

So that I’m presenting the most relevant case about our [joint value proposition], would

you be willing to share any intel about the business initiative you aligned to?

A few of your top bullets would be extremely helpful. 

Respectfully,

[Your name]

P.S. Or if you’re open to hopping on a call for 15 minutes, maybe I could offer up some intel from

my side on the [Account name(s)] you’re selling to. I owned these opportunities and would be

happy to trade notes.

Email two

This email is a clear example of what you need to send when you want to leverage your partner’s expertise and gather relevant information for an upcoming discussion.

From: [You]

Subject: [Name of your buyer] @ [Account name]

[First name of partner], 

Saw you closed [Account name] last quarter. I’m talking to [POC name] about [priority] next week.

My guess is that [your joint value proposition] is going to resonate. Anything from your conversations that would be helpful to know?

Anything (even just a bullet point or two) would help.

PS. Saw you’re working [list names of accounts your partner is working on and that you can help with]. How’s it going? Happy to share my closed-won notes.

Bests,

[Your name]

Email three 

This email can be leveraged as a follow-up, in case your partner hasn’t replied to any of your other emails. 

[Your partner’s first name],

Do you think [your joint value proposition] will resonate with [Name of your buyer] at [Account name]?

Saw you sold to them last quarter. I’m meeting with [First name of your buyer] next week.

PS. Happy to share notes on [Account name] or [Account name] if you need a hand there.

Influence email templates

“If you want to get influence from your partners, you’re not only going to get, you have to do something for them in exchange. Make the ask easy to digest, go through, and that they can feel that reciprocity.”–Will Allred, Co-Founder of Lavander

You can use the influence email templates whenever you want to:

• Surround your prospect with influence from their trusted service providers and community members
• Give your buyer a push in case they are indecisive before signing the contract  
• Go through the procurement process and identify what steps are involved so you can better forecast your deal
• Build or accelerate pipeline

Email one

This email can be used any time you want to seek collaboration and support from the partner in approaching a new opportunity. 

From: [You]

Subject: [Opportunity contact] @ [Opportunity account]

Hey [Partner name—AM], 

I’m talking to [Opportunity contact] over at [Opportunity account] next week.

I noticed [Activity–for example: they just renewed with you] last quarter. They mentioned in their last call how important [Company Name] was to [their strategy].

Part of the success plan I put together for them next week is our [Integration/Partnership]. 

This is my first time talking with their [Contact title] and I wanted to see if you’d be able to put in a good word with [Contact name] about our partnership and the [Integration/partnership] over email or a call before then?

If so, I put together an email below that you can use that should highlight our joint value

proposition.

Take a look and if you don’t mind sending it over, will you let me know?

In partnership,

[Seller Name]

[Email to be forwarded copy]

P.S. It looks like you share a couple of accounts with upsell opportunities that I recently sold as

well, like [Account name 1 and 2]. Happy to discuss or help there if that’s valuable, just let me know.

Email two 

Leverage this email when you want to capitalize on a recent renewal to discuss additional offerings with an existing client, seeking the partner’s support in advocating for their integration.

From: [You]

Subject: [Opportunity contact] @ [Opportunity account]

[Partner’s name],

Saw [Account name] renewed with you last quarter. I’m talking to [Buyer’s name and job title] next week.

Given how important [Your partner’s company] is to them, I plan on talking about our integration.

Think you’d be open to putting in a good word?

[Joint account name] and [Joint account name] are having a lot of success with it.

I’m happy to draft it up. Just let me know.

PS. Talking to [Account name] next week. Happy to return the favor. Looks like they’re on your list.

Email three

You can use this email as a follow-up if your partner didn’t reply to the first email, or if you want to request your partner’s support in putting in a good word for your company. 

[Partner’s name], nice work getting [Account name] to renew last month.

I’m talking to [First name of your buyer] next week. Big ask, but would you mind putting in a good word?

Seems [Your partner’s company] is a strategic pillar. I want to lean on our strong integration.

I can draft up the whole note. Let me know.

PS. Happy to do the same when I talk to [Account name] next week. Do you know [Buyer’s name] yet?

A bonus: Draft an influence email for someone else

Don’t ask your partner directly for an introduction for selling (that will only hinder the trust they have already created with your buyer), instead ask for an introduction for co-creating value and offer a way to help them achieve their goals. 

Keep in mind that your partner is helping you get in contact with your buyer, so make the ask as easy as possible and create an email template for them to send. 

For example: 

From: [You]

Subject: [Our buyer email draft]

Hey [Name of your partner], 

Here’s the draft email I wrote for you to send to [Name of common buyer] at [Account name]. 

Can you shoot it over to him (and by all means, edit however you want) at his/her/their email: [Your buyer’s email address]

——Email begins: 

Hey [Name of buyer], 

I was just catching up with [Your name] from [Name of your company], [give context of why you have a relationship with them]. 

They mentioned that you were in touch with [Name of your AE] there for a few calls, but things fell off.

Wanted to just offer my recommendation on the platform and its enablement. Nearbound is catching on and I like working with the team there a lot. Tech is solid and so is the content for how to leverage nearbound plays.

But the reason for the email is that I think there might be a "nearbound offering" that should be taken to market around training Sales teams.

Our Partner just published [type of content: a blog, podcast, book, ebook, vlog, or any resource that your common buyer can find interesting] where they document [A type of content your buyer has expertise or needs help with]. 

Thought it might be worth connecting you two to see if there’s something there that could be taken to market and drive some demand inside their customer base that is expanding rapidly into [Your buyer’s ICP] 

Anyhow, good people, let me know if you’d be open to taking a call with [Your name] and I can make the intro.

Regards,

[Rep Name]

–––Email end

Intros email templates

“You can’t just copy-paste; you need to understand what’s happening behind every email because, with the intro play, the deposits of social capital become greater. You’re making a big ask”–Will Allred, Co-Founder of Lavander

The intro play is one of the most risky but worthy ones. When done correctly, this play can drive 2x more revenue. But if done incorrectly, you can damage your partner’s and your reputation. 

With that warning in hand, feel free to leverage these templates when you: 

• Reached out to your buyer, and after a couple of meetings and emails, they just stopped responding without any explanation. 
• Tried to get the conversation back, but after a couple of months, you haven’t been able to reconnect. 
• Have made enough “trust deposits” with your partner—or given as much as you’re asking. 

All the following templates have a unique purpose: asking for an intro.

Email one

From:[ You]

Subject: Intro to [Account name]

Hey [Partner name], 

I’ve been in comms with [Buyer’s name(s)] over at [Account name] for the past [Time laps].

I noticed [Your relationship] with [Buyer’s name(s)], whom I am trying to bridge the conversation over to.

I am positioning [our value proposition] as the reason for that conversation with them.

Given your relationship, I’m reaching out with a draft email based on your feedback for an intro.

I put a first draft with context on our previous comms below.

Take a look and if you don’t mind sending it over, will you let me know?

In partnership,

[Your name]

P.S. It looks like we might share a handful of accounts/contacts I could introduce you to, as well. I recently sold in [relevant industry name]. Happy to discuss or help there if that’s valuable, just let me know.

Email two

From:[You]

Subject: Intro to [Account name]

Hey [Partner name], 

Do you know [Buyer’s name] at [Account name] well enough to make an intro?

Realize it’s a big ask. Happy to help out with [Buyer’s name] at [Account name]. Looks like they’re open ops for you.

If you’re open to it, I’ll draft up a quick note for you to see if they’re open to it.

I’m talking to [Other POC] already. They seem excited about [your value proposition], but it would be super helpful to get [Buyer’s name]’s buy-in.

[Your name]

Email three: follow-up

You can use this email as a follow-up if your partner didn’t reply to the first email

[Partner’s name], 

Saw you renewed [Account name] a couple of months ago.

I’m talking to [Buyer’s name] about [priority or value proposition]. I realize I need to get buy-in from [Job Title/ Name of person in charge of purchase decisions].

Do you know them well enough to make an intro?

Happy to draft up a note you can send them to see if they’re open to it.

PS. Realize it’s a big ask. Looks like you’re working [Account name]. Talking to [Buyer’s name] next week. Happy to do the same for you.

The get intro play

One thing that can help you ease your introductions is Reveal’s get intro button. 

Now, you can easily ask for an intro to the Partner Manager, Account Manager, or even your partner’s AEs directly from your HubSpot or Salesforce widget, or even directly from Reveal’s 360° Goals. 

How does it work?

If you want to ask for intros directly in your CRM, here’s what you have to do: 

1. Discover partner presence

Identify partner presence on accounts you’re working on. Click Actions > Get Contact to get more details and see who manages the partnership at your company.

2. “Get intro” call to action

Click Request an Intro to request an introduction from the Partner Manager at your company. Confirm your intro request. The following will happen:

• An email will be sent to your company’s Partner Manager—here’s where you can add the context of your ask, and copy-paste one of the three email templates in this email hub. 
• The account will be added to their Pipeline on Reveal
• If a Slack channel has been connected to this partner on your Reveal workspace, the Get Intro request will also be sent to Slack

3. Tracking “Get intro” requests

Use these requests to grow your pipe and add action items to your next partner meeting. See which pipeline items came from a Get Intro request by looking at the Category = Intro request.

You can keep track of progress in Collaborate. 

And if you want to ask for an intro directly on Reveal, here’s what you have to do: 

Selecting “Request an Intro” will:

• Send an email to the partner owner within your company (this is the partner owner who is listed on the partner tile on your Reveal partner dashboard).
• Add a pipeline item to your Reveal pipeline. This pipeline item can be linked to a deal that exists in your CRM. This process streamlines tracking and makes the information more actionable.
• Send a Slack message to the selected Slack channel/s

The nearbound plays

The 3 I’s of Nearbound—Intel, Influence, and Intros—offer a strategic approach to re-engage with buyers who have become disengaged or have "ghosted" your outreach efforts. 

By leveraging partner relationships and co-creating value, you can reignite interest, gain valuable insights, and potentially convert these leads into customers. 

And what better way to action these plays than having approved email templates to ease your asks? Just make sure you follow the following structure:

• Context: Who you’re talking to, who they know you want to talk to, and why you want to talk to them
• Ask: Context on what you’re providing and the ask itself
• Forwardable copy: make it easy for them to help you
• Give back: Offer up some accounts

To learn more about how to action the 3 I’s of nearbound directly in Reveal, book a call with one of our experts. 

P.S. If you have some extra templates you want to share with the partnership community, please reach out to us at avallejo@crossbeam.co so we can add your template to this hub.