How peers handle it

Subject lines

• Payroll across countries at {{company}}(used in the template)
• Payroll in several countries
• How {{company}} runs payroll

Follow-ups reply in the same thread, so they’re sent as “Re:” the first subject.

The sequence: 2 emails

1. Email 1 · day 1

   Payroll across countries at {{company}}

   Hi {{first_name}}, Finance teams with staff in a few countries tend to run payroll one of three ways: a local provider in each country, an employer-of-record service, or one platform that pays everyone. Each has trade-offs, mostly around how much reconciling you do at month-end. Which of those is closest to how {{company}} does it today? I'm happy to share what we see working at your size. {{sender_first_name}}

2. Email 2 · day 6 (5 days after the previous one, if there’s no reply)

   Re: Payroll across countries at {{company}}

   Hi {{first_name}}, For context, we're the third option: one platform. It isn't the right fit for everyone, and I'd rather tell you that than waste your time. If a short comparison of the three would help, I can write it up for your countries. {{sender_first_name}}

{{first_name}} and similar are filled from each lead; after a “|” is the text used when the field is empty. Written for a payroll provider writing to finance managers at companies with staff in several countries.

When to use it

When you see the same problem solved in a few common ways across your customers and can describe them honestly.

Why it works

• Describing the options shows expertise without a hard pitch.
• It invites them to say where they are, which is easier than asking whether they want to buy.
• No invented statistics: the value is in the clear description, not in a number you can't back up.

How to adapt it

• Write the three approaches your customers actually take before they switch to you.
• Keep your product as one of the options, not the only sensible one.