As you build your outbound strategy, Hunter's Outreach Planner is there to guide you through every step. This accompanying guide dives deep into what to include in your Q2 email plan.
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Quarter 2
Buying mode: Catch the cracks and the carryovers
Q2 is when two compounding opportunities open at once.
- The tools your prospects bought in Q1 are three months old. The demos that won the deal haven't held up in daily use, the integrations that were "shipping soon" still aren't, and the support team that scales with them doesn't. This is where the cracks begin to show.
- Q1 slow movers who didn't close have been evaluated, compared, and need a reason to act.
Prospect both: the buyers who chose wrong, and the buyers who almost chose you.
By Month 3, the active buying window is closing as Q3 approaches. That doesn't mean the quarter ends quietly; the relationship engine takes over, so you stay in the inbox without selling.
When buying resumes in Q3 and Q4, you're still in the conversation.
The four engines in Q2
- List: A switcher list built from review sites and technology filters, an event-contact list from Q1 conferences, and a re-verified list of Q1 carryovers ready to be re-engaged.
- Message: A competitor-aware angle that names the problem, not the competitor, A/B tested against a new-leadership angle that anchors on the 90-day window.
- Learning: Log which switcher angle won, which research angle pulled replies, and which subject line outperformed. Q4 has an urgency play that uses everything you learn here.
- Relationship: Conference contacts get warm, low-friction reach-outs in Month 1. Engaged Q1 leads get a research or benchmark request in Month 3.
Month 1
- Buying mode: Competitor displacement
- What buyers are doing: Tools bought in Q1 are showing gaps
- Sequence type: Direct outreach
Month 1 engines:
- List: Two new lists (switchers and conferences) ran separately with different angles.
- Message: One A/B test on the competitor-aware angle, one on the new-leadership angle.
- Learning: Learning what messages land with conference contacts.
Action 1: Send a competitor-aware sequence
Focus on the problem that competing solutions fail to solve, and show how you do. Reference review-site comments where buyers identify the same gap, Reddit conversations showing consistent challenges, or LinkedIn posts that do the same.
Build your list
- Technology filter in Discover: Find leads using a competing or complementary solution.
- Cross-reference with Q1 unengaged leads: Even if they never replied, they may have chosen reviews on G2, Clutch, or Trustpilot elsewhere. Keep the list to 50-75 contacts.
- Review sites: Visit competitor reviews on G2, Clutch, or Trustpilot from the last 12 months. Use Domain Search for the company or Email Finder for the individual.
Launch
- 3-touchpoint sequence: initial email plus 2 follow-ups in the same thread.
- Plain text, one CTA, stop-on-reply active.
Action 2: Add new leadership signals
A new VP or department lead has 90 days to make their mark - this can be an opening for you.
- Use Hunter's Signals to find new leadership in your target accounts.
- Send a separate sequence with a different angle: “Saw the news on [NAME’S] move. Three things that come up in the first 90 days for [ROLE] teams at companies your size.”
- Keep the list to 30-50 contacts. The angle is specific, so the audience is small by design.
Action 3: Prospect event contacts
Anyone who visited your booth, took your card, or spent time at your session in Q1 is a warm contact you haven't followed up with. It's time to reopen the thread.
Build your list
Upload a CSV spreadsheet of contact names into the Bulk Email Finder in Hunter:
- Go to Email Finder > Bulk Email Finder > + New bulk.
- Upload your CSV with first name, last name, and company name or domain in each row.
- Download the results and filter for verified addresses before adding to Leads. Put accept-all addresses in a separate list and send outreach to that list after your main sequence completes.
Your message angle
Refer to the event as the opening to share information related to your conversation.
Launch
- 3-touchpoint sequence: initial email plus 2 follow-ups in the same thread.
- Plain text, one CTA, stop-on-reply active.
n.b. This applies to booth contacts and event conversations. If you interacted with an attendee at an event, use their name and Hunter’s Email Finder to find their work email address.
Action 4: Account expansion at Q2 Month 1 companies
Use Leads and Domain Search to find one more contact in Q2 Month 1 companies.
- Filter > Sequence: Your Q2 Month 1 sequence’s name
- Filter > Sending Status > Sent
- Export the leads and import the domain names into Domain Search
- Find another contact - the champion or budget holder
Message structure
- The champion is typically someone inside the company who benefits from your solution working. Find this person to improve your internal reputation in target companies.
- An example champion message: “Founders who scale $5M+ ARR aren't those with the best product - they built operational muscle early. Here's how Lean thinking helps you compound gains every quarter and stay ahead of the fastest-moving competitors.”
- The budget holder can also be the decision maker. They care about outcomes: pipeline, revenue, risk, not features. They need to understand the cost of not solving the problem.
- An example budget holder message: "Every dollar in a startup must pull double duty, but founders can't see where waste hides. Here are three places I often find $20–50k of hidden cost in early-stage SaaS companies, and how to resolve this without adding new headcount."
Health check: Remove leads that bounced in Q1 Month 3. Put Q1 engaged leads into one list and re-verify. Put Q2 engaged leads into one list and re-verify. Repeat for unengaged leads. Verify every address in your switcher list before sending.
Tip: When verifying email addresses in Hunter, apply a “Verification status” filter in Leads. “Accept-all” emails can be used, but come with a higher risk of not being the correct address. Split these email address types into a separate send list before you reach out.
Month 2
- Buying mode: Final approval
- What buyers are doing: Decision-ready Q1 carryovers
- Sequence type: Direct outreach + value-first
Month 2 engines:
- List: Re-engage Q1 engaged leads and reach second contacts at companies from Month 1.
- Message: Learn if Q1 carryovers respond differently to research than direct outreach.
- Learning: One A/B test on a subject line.
Action 1: Second sequence to engaged Q1 leads
Find your contacts in Leads
- Sequence: Your Q1 Month 1, 2, and 3 sequence names
- Sending Status > Opened OR Clicked
- Re-verify the list, then add to a new sequence
Your message angle
Reference what you sent. The research topic, the case study, the roundtable you invited them to.
- If they’ve engaged, acknowledge it. “I shared [X] in [MONTH], following up because I think there's something relevant for your team.”
- If they didn't engage but are in your list, reference the research topic. “We ran research on [TOPIC] over [TIME]. One finding stood out as relevant for teams in your position.”
- If they met you at an event, reference the event as context. “It was great to see you at [EVENT/WEBINAR]. I ran some research over the [TIME OF YEAR] that turned up something I think would be useful given what we discussed.”
Ask a direct question, such as their interest in an audit, a free plan, or a trial.
Launch
- 3-touchpoint sequence: initial email plus 2 follow-ups in the same thread.
- Plain text, one CTA, stop-on-reply active.
Action 2: Account expansion at Q2 Month 1 companies
Email a second contact at the company from Q2 Month 1's sequence with a different angle relevant to their role and their needs.
Find your leads
- Visit Leads
- Filter > Sequence: Your Q2 Month 1 sequence’s name
- Filter > Sending Status > Sent
- Export the leads and import the domain names into Domain Search
- Find another contact - the pain feeler.
Message structure
- The pain feeler is usually the end user/practitioner. They know the problem but may not have the authority or budget to fix it.
- An example message: “You're already catching the phishing your team reports - but the click-throughs nobody flags are the ones costing finance days every month. Want a one-pager you can pass up the chain showing what's slipping past most filters?"
- Build and track this as a separate list of contacts.
Best practice: Never email two people at the same company at the same time. Work contacts sequentially. Only move to the next contact after the first sequence has completed.
Health check: Remove leads that bounced in Q2 Month 1 sequences. Verify all second contacts. Run the Deliverability Checker and purchase domains and email accounts you need.
Action 3: Test your subject lines
Before you build your sequence, test your planned subject line and get ideas with Hunter's free subject line checker.
Month 3
- Buying mode: Problem identification
- What buyers are doing: Heading into the slowdown
- Sequence type: Relationship builder
Month 3 engines:
- List: Re-engage Q1 engaged leads and reach second contacts at companies from Month 1.
- Message: Run another A/B before the slow months (survey vs. interview-request)
- Learning: Determine whether Q1 carryovers respond differently to research than to direct outreach.
- Relationship: Capture reply and bounce rates to build lists to optimize your sending.
Action 1: Research survey or industry benchmark request to engaged Q1 leads
A research survey or interview is a soft, useful touch. It positions you as someone who studies the market, not just sells into it. The reply-rate threshold is low (three questions, five minutes), and the people who respond are the ones who'll buy from you next.
What this is
- Pick a topic relevant to your audience's job.
- Three to five questions in your research.
- Promise to share results with everyone who responds.
- Use Hunter's Sequences A/B test to compare a survey angle vs. an interview-request angle.
Find your contacts
- Sequence: Your Q1 Month 1, 2, and 3 sequence names
- Sending Status > Opened OR Clicked
- Re-verify the list, then add to your Sequence
Your message
- Acknowledge that you've emailed before, but ensure they know this is research.
- 2-3 touchpoints maximum.
Action 2: Account expansion at Q2 Month 1 companies
For Q2 Month 1 companies still in your target profile, use Leads and Domain Search to find one more contact.
Find your leads
- Visit Leads
- Filter > Sequence: Your Q2 Month 1 sequence’s name
- Filter > Sending Status > Sent
- Export the leads and import the domain names into Domain Search
- Find another contact - the blocker
Message structure
- The blocker is typically a legal person, an IT person, a skeptical finance person, or a peer who competed for the same budget. You often don’t know this person exists until a deal stalls, but you need to find them.
- An example message: “Most security training adds work for the people it's meant to protect. I'm speaking with [PERSONA NAME] about cutting phishing dwell time without deploying new agents - happy to share the rollout doc IT teams usually sign off on."
- Build and track a separate list for these contacts
Health check: Remove leads that bounced in Q2 Month 2 sequences. Verify second contacts. Re-verify non-engaged Q1 leads before they go into Q3. Verify all your CRM data.
Build your outreach engine
Hunter's Outreach Planner 2026 maps out not only quarter two, but every quarter and month of the year for outreach, so you can turn outreach into an engine.
Download your free copy today.
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