Have you ever sent a message you thought was brilliant, researched, personalised, valuable …and got nothing back?
It’s probably not your message.
It’s how the human brain reads.
Today we break down how to write messages buyers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland actually consume, process and reply to.
All backed by cognitive psychology + B2B buyer behaviour studies.
1. The Brain’s “3-Second Filter”
Neuroscience shows us that our brains are wired to make choices within a remarkable 3-second window.
In these 3 seconds, buyers ask:
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Is this about me?
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Do I understand it instantly?
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Is this worth my time?
If the answer is no to any of these → they skip.
Your Sales in DACH Fix:
Start your message with one line they instantly recognise as relevant:
“I saw you're…
→ scaling outbound
→ ramping SDRs
→ growing your Sales Team in Berlin
and appreciate that with these goals comes X challenges."
This line works because it's relevant and concise.
2. Reduce Cognitive Load
Different research shows that high word count + complex structure reduces message comprehension drastically. According to Regie.ai’s 2023 Sales Email Benchmark Report, approx. 144 words gets the best results.
And DACH buyers are quite sensitive to unclear communication due to cultural preference for directnes and low tolerance for inefficiency. Talking of experience here 😅
Your Sales in DACH Fix:
Write using visual breathing room:
Paragraph 1:
1 line, bring in Relevanc
Paragraph 2:
2 lines, establish a potential problem and your solution. NOT feature. I'm talking about how you'd solve their problem.
Paragraph 3:
Clear CTA
You can shorten this:
“I wanted to reach out because I saw your recent announcement and I believe we can support your company’s initiatives in 2025…”
To:
“I saw you're hiring 6 AEs.
Quick question: how do you plan to ramp them in Q1?”
3. Use the “Information Gap Effect” to Trigger Curiosity
Psychologist George Loewenstein found that curiosity spikes when we reveal just enough information to create a “knowledge gap”.
Translation:
If your message gives everything away, there’s no reason to reply.
If it gives just enough, the brain wants to close the loop.
Your Sales in DACH Fix:
Try this structure:
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Observation (“Saw your new GTM hire”)
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Gap (“Most teams struggle with the first 90 days. How are you structuring it?”)
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CTA (“Worth exchanging notes?”)
This fills just enough of the gap so they want to close it.
4. Avoid Giving the Brain More Than One Job
According to Forrester, clarity are crucial for motivating buyers!
Don't overload them with too many CTAs.
Why?
The brain avoids unnecessary cognitive load.
Your SID Fix:
One CTA only.
Not this:
“Let me know if this is relevant, or happy to send more info, or we can jump on a call.”
Do this:
“If this is relevant, want to exchange notes for 15 min?”
5. The DACH-Specific Twist:
Transparency signals Competence
This comes from personal experience as well as many conversations with other Sellers in DACH. Don't try and hype. Don't try and make it all shiney and perfect. Perfect is dodgy.
Meaning:
Your message can be short, direct and transparent as it increases trust. If you respect my time, I will respect yours.
Your SID Fix:
Use neutral tone.
Respectful language.
No hype.
Always bring it back to WHY we're talking TODAY.
Quick Win Challenge
Rewrite one outbound message using today’s filters:
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3-second relevance
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low cognitive load
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information gap
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single CTA
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DACH clarity
Screenshot it and share it with us in the Sales in DACH Academy! We’ll review it. ❤️
Want to learn how to do Sales in DACH?
Inside the Sales in DACH Academy, you get:
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German-language messaging templates
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Persona-based message scripts
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Objection-proof CTA frameworks
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Real examples shared by real sellers in DACH
Price stays 365€/year until Dec 31. From January, we will be changing our model!
Get in now before pricing changes.
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