So, you’re interested in emailing people cold? That’s great! It’s a skill that can be very rewarding for both parties involved and not just for sales.
However, it can also be intimidating (and sometimes even scary) if you don’t know where to begin. Here are some tips on how to get those fingers typing.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Personalize your subject lines for higher open rates. |
| 2. Keep your email content concise and to the point. |
| 3. Clearly communicate the value you’re offering. |
| 4. Craft a compelling call to action (CTA). |
| 5. Segment your email list for better targeting. |
| 6. Test and optimize different email send times. |
| 7. Use A/B testing to refine your email campaigns. |
| 8. Provide social proof or testimonials when possible. |
| 9. Focus on building relationships, not just selling. |
| 10. Follow up strategically to increase responses. |
1. Personalize Your Emails
No matter who you are or what you’re selling, it’s always important to personalize your messages as much as possible.
Use the recipient’s name, their title if it’s available (e.g., Mr./Ms.), and any relevant information about their company or role that may help them remember who sent the email in future encounters with cold emails.
It works both ways: including this information will make recipients more likely to respond positively because they can expect a reply from someone who understands them specifically.
But also gives them an opportunity to show off their value by being able to connect those dots between “I worked at X Company” and “Hey I’m interested in X Thing.”
Building an effective cold email marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution. Discover how to create a 14-Step Cold Email Marketing Strategy that can significantly boost your conversion rate and engagement.
2. Address Your Reader By Name
- Make it personal.
- Use their name in the subject line.
- Use their name in the body of the email (and make sure you’re talking about something they care about).
This can be as simple as explaining what their company does, or outlining how you think they can help your own business grow. As long as you use their name and show that you’ve done some research on them, they’ll find this genuine.
Use their name again in your signature line at the bottom of each email (if possible). This is just to remind them who sent it so that when they see an unfamiliar name pop up later on in their inboxes.
They know where it came from and what content is attached to it before opening anything up!
It’s also a good idea if there are multiple people within one company since then everyone knows which department is responsible for responding first before forwarding further downstream towards higher management levels if necessary.”
3. Keep It One Page
If you find yourself writing a cold email that’s more than one page, it’s time to stop and take a look at what you’re doing.
Your emails must be easy for the reader to follow, so don’t make them scroll through a lot of text or links, and don’t use small fonts or large images either.
Keep everything simple and clear, so readers can easily understand where they should be looking next (and what they should do).
Crafting a successful cold email campaign demands strategic thinking and attention to detail. Learn about 17 Tips for Creating a Strategic Cold Email Marketing Campaign that will help you optimize your outreach efforts and achieve better results.
4. Design A Great Subject Line
Your subject line is the first thing they will see. Your job is to convince them that your email is important, relevant, and worth opening.
So how do you do this? There are many ways to write a good subject line, but I’ve found that it’s best to keep them short and punchy (e.g., “Do You Want More Sales?”) with a clear call-to-action (“Send Me the Link”).
It should also be personal and relevant so that the person feels like you’re talking directly with them instead of making more general inquiries about their business or industry in general.
Finally, if possible try using their name at least once so that it stands out! This may also help generate trust between you two since they’ll know who exactly sent this email so they can get back in touch if needed later on down the road too!
5. Share Your Personality
When you’re cold emailing, you don’t want to give off the impression that you’re a robot. You should be friendly, approachable, and genuine.
If someone reads your email and gets the feeling that they can trust you as a person (and consequently trust what it is that you’re selling), then they’ll probably be more willing to buy from or work with a company like yours.
Also remember: your personality doesn’t have to be all business! It’s perfectly fine if some of your emails contain elements of humor or sarcasm. Use whatever writing style makes sense for your message just make sure it’s appropriate for the context at hand!
6. Proofread And Edit
Proofread and edit your email. Whether you’re doing it yourself or having someone else proofread, always go through the email with a fine-toothed comb to make sure everything is spelled correctly and that there aren’t any typos or grammatical errors.
Use a spellchecker. We all know how easily software can mess up our words but don’t let that deter you from using one! It’s still better than sending out an email full of spelling mistakes!
Use a grammar checker. If your software doesn’t have a great spellchecker built in yet, try installing an app on your computer or phone to double-check for grammar mistakes as well as spelling errors before hitting send.
This could also help prevent some embarrassing typos from slipping into important emails (like when we tried contacting our favorite game developer).
Read it out loud (or ask someone else to read it out loud). This tip may sound silly but it works: reading something aloud helps us catch awkward phrasing and unnatural sentences in our writing before they become permanent parts of our email copy!
Fine-tuning your cold email sequences can lead to higher response rates and improved interactions. Explore the insights and updates in the article about Cold Email Sequence: An Update and a Correction to enhance the effectiveness of your email outreach.
7. Include Social Proof And Credentials
Social proof is a form of persuasion that uses the actions of others to influence a target audience.
It can be used in marketing, sales, and advertising to make products or ideas seem more popular or credible by showing how many people have already subscribed, bought, or liked them.
Examples of social proof include testimonials from previous clients; membership numbers for associations, groups, and clubs; awards received; credentials such as diplomas and degrees; job titles at well-known institutions (such as Harvard University), etc.
8. Don’t Forget A Call To Action
As a cold email, this should be fairly simple. The purpose of a call to action is to tell the reader what they should do next. You want them to respond to your email, but if they don’t know how or when they can do that, then you’re not going to get anywhere.
For example: “I’d love to hear more about your interest in my services,” says no one ever! Instead, say something like: “Please let me know if I can be of help with any questions at all.” It’s much more direct and tells the recipient exactly what kind of response you’re looking for.
The best cold emails contain an explicit call-to-action (CTA) which makes it clear what the reader should do next. A CTA could say something like: “Please respond by Thursday” (or whatever date) or “Let me know if we can schedule a time on Tuesday.”
9. Know When Not To Follow Up
If you don’t get a response to your email within 24 hours, it’s time to move on. There are a few reasons this could happen:
- The recipient is too busy and doesn’t have time to respond.
- They don’t care or they’re avoiding you because they don’t want to work with you.
- The person who would have replied has gone on vacation or is out sick for an extended period (and their colleague didn’t follow up).
If the person who would have responded hasn’t gotten back to you in a day, I recommend following up with them again after two days and then giving them another two days after that before moving on.
10. Follow Up, But Don’t Be Annoying
Once you’ve sent your cold email, it’s important to follow up. The purpose of following up is twofold: 1) to show that you are actively interested in the other person and 2) to keep yourself on their radar.
There are several different things you can do after sending a cold email; here are some examples:
- Thank them for their time (even if they didn’t respond)
- Ask them if they’d like to chat about something specific or ask for feedback on something else (they might say yes!)
- Suggest getting coffee together sometime soon because you’re curious about their work/company/interests. This one can be risky if you don’t know anything about them yet, but could pay off big time if they agree!
If they did respond favorably, then try asking directly what the next steps should look like in a meeting perhaps? Or do they have any referrals? Or maybe even an open job position at their company? If so, this would be the perfect opportunity for another follow-up!
Cold email outreach can be a powerful way to connect with your audience, but a comprehensive guide is essential. Dive into the details of The Ultimate Guide to Cold E-Mail Outreach to master the art of initiating meaningful conversations through email.
11. Use A “No Meeting Needed” Strategy If You’re Looking To Get Advice Or Answer Specific Questions
If you’re looking to get advice or answer specific questions, or even if you just want to schedule a meeting, this strategy is perfect. This is a great way of getting some advice and/or answering specific questions. You can use it when asking for a job, asking for a raise, or any other time that involves asking someone else for something.
For example:
- “Do you have five minutes this week to talk about my career? I’d love your advice on whether becoming an editor is right for me.”
- “I’ve heard great things about your book and would love your insights on how I could implement X into my business.”
- “I’m trying out cold emails because my boss keeps telling me we need more leads coming in through them (but she won’t show me how). Could we meet next Thursday?”
12. Be Bold, Be Brave — Believe In Yourself!
Your product and/or service are amazing. You know this. Your potential customers will, as well — if they’re exposed to it and get a chance to see how it can improve their lives. And guess what? They’ll be more likely to buy from you if they enjoy communicating with you over email.
So go out there and make things happen! Nothing is holding you back except your fears and insecurities (and maybe your mom).
Believe in yourself! Believe that whatever it is that’s putting doubts about cold emailing into your head is just an illusion created by the media or advertising or some other outside influence (like peer pressure).
If someone tells you that cold emails don’t work or aren’t worth the time and effort, don’t listen because they’re wrong!
13. A Few Simple Tactics Can Help Turn A Cold Email Into One That Gets Read, Remembered, And Responded To!
Personalization. What does your recipient care about? If you can personalize the email, it will be more likely to get read and remembered. For example, I like to use a company’s name in my subject line as well as in my first sentence: “Dear [company name], How’s it going?”
Call to action. A call-to-action is simply instruction on what the person receiving your email should do next. In many cases, this will be something simple such as “click here” or “visit our website.”
Social proof. Social proof refers to any evidence that shows how others have responded favorably towards something or someone (e.g., testimonials). Including social proof in your cold emails can help convince recipients that they’re going to be missing out if they don’t respond!
Responding to emails in a professional manner is crucial for maintaining a positive reputation. Explore our tips on Answering Emails Like a Pro to ensure that your interactions, including cold email responses, reflect your professionalism and expertise.
Conclusion
The truth is that these 13 tips are just a starting point. Cold emailing can be tough — it’s easy to feel like your message isn’t getting through — but when you follow these simple strategies, you’ll find yourself making progress.
Your goal is not to send the perfect cold email; it’s to improve over time by adopting new habits and learning from each interaction with real people in real-time. And remember: The best way to learn how someone responds in an email exchange is by asking them directly!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further enhancing your cold emailing strategies:
Cold Emailing Tips from Seasoned Sales Reps Discover valuable insights from experienced sales professionals on how to effectively engage prospects through cold emails.
13 Cold Outreach Tips for 2023 Stay up-to-date with the latest cold outreach trends and techniques for the current year, ensuring your strategies are aligned with the evolving landscape.
Best Cold Email Tips for Successful Outreach Learn from expert advice on crafting and executing successful cold email campaigns that resonate with your target audience.
FAQs
What are the key components of an effective cold email?
An effective cold email typically includes a personalized subject line, concise and relevant content, a clear call to action, and a professional closing.
How can I improve my cold email response rates?
To boost response rates, ensure your emails are well-targeted, offer value to the recipient, and use A/B testing to optimize subject lines and content.
Is it important to segment my cold email list?
Yes, segmenting your email list based on demographics, behaviors, or interests can help you tailor your messages to different audience groups, leading to higher engagement.
How can I make my cold email stand out in a recipient’s inbox?
Craft a compelling subject line that grabs the recipient’s attention, and focus on addressing their pain points and providing solutions in a personalized manner.
What should I avoid in my cold email outreach?
Avoid using generic templates, overusing sales language, and neglecting to research your prospects. Always prioritize relevance and authenticity in your outreach efforts.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.