Cold emailing is a skill that can be learned. It may feel like an intimidating way to get in touch with clients or potential employers, but once you’ve mastered the art of cold emailing, it will become second nature.
And while it’s true that sending cold emails takes a little more effort than sending off an email blast, it’s also worth the payoff.
In fact, I’ve sent hundreds of emails this way over the years and have seen great results as a result of getting job offers to landing contracts with new customers.
So if you’re ready to learn how to master this tricky but powerful tool, here are common mistakes people make when sending cold emails:
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand the Importance of Personalization: Avoid sending generic cold emails by researching recipients and tailoring your message to their needs. |
| 2. Craft Compelling Subject Lines: A captivating subject line can significantly improve the open rate of your cold emails. |
| 3. Provide Value Early: Clearly communicate the value you’re offering in the opening lines of your email to grab the recipient’s attention. |
| 4. Avoid Spam Trigger Words: Use language that avoids common spam triggers to ensure your emails land in the recipient’s inbox. |
| 5. Test and Iterate: Continuously test different elements of your cold email campaigns, such as subject lines, content, and call-to-action, and make improvements based on the results. |
| 6. Focus on Building Relationships: Cold emailing is not just about making a sale; aim to establish a genuine connection and build a relationship over time. |
| 7. Respect Unsubscribes: Honor unsubscribe requests promptly to maintain a positive reputation and foster trust with your recipients. |
| 8. Keep Emails Concise and Relevant: Busy professionals appreciate concise and relevant messages that get straight to the point. |
| 9. Leverage Follow-Up Emails: Craft well-thought-out follow-up emails to re-engage recipients who haven’t responded to your initial email. |
| 10. Monitor Analytics: Regularly track the performance of your cold email campaigns through analytics to identify what’s working and what needs improvement. |
1. No Email Address
One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your emails are read is to include an email address in the body of your message.
This should be a professional-looking address, like sales@ or marketing@, and not something like info@ or marketing@ (unless you’re sending it from an ISP).
Additionally, you should make sure that the person receiving your email works at this company.
If they don’t work there anymore, their colleague might see it first and if they do still work there but aren’t responsible for responding to inquiries about job openings or sales leads, then maybe someone else will get back to you first.
Building a successful cold email strategy requires careful planning and execution. If you’re looking to improve your response rates, our guide on A Simple Guide to Cold Emailing provides valuable insights and practical tips to enhance your outreach efforts.
2. Too Wordy
You might be tempted to say everything in your first email. Don’t. You want to make sure that the person you’re emailing can easily understand what it is you want from them. This means making sure that your message is clear and concise, so keep it short!
Try not to use too many words–not only does this save time when writing emails, but also helps ensure they will be read thoroughly by both parties (more on that later). Also, try avoiding too many sentences and paragraphs.
Make it easy for people who aren’t familiar with your company’s lingo by keeping things simple and relatable wherever possible:
If a sentence reads like nonsense or includes confusing terminology then maybe consider revising before sending out an email blast? Finally, avoid commas at all costs–they’re just not necessary here!
And while we’re talking about editing… don’t forget about exclamation points either!
While they might seem like an easy way out of explaining yourself more clearly or showing excitement about something new happening within your organization; using them excessively can come across as somewhat juvenile depending upon the situation.”
3. Not Including A Preamble
The preamble is the first paragraph of your email, and you should use it to introduce yourself and your business. It’s a good idea to tell the reader why they should care about what you do and how their company resonates with yours.
The preamble should be short (less than 50 words), sweet, and make some kind of connection between your two companies.
The best way I’ve found to craft my preambles is by asking myself: “Why does this person want what I have?” If I can’t answer that question in one sentence or less, then maybe my product isn’t right for them!
When it comes to cold emailing, there are moments of revelation that can transform your approach. Discover 10 eye-opening “aha” moments in our article on 10 Cold Email “Aha” Moments, where you’ll learn from real experiences and refine your strategy.
4. Constantly Replying To Emails
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is that they constantly reply to emails.
This is one of those questions where your answer depends on who you ask: some people are happy to receive a response within a day, while others don’t seem to mind waiting up to seven days or even longer.
The key here is not to respond when it doesn’t need a response, which means not replying at all if the question wasn’t directed at you or didn’t need an immediate response from you.
5. Using The Wrong Format For Your Message
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when sending out cold emails is not using a template. It’s very easy to get caught up in your own story and forget that you are writing a business email, not an essay.
A template will help you keep things brief and organized, which helps both the recipient and yourself.
Use one that has been tested by other people (so it works!) and edit it so it fits your needs perhaps even creating multiple versions for different kinds of messages. If the message doesn’t fit this format well enough, consider whether it’s worth sending at all!
6. Automated Emails, Or “Spam”
Spamming your prospects is one of the worst things you can do. The definition of spamming is sending unsolicited emails to someone who has not opted-in for it, and it’s a practice that needs to be stopped immediately if you want people to take what you have to say seriously.
Why is spam bad?
It’s annoying. You don’t want to receive emails from companies that are trying to sell you something without first asking if they can contact you via email or phone. It comes off as desperate and overbearing and it’s not going to help anyone buy anything!
It causes unsubscribes by using misleading subject lines or descriptions in emails that are sent out en masse without permission. If people feel like they’re being spammed, they’ll never click on the next one again (or even bother opening the first one).
What are the consequences of spamming?
Your brand name could end up being blacklisted by some ISPs because their IPs have been flagged as “spammers” due to sheer volume alone when sending out mass emails with no opt-in process whatsoever (which we’ll dive into below).
This means anyone trying to access your site through any major ISP will get blocked until this issue gets resolved…and since most ISPs use blacklists from organizations such as Spamhaus or Cloudmark Inc.,
Having even one blacklisting wouldn’t be good enough – there would need several before anything was done about it!
Cold email templates can be a game-changer when it comes to sparking engagement and driving meaningful conversations. If you’re in search of practical templates to improve your outreach, explore our collection of 13 Cold Email Templates that you can start using today to enhance your email marketing efforts.
7. Telling The Reader What To Buy Instead Of Presenting An Opportunity To Sell Yourself
In some cases, you may be able to get away with trying to sell yourself. But in most cases, you shouldn’t do that.
Instead of trying to sell yourself, focus on selling the company and the opportunity for them. What can you do for them? Why should they hire you? How will their lives improve if they work with you?
If it’s appropriate for your industry, also focus on how working with this particular person (whether a hiring manager or someone else) would benefit YOU as well!
8. Sent To The Wrong Person
Sending your cold email to the wrong person makes it harder for them to respond and can make you look unprofessional. You can avoid this by making sure that you’re sending your emails to the right recipients.
Confirm that the email address is correct. Make sure that you check it again before hitting “send” after entering an individual’s name, company name, or domain name into your recipient field.
It’s also worth double-checking if they have multiple addresses on file and picking out which one is most relevant for this particular communication, as well as making sure there aren’t any typos or inconsistencies between their profiles (LinkedIn vs Twitter) where they’ve listed their contact information.
Check if emails are being delivered straight into spam folders: If you’ve been using a tool like MailChimp for sending out cold email campaigns.
Then this may not apply since all of these services should be configured correctly from day one so that no messages ever get misdirected into spam folders due to incorrect mailbox settings (e.g., allowing delivery from external senders).
However, if your campaign was sent through an SMTP server such as SendGrid or Mandrill then verification steps would include checking what type of authentication method was used during account creation.
And whether it could be updated so that future messages won’t be rejected by ISPs due to being flagged as unsolicited commercial emailing (UCE).
9. Used Perfectly”S In Every Sentence
A perfect” is a word or phrase that typically appears in the first sentence of an email, such as “I was hoping you could help me,” or “I’m pleased to tell you.”
If you’re using one in your cold email, it shows a lack of confidence and can come across as overly formal. It’s also common for people who are searching for jobs and networking on LinkedIn to use this type of language.
Instead, try writing a personalized subject line and opening paragraph that shows off your personality while still getting the message across.
10. One-Sided Conversations
Don’t Expect A Response
There’s no harm in letting your target know what you’re doing, after all, they signed up to receive email from someone like you! But don’t expect them to answer. And unless they do, be careful about trying to get more out of the conversation than that one reply.
Don’t Be Too Pushy Or Over-Eager
As tempting as it may be to send “just one last email” before moving on with your day, resist the urge and leave well enough alone or else risk making yourself look desperate or less attractive as an employee/partner/client prospect.
Don’t Be Too Formal
While there are times when being overly businesslike can work in your favor (such as during an initial cold call), it’s usually best not to come off as uptight or aloof when reaching out via cold emails.
Do use contractions! The best way is usually just by sounding like yourself you don’t need formal language if talking about something casual and friendly!
Crafting a compelling cold email campaign takes more than just good intentions. For 14 practical tips to enhance your next outreach effort, explore our article on 14 Tips for Your Next Cold Email Campaign and learn how to stand out in the inbox.
11. Cold Emailing May Be Complicated, But It’s Worth Learning How
- It’s important to understand why cold emailing is so useful for business.
- You also need to know how to do it and do it well.
- Knowing when and where to apply this skill is also essential.
For example, if you’re trying too hard to sell yourself or your product/service in the first line of your email, chances are you’ll likely get ignored because people don’t like being sold anything via email (unless they specifically requested information).
The best way around this is by being helpful and providing value before asking for anything from someone else through your initial message.
Unlock the potential of cold email outreach with the comprehensive insights provided in our guide, The Ultimate Guide to Cold E-mail Outreach. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a beginner, this guide will help you optimize your strategy for successful results.
Conclusion
So, there you have our top ideas on how to get started with cold emailing. The most important thing is to keep it simple and consistent. If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to being a pro in no time!
Takeaway: We hope that this article has given you some ideas on how to get started with cold emailing.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to deepen your understanding of cold email mistakes and how to avoid them:
Common Cold Email Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Discover the most common pitfalls in cold email campaigns and learn effective strategies to rectify these mistakes for improved outreach success.
Avoiding the Most Common Cold Email Mistakes
Dive into the world of cold email blunders and gain valuable insights into how to steer clear of these errors, ensuring your messages are impactful and well-received.
Cold Email Mistakes You Should Definitely Avoid
Explore a comprehensive guide on cold email pitfalls and gain expert advice on how to steer your email campaigns away from these avoidable missteps.
FAQs
What are the key cold email mistakes to watch out for?
Cold email mistakes can range from poor personalization to improper timing. It’s important to avoid sending generic messages and overlooking the recipient’s needs.
How can I enhance the personalization of my cold emails?
To enhance personalization, research your recipients thoroughly, reference their specific pain points, and tailor your message to show genuine interest in their needs.
What role does subject line play in cold email success?
The subject line is crucial for grabbing the recipient’s attention. Crafting a concise, intriguing subject line can significantly impact the open rate of your cold emails.
What strategies can I use to improve my cold email response rate?
Crafting a compelling value proposition, establishing credibility, and utilizing concise and engaging language are all effective strategies to boost your cold email response rate.
How can I avoid my cold emails ending up in the spam folder?
To prevent your cold emails from being marked as spam, ensure you’re using a reputable email service provider, following best practices, and avoiding trigger words commonly associated with spam.
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.