At the end of the day, cold emailing is no different than any other kind of communication. It’s just you and a stranger on the other side of the screen or page, trying to connect with one another.
But cold emailing can be hard you’re asking someone (temporarily) to give you their attention in a very non-personal way. You need to get their attention quickly or else they’ll move on, so your words must be well-written and persuasive.
To help make your life easier and prevent you from making rookie mistakes while sending out your first batch of cold emails ever, we’ve put together this guide on what not to do when sending a message to someone who doesn’t know who you are:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand the basics of cold emailing and its importance in outreach strategies. |
| 2. Learn how to craft compelling subject lines that capture recipients’ attention. |
| 3. Discover techniques for personalizing cold emails to increase engagement rates. |
| 4. Explore the significance of providing value and relevance in cold email content. |
| 5. Gain insights into follow-up strategies to nurture leads and improve response rates. |
| 6. Get tips on avoiding common mistakes and pitfalls when starting with cold email outreach. |
| 7. Learn about measuring and analyzing the effectiveness of your cold email campaigns. |
| 8. Enhance your understanding of cold email etiquette and best practices. |
| 9. Acquire knowledge on optimizing deliverability and avoiding spam filters. |
| 10. Build a foundation for more advanced cold email strategies as you progress in outreach efforts. |
Don’t Write “Dear Sir Or Madam”
You don’t want to sound like a robot. And you don’t want to be one.
It’s not that hard to avoid using “Dear Sir or Madam” in an email when writing on behalf of your company, but it’s also not very difficult for another human being who knows what he/she is doing to spot and correct this mistake.
Remember, you’re not just collecting leads for your business (although you are). You’re also trying to build rapport with potential customers and the best way to do that is by making them feel like they’re talking with a real person, who cares about their needs and challenges.
Crafting persuasive cold email templates is an art that can significantly impact your outreach success. Discover the power of well-crafted templates in our guide on cold email templates that convert, and learn to create compelling messages that drive responses.
Ask What They Do
Whether you’re going to cold email someone you know or a stranger, ask them what they do. This question can be framed in a variety of ways:
- “What’s your role in the business?”
- “Can you tell me about your challenges right now?”
- “Are there any pain points with which you’re struggling?”
The goal here is to get some insight into what motivates this person and what’s going on in their life right now.
When I’m writing my first draft of a cold email, I always include this question because it gives me an idea of where I’m sending my message from and who I’m targeting and gives my recipient more context for whatever action steps (or request) come next.
Offer Something They Need
When you’re making a cold email, the first thing you need to do is make sure that you’re offering something your target customer needs. Don’t just say, “I know what’s best for you.” Instead, show them proof that you can deliver on it.
If you’re selling software or some other product or service, link to a few customer testimonials and reviews on your website so they can see how happy people are with what they’ve bought from you.
If the company has invested in any sort of advertising campaign (like billboards), include an adorably designed mockup of one next to your name in the email signature block at the bottom of each message.
Taking your cold email game to the next level requires a comprehensive approach. Explore our ultimate guide to cold e-mail outreach to gain insights into advanced strategies, helping you build meaningful connections through effective communication.
Tell Them How You Can Save Their Time, Money, Or Both
When you’re reaching out to a potential client, you’ve got to remember that they’re the ones who have the power in this scenario.
They know it, and they’ll expect you to respect it. Don’t try to sell yourself as a solution just yet; instead, focus on showing them how your product or service can save them time, money, or both.
Once again: You don’t want to overdo it here! Keep things short and sweet you don’t want them getting bored before you even get near your sales pitch. But also make sure that whatever benefits you’re promising are relevant to what they need from your product or service.
For example: If someone is looking for a new home security system but one of their biggest concerns is what their dog will think about having new cameras around the house (he’s afraid he won’t be able to pee outside anymore).
Then forget about telling him about how much money he’ll save by buying from us instead of going with another company.
Focus on how easy our products are compared with traditional models because there aren’t any wires running along walls or across floors like some competitors’ systems have been known to do if not installed correctly!
Don’t Just Give A Recommendation — Show Proof That You Can Deliver On It
If you’re saying, “I’m great at managing social media for companies,” the onus is on you to prove that statement.
That’s why it’s important to include examples of your past work in your email. You should also make sure you have proof that you can deliver on your promises by including links to previous projects or case studies where you’ve completed similar projects.
If they’re interested in hiring someone with your particular skill set, they’ll contact you directly so they can learn more about what kind of work might be right for them and how often they’d need help with things like creating new content or monitoring analytics data.
Transitioning from cold emailing to broader email marketing tactics can enhance your overall engagement. Dive into our detailed overview of email marketing strategy to discover how our proven techniques can improve your outreach and audience interaction.
Prove Your Worth With Relevant Statistics And Data Points
Use Statistics To Prove Your Worth
The best way to use data in your emails is by providing relevant statistics that support your product or service. This can be done in several ways, but here are three tips for ensuring that your facts are spot-on:
Make sure you’re using the right data. It’s important to use statistics that show how helpful your product or service will be to the recipient (and not just an industry average).
For example, if you’re selling office supplies and want customers who order online, then you should include stats about how much money companies save when they buy online versus through retail channels.
In some cases, though, it might make sense not to include specific numbers at all for example, if you sell something.
Like software development services where there aren’t any hard numbers available on how many jobs get done per month versus those only partially completed because they ran out of budgeted hours during the year due to lack thereof…you get it!
The point is: don’t assume everything needs quantification; sometimes just stating things works better than trying too hard with fancy math formulas (unless someone specifically asks for them).
Make An Offer They Won’t Be Able To Refuse
You must make a compelling offer. This is the most important thing to remember when writing and sending your cold emails. The reason why so many people fail at cold emailing is that they don’t offer anything of value to their recipients,
Or they simply ask for something without offering anything in return. Your recipient needs to know right away what it will be like if they respond positively to your message they need to be able to visualize the benefits of getting in touch with you.
Think about what you can offer them that would be useful or valuable, and make sure that it’s relevant!
Nothing annoys me more than when someone sends me an email asking me if I’d like some information on how they can help me with my business, but then when I go check out their services.
There’s nothing relevant for me at all in terms of my industry or business model. If I’m looking for advice about marketing strategy then send me a link to one of those articles instead of trying to sell something else entirely unrelated!
Unlocking the secrets to successful cold emailing involves grasping those enlightening “aha” moments. Delve into our exploration of 10 cold email “aha” moments that can reshape your approach and drive better results from your outreach endeavors.
Mention Other Customers Who Are Already Using Your Product Or Service In A Similar Way As The Prospect
The next time you’re cold emailing a prospect, try mentioning other customers who are already similarly using your product or service as the prospect.
This is especially helpful if the prospect knows about these other people and can visualize them using the product or service. For example:
“One of our clients, “XYZ Company” uses our software daily. They were so happy that they referred us to their friends at “ABC Company” and we have been working with both companies ever since.
Earlier this year they started working together so closely that it seemed like they had merged into one company! We would love for you to be part of this group as well just think of all the amazing things we could accomplish together!
Be Personal Wherever Possible
Use the prospect’s name in the greeting. This is a simple and effective way of making your email feel personalized.
Be conversational and friendly. Your prospect can tell when you don’t speak with confidence, so avoid being overly formal or technical in your tone. Try to use language that is easy on the eyes and ears if you wouldn’t say it aloud at a cocktail party, don’t write it down either!
Ask about their family, their dog (if they have one), or anything else that shows genuine interest in them as a person rather than just as a potential customer for what you have to offer.
This makes people feel more connected with who’s sending them emails, creating an emotional bond that will encourage them to open up and respond positively later on down the line when asking questions about products/services/etcetera…
Provide Value First, Then Pitch Second
The only thing a cold email should do is provide value to the recipient. By that I mean:
It should be clear who you are and why you’re reaching out. They need to know what your company does, what kind of content you create, and why it might be useful for them. Ideally, this will be accomplished in the subject line or first sentence.
Your email should have something interesting or valuable to say about the person on the other end of it, for example, something about their business that’s not commonly known (or at least not well-known).
Imagine if someone wrote an article about your company and included some piece of information from your website; now imagine if they had found some obscure factoid while researching!
That would make them stand out more than anyone else who emailed them with a generic “We love what you do! Let us write an article/video/podcast on how awesomely cool you are!
We promise not to suck too much at writing so it won’t sound lame like all those other sucky pitches sent our way.”
Make It Easy For Them To Learn More About You And Reach Out If They Want More Information
You’ve done the hard work of getting their attention and making sure they were interested in what you had to say. So take advantage of the situation by providing ways for them to learn more about you and reach out if they want more information.
Provide a link to your website so they can see what else you have been up to recently.
Provide links to your social media accounts, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so they can connect with you on other platforms as well.
Provide a link to an email address that leads directly back into their inboxes so they don’t have any problems contacting you (or at least know where else your information is located).
Provide a phone number so that if there are any questions or concerns regarding what was said in the initial email, there are somewhere easy people can go back through if needed;
Even just having this available keeps things professional and open-ended enough that no one feels left out or confused about where things stand after reading/receiving this first note from someone new!
Keep Track Of Replies And Stop Wasting Time On Cold Prospects
If you want to be successful in cold emailing, you need to keep track of replies and stop wasting time on cold prospects.
Respond politely but firmly if someone reaches out to you via a cold email. If they’re a good fit for your business, you should have no problem telling them so.
Don’t be afraid to say no even if the prospect seems promising at first glance! You won’t be able to help everyone who reaches out to you, so don’t waste any more of your energy trying than is needed.
Likewise, don’t be afraid of saying yes when it’s appropriate either sometimes it’s best just go with what feels right and not worry too much about whether or not it was the “right thing” that happened or not!
And if nothing else happens except getting some great feedback from someone else? That’s already worth something too 🙂
Elevating your conversion rates through a strategic approach to cold email marketing is a game-changer. Discover the actionable steps in our guide on a 14-step cold email marketing strategy that can amplify your outreach efficiency and deliver remarkable outcomes.
Never Make The Conversation About You
There are so many ways to do this. You can be polite and respectful, professional, direct and brief, and clear about what you want to achieve (and why).
Specific about which services or products you’re interested in, personalizing your email by mentioning the person’s name where applicable (e.g., “Hi Bob!”).
You can also be helpful: if they mention something that sounds interesting or relevant but is not necessarily related to the reason for your contact ask!
And don’t forget that confidence goes a long way towards building rapport with people who may not know you yet. Patient persistence is key here; it takes time for anyone to open their inboxes every day so don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back right away.
Finally… honesty! The world would be a better place if everyone could just own up to their mistakes instead of making up excuses for them.
If something goes wrong during an online transaction or service request then take responsibility for it without making excuses it’ll make things easier on everyone involved
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember about email marketing is that it needs to be personalized. Don’t just send a generic email to everyone on your list and hope for the best.
Take some time upfront to research potential prospects, find out what they need and want, and then offer something specific that will benefit them. If you’re able to do this consistently, you’ll start seeing more responses and conversions from cold emails than ever before!
Further Reading
Explore more resources on effective cold email strategies and techniques:
How to Write a Cold Email That Actually Works: Six-Step Tutorial Learn the step-by-step process to craft cold emails that capture attention and drive responses, ensuring your outreach efforts are successful.
Mastering the Art of Cold Emailing Dive into the art of cold emailing with insights and tips that can help you refine your approach and build meaningful connections through well-crafted messages.
Cold Email Outreach: A Comprehensive Guide Delve into a comprehensive guide on cold email outreach, covering essential strategies and tactics to maximize your outreach campaign’s impact.
FAQs
How can I improve my cold email response rates?
Enhance your cold email response rates by crafting personalized messages, focusing on value to the recipient, and utilizing compelling subject lines that pique interest.
What’s the key to writing an effective cold email?
Writing an effective cold email involves researching your target audience, addressing pain points, and presenting a clear and valuable proposition that resonates with the recipient.
How do I avoid my cold emails being marked as spam?
To avoid having your cold emails marked as spam, ensure your emails are personalized, relevant, and provide genuine value. Also, pay attention to email deliverability best practices.
How many follow-up emails should I send in a cold email sequence?
The number of follow-up emails in a cold email sequence can vary, but it’s recommended to send 2-4 follow-ups strategically spaced over a period of time to increase your chances of engagement.
What’s the best approach to warm up cold leads before sending an email?
Consider connecting with cold leads on social media platforms or engaging with their content before sending a cold email. This can increase familiarity and receptiveness to your outreach.
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.