When I was in high school, I took a class called “The Art of Cold Calling.” It was very short, consisting of one day of learning how to be more aggressive with your sales pitches.
We were given scripts to use and then sent out into coffee shops to practice them on strangers. It wasn’t until college that I realized there are more effective ways to approach people cold.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Cold email can yield tangible results when used strategically. |
| 2. Personalization and value proposition are crucial for email success. |
| 3. Building relationships and providing solutions enhance response rates. |
| 4. Persistence and follow-ups play a role in converting leads into results. |
| 5. Crafting compelling subject lines grabs recipients’ attention. |
1. Use Their Name
You want to give your email the best chance of getting opened, and one way you can do that is by using the recipient’s name in the subject line.
For instance, if you’re writing an email to someone named “John Doe” and you think he or she will be interested in a certain topic, write something like: “Re: John Doe – New Product Launch.”
You can also put their name in the body of your message: “I was wondering if you would be interested in learning more about our new product launch? It could help increase traffic and sales for your business!
Please let me know what time works best for us to meet up so we can discuss further details over coffee or lunch at one of these restaurants near [insert place]. Thanks again for all your help with last month’s project! 🙂 Jodi Meadows Marketing Coordinator.”
The reason this works is because it shows that not only were you thoughtful enough to craft something personalized just for them but also makes it seem like they’re important enough for you to take time out from whatever else might be going on (like responding).
It doesn’t hurt either that most people are flattered when someone gives them attention and even better when someone does so with intentionality.
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2. Make It Personal
If you’re going to send out an email, at least make it personal. Do your research and find out as much about the person as possible. Find their name and use it in the salutation: “Dear John” or “Hello Jennifer.”
The subject line should be personalized too; don’t just say “Hi there!” or something like that. Instead, try something like: “An article you might be interested in,” where the content of your email is relevant to what they do and what you know about them.
You should also give them a reason why they would want to reply (and thus engage with your company) by telling them how their life will change when they use your product/service/offerings etcetera…
It’s important not only for getting them engaged but also for helping build credibility because people will often take time out of their day if something sounds too good to be true!
3. Give Them A Reason To Respond
If you want to make sure that your email gets opened and read, you need to give the recipient a reason to respond.
It’s not enough to send them something like “here’s my resume.” They probably receive hundreds of those every day. You have to provide some form of value and make yourself stand out by showing off how great your skills are or how much you could help their business.
Here are some ways I’ve found success with this:
Give Them A Reason To Respond To You
When someone sees an email from an unknown sender, they’re going to wonder two things: 1) why they should care? 2) is there anything in it for me? In other words, what’s in it for me?
If you can answer both questions sufficiently well that the person reading your cold email feels like they’ll benefit from responding, then they’ll be more likely to do so.
Asking a question that requires an answer will pique curiosity and create engagement (e.g., “Do you use [product]?”).
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4. Be Concise
Think of the cold email as a first date. You want to keep it short and sweet because if you go on too long, they’ll wonder why they agreed to meet up with you in the first place.
I recommend writing your message in a maximum of four sentences. Start with a clear statement of your purpose (e.g., “I am writing so that…”).
Make sure that your message is clear and concise don’t ramble on about how great your product is or how many other people are using it right now. Keep the focus on what matters most: making an impact on their business or personal life.
5. Prove That You’re Qualified
In the final paragraph of your email, you can concisely state your accomplishments and skills. You don’t have to include everything that you’ve ever done, but what are the biggest things that stand out?
What do they show about your ability to do this job? Why did you do those things, and how did they help further the company’s goals?
You can also mention any relevant experience or knowledge of their industry.
For example: “While working at [company X] as a coordinator for their marketing team, I was responsible for developing weekly newsletters and monthly reports tracking key metrics like impressions and conversions.”
Or: “As a result of my seven years as an account manager at [company Y], I’ve managed approximately $3 million in annual revenues from blue chip clients including ABC Corp., XYZ Corp., etc.”
Finally, make sure that these statements are backed up by facts the more relevant ones there are (and if possible), the better!
6. Offer Them Something
Offer them something that will make their life easier. Offer them something that will make their life better. Offer them something that will make their life more enjoyable. And finally, offer them something that will make their life more profitable.
This may seem like common sense to a lot of people, but it’s important to remember these points when crafting an email.
So you can get into the mind of your prospect and help them see how you’re going to benefit them personally and financially by working with you (and not the other way around).
It’s okay if this point is a little bit obvious it’s easy for us as marketers to get caught up focusing on our own needs first!
7. Try Sending Voice Mails & Sentiment Mails
Voice mails are a great way to get a response. When you call, people tend to take that call more seriously than an email. Also, if the person picks up your call, they’ll probably be much more interested in talking because they can hear your voice and understand who you are.
Sentiment messages are an awesome way to keep in contact with prospects over time as well as build trust with them! Sentiment messages allow me to send small “thank you” notes for doing something nice for me or just showing interest in my offer.
This helps remind people about who I am and what I do at any given time of day when we both might need it most – especially during those busy months when everyone is rushing around trying not to fall behind on deadlines (or even worse: procrastinating).
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8. Follow-Up Twice
Just because you’re following up doesn’t mean your email has been ignored or lost in the shuffle. If a company has given you their email address, it’s because they want to hear from you and are open to doing business with you.
So don’t be afraid to follow up! I’ve followed up three times with some leads, but not all of them. However, even if it seems excessive or unnecessary (which it can sometimes feel like), follow-up still works wonders for me.
The key here is knowing when to stop following up – when the person has told me “no” enough times that we’ve exhausted their patience and there’s no point in continuing our conversation further;
Or when I notice a pattern emerge where I’m getting very similar responses from different people over time (which could indicate a systemic issue at the company).
9. Know When It’s Time To Move On
Don’t waste time on people who aren’t interested. Some people will read your email and get back to you, others will open it and then maybe forget about it before they have a chance to respond.
There’s nothing wrong with that it’s normal! But if someone doesn’t show any signs of life whatsoever for a few weeks or months, it’s time to move on.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a response. Remember that cold emails are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting attention from influencers; other methods (like finding their email address in public sources) can be more effective at reaching the right people.
Also remember: even though cold emails may not work out so well for some people today, they could work wonderfully tomorrow you never know until you try! So keep going until something clicks into place 🙂
10. Ask For Help For The Best Intro
Asking for help can be a very effective way to get in touch with someone.
If you know of someone who knows the person you want to meet and would be willing to introduce you, ask them for an intro. You could also ask someone else who has a connection to that person or something related (i.e., a mutual friend).
For example, if you’re trying to reach an investor that is currently investing in your competitor, and another one of their investments is in your industry.
Ask that investor if they know anyone who invests in startups like yours but not necessarily yours specifically (because they probably won’t have heard of it yet).
Another good option is asking someone who knows both parties well enough (like a spouse).
So they can make the introduction themselves without worrying about overly formalizing things or making one party feel uncomfortable by bringing up their relationship status on social media channels like LinkedIn.
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11. Don’t Make Assumptions About Who’s Reading Your Email
It’s not just the person you want to reach, it could be anyone in their company. If you send an email to CEO Chris Spanos, don’t assume that he or she will read it and respond personally. The CFO might get it first and forward your note to Chris later.
Even if the person receiving your cold email is the one you want to reach, they may not see it at all if they’re out of the office at the moment or otherwise away from their desk for some reason (perhaps on vacation).
And even if they are in their office but working hard on something else that day or just don’t want to deal with emails for other reasons they still may never respond!
If someone does decide to reply from a cold email campaign, good job! But now what? You’ve got a response from an influencer or decision maker whose attention was captured via an introductory message sent over email…now what do you do with this positive interaction?
12. Show That You Did Your Homework
One of the best ways to ensure that your cold email is read is to give it a personal touch. This can be done in several different ways, including:
- Mentioning something specific about their company or industry, shows that you did your homework, which gives off the impression that you know what you’re talking about
- Mentioning something specific about their role, shows that you did your homework, which gives off the impression that you know what they do and how they fit into their company/industry
- Mentioning something specific about their previous work shows that you did your homework even further!
13. Do Some Recon Beforehand
This is the kind of detail that can make or break a cold email.
Use tools like LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, and WhitePages to see who you know in common with your target company.
Check out their connections on social media as well these people may be willing to share helpful information about your target or offer insight into what they’re looking for in an employee.
Look at where they went to school and worked before (or try Google).
14. Don’t Get Too Excited About Automation & Bulk Emails
As a general rule of thumb, don’t use auto-responders or bulk emailing. You may be tempted to send out the same email to everyone who replies “yes” to your message, but that’s a bad idea.
The key is personalization making sure that each recipient feels like they’re getting a message tailored just for them.
In addition to being personalized (i.e., customized according to person), every email should also be unique in terms of content and even tone.
If you’ve ever had an experience with an automated autoresponder like MailChimp or AWeber where some generic template was sent in response without any personalization whatsoever (or worse yet, multiple identical templates were sent out).
Then you know how frustrating it can feel when someone doesn’t take the time to craft something specifically for you as well as their other recipients!
The only exception here involves pre-existing relationships: if these people are already on your list or have given explicit permission in advance (like during registration).
Then yes go ahead and use auto-responders and bulk messaging tools because they’ll know what types of information they want before they even receive it!
15. Be Clear About What You Want, And Why They Should Care
Whenever you’re reaching out to a new prospect, make sure that their interests align with yours and that they can help you achieve your goals. It’s also important for them to know what it is that you want from them and why those things are important.
When you email someone cold or send the first message on LinkedIn, be clear about what it is that you want from them and why they should care.
We often get stuck on this point because we think we need a reason to reach out beyond just wanting more clients or leads right now.
But as long as there’s some other benefit in mind (like growing their business), then it doesn’t matter what type of person they are or how busy they might be at any given moment; there will always be something for both parties involved in each interaction like this one!
16. Avoid Cliches Like “You Must Be Busy” Or “I Hope All Is Well” Or “Sorry To Bother You”
While some of these phrases might seem like common sense, it’s surprising how many people use them. I once read an article in a popular business magazine that said that most cold emails contain at least one if not all three of these cliches.
I think it’s because they are so often used that people forget how much they can turn off the recipient. The first time I read “sorry to bother you” in a cold email (and there were quite a few), I thought about deleting it without reading any further.
Because who wants someone to be sorry for bothering them? Especially when you’re always sending them new products or marketing materials? The same goes for “you must be busy” and “I hope all is well”.
These phrases make me feel like I’m being pressured into doing something with this person and/or their product or service which isn’t what we want at all!
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Conclusion
The number one thing we can all do is stop being afraid of cold emailing. It’s not an easy thing to do, but if you take the time to prepare and write a good message, it can be very rewarding. There’s no magic formula for success here it takes practice, patience, and some luck!
But if you keep these tips in mind while drafting your next pitch email, I guarantee they’ll go a long way toward making your outreach more effective.
Further Reading
Writing Effective Cold Emails: A Six-Step Tutorial: Learn the essential steps to craft cold emails that yield results, from subject lines to personalized content.
Mastering the Art of Cold Email Writing: Dive into the strategies and techniques that can transform your cold emails into engaging and impactful communication.
Unlocking the Power of Cold Email Tricks: Discover valuable tricks and insights to improve your cold email campaigns and increase your chances of generating responses.
FAQs
How do I start writing effective cold emails?
Crafting effective cold emails starts with a compelling subject line that captures attention. Then, personalize your message to address the recipient’s needs and offer value.
What should I avoid in cold email writing?
Avoid using overly salesy language and making the email all about yourself. Instead, focus on how your product or service can benefit the recipient.
How can I increase the open rate of my cold emails?
Personalization and relevancy are key. Tailor your subject lines and content to match the recipient’s interests or pain points, increasing the likelihood of them opening the email.
How do I maintain a professional tone in cold emails?
Maintain a respectful and courteous tone throughout your email. Address the recipient by their name, use proper grammar, and offer a clear call to action.
What role does follow-up play in cold email success?
Follow-up emails are crucial for maximizing responses. Politely remind the recipient of your initial email and emphasize the value you can bring to their needs.
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.