How To Craft The Perfect Cold Email For Any Business Or Brand

So you’ve got an idea for a new business, and you want to get it off the ground. You’re ready to make your mark on the world and become a household name. But before you can do any of that, you need to get in front of people and there are few ways better than through emails. 

Whether you’re sending out cold emails or following up with warm ones, getting your message through someone’s inbox is one of the most effective ways to start building relationships with potential clients or customers. 

However, just because sending them via email is easy doesn’t mean it’s always successful: many people have tried sending cold emails only to be ignored by their recipient(s). 

So what makes an effective cold email that stands out from all others? Here are 14 tips for crafting perfect ones every time!

Takeaways
1. Personalize subject lines for recipients.
2. Provide a clear and valuable value proposition.
3. Research the recipient’s needs and pain points.
4. Keep the email concise and engaging.
5. Include a strong and specific call to action.

How To Craft The Perfect Cold Email For Any Business Or Brand

Relevance is key. Don’t waste your prospect’s time by pitching them on something they don’t care about or aren’t interested in, whether that’s a product or service. 

Instead, show how what you’re offering will benefit them and only then mention your desired outcome (i.e., “We’d love to do business together”).

Get right to the point. There’s no need for an extensive introduction when crafting cold emails; it’s more effective to dive right into what makes you and/or your company special and why they should work with you.

Even if this means addressing their challenges directly at first (e.g., “Our team can help fix that problem!”). If there are any details worth mentioning now, make sure they get mentioned later on in your email.

So prospects can read them all in one place rather than having half of an important message lost somewhere between paragraphs two and five as part of an introductory paragraph written solely for the purpose of sounding professional and making sure no one gets bored before getting down to business!

Crafting cold emails can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, you can boost your response rates. Explore some effective templates in our article on Cold Email Templates That Convert to enhance your outreach strategy.

1. Relevance Is Key

It’s key that your cold email is relevant. The more relevant it can be, the better chance you have of your recipient reading and responding to it. 

The best way to make sure your message is relevant is by taking a look at what they already do or sell so that you can find something they might want to add to their business and then offer it as part of your service or product.

The most obvious example of this would be if you were selling things like t-shirts with slogans on them (for example) and then offering custom printing services for people who want their unique design on something they already sell or wear!

2. Get Right To The Point

The first thing you should do is get right to the point. Don’t waste their time with introductory niceties, and don’t ramble on about how you found them or why they should care about what you’re selling.

Your email should be focused on a single message: Why are you contacting them? What’s in it for them if they decide to respond? 

If your message doesn’t answer those two questions, cut that email out of your cold-email campaign and start over again (this is a good reason why writing more than one draft will save you time).

3. Personalize Your Message

Once you’ve framed your cold email and crafted the perfect subject line, you have to personalize it. This is where most people get tripped up. 

They think that being overly formal is the key to making a great first impression. But if you’re not sure how formal or informal should be, all the more reason to personalize your message!

So what information can we use? Well let’s start with their name:

Use their name at least once in each paragraph of your email it’s not hard! If they’re named Joe Smith or Mary Jones, say it at least three times throughout your message so that they know who you’re talking about (and feel important).

Don’t forget titles either! You can always tack on “Mr.,” “Ms.,” “Mrs.,” Dr., Professor,” etc. just make sure it’s a title that suits them best. 

For example, Mr./Ms/Mrs/Dr./Professor Jones would sound better than just plain old Joe Smith if he were some type of doctor or professor at an Ivy League school like Yale University or Harvard University…

But then again if Joe was working for some small startup company called Crunchy Frog Enterprises Incorporated located somewhere out west like Montana.

Then maybe he wouldn’t even warrant being called by any title at all because he doesn’t have one yet since this company isn’t big enough yet.”

Crafting an effective cold email campaign requires a mix of strategy and creativity. To make your next cold email campaign stand out, consider incorporating the 14 actionable tips outlined in our comprehensive guide: 14 Tips for Your Next Cold Email Campaign.

4. Refer To A Mutual Acquaintance

While it’s not necessary, it’s always good to put some personalization in your emails. 

Referencing someone you both know can help make the email seem more personable and less generic, which will give your target more confidence in you and make them much more likely to respond positively.

Include their name, job title, company name (and city), state or province/country if international (and two or three other things about them that are relevant). 

When mentioning someone else especially if they’re an expert in the industry you must do so correctly by referencing his/her background well enough so that he/she is recognizable.

5. Establish Your Value Proposition (And Ensure It’s Clear)

The first paragraph of the email is your opportunity to explain what you do and why people should care. If you’re lucky, they already know who you are and how awesome your products are, so don’t assume that they’re going to take the time to read through all of this information.

The key here is to make sure that you clearly state what niche market(s) or industry(es) you cater to, as well as how many clients/customers/partners have benefited from what it is that you do. 

You want them to feel like their company would be missing out if they didn’t get in touch with someone at your business right away! 

This can be done by using numbers whenever possible (e.g., 50% increase in sales for clients using our products).

Don’t be afraid of using words such as “you” and “your” when speaking about the potential client’s needs or concerns; even if it seems awkward at first, it’s much better than pretending like everyone has identical problems!

6. Track Your Cold Emails With A UTM Code

Tracking your cold emails with a UTM code is one of the most important things you can do. It’s not just about tracking how many clicks you get and which links were clicked, but also about being able to report on other metrics like ROI and SEO.

A UTM code is a way to track how many people are clicking on links in your email campaign. 

This can be done by inserting a short string of characters into each link within your content, which will provide analytics data such as how many times each link has been clicked on and where the users came from (e.g., social media).

Looking for a comprehensive resource to improve your cold email outreach? Our Ultimate Guide to Cold E-mail Outreach offers valuable insights and strategies to make your outreach efforts more successful.

7. Avoid Sending Attachments, Unless You’re Sure They’ll Spark Interest

One of the most common mistakes I see in cold emails is sending an attachment. It’s a huge no-no. If you are sending something that needs to be viewed by the recipient, use Dropbox or Google Drive to share files instead of attaching them to your email.

• You don’t want your prospect to think you’re spamming them with multiple attachments (or even a single one!).
• If there’s something really important in your email, have it stand out visually so that if they do need it, they’ll notice it more easily.

8. Be Specific About The Next Step(S) You Want Them To Take

The next step(s) you want them to take is the most important part of your cold email.

This is where you can make or break the relationship. You have a few options here:

If you’re looking for an ongoing partnership, let them know that you’d like to see if there’s a good fit and tell them what you’re looking for from them (example: “We’d love to partner with other bloggers who care about transparency in fashion”). 

If this is something they’re interested in, they’ll reach out!

If it’s a one-time thing (and they haven’t already expressed interest), like a contest or giveaway, make sure it’s clear how they can enter. 

If the contest involves filling out an entry form on your website, include instructions on how someone should fill out that form at the end of your email so they aren’t left guessing what they need to do next (example: “Please fill out this form by Friday afternoon so we can choose winners next week.”)

9. Avoid Spammy Language And Used Car Sales-Esque Techniques At All Costs

It’s important to avoid using words that are too formal or informal, as well as ones that are either long or short. You should also avoid using vague words and being overly specific.

A good rule of thumb is to try not to use the words “hope,” “wish,” “need,” “should,” or any other phrases that indicate a pleading attitude. If you want someone else to take action on your behalf, don’t ask them (e.g., “I hope I can count on your help with this project”). 

Instead, make it clear what you expect them to do (e.g., “My team will be sending over all the details for our new campaign by 5 pm today”).

Similarly, if your email sounds too casual or too formal by current standards in your industry, it can come off as unprofessional or worse yet annoying! 

In general, stick with an approach that feels natural for both you and the person receiving it; this means avoiding unnecessarily long sentences just because they sound more intelligent than shorter ones (and vice versa).

Email marketing is a powerful tool for engaging your audience, but getting your emails opened is crucial. Discover tips and techniques in our article on Email Marketing: How to Get Your Emails Opened and Engage Your Audience to make your email campaigns more effective.

10. Keep It Short And Easily Scannable (Or Risk Being Ignored)

If you have a long email and it’s not something that is going to take more than a few minutes to read, break it down into sections. Use bold and bullet points to break up your message so that it is easy for the reader to scan.

If you are sending an email from your phone or tablet, remember that readers may be reading from their phones or tablets too. Make sure the font is easy to read on these devices!

Try using conversational language in your subject line instead of something formal like “Request for Proposal.” The more personal and friendly you can make a cold email feel, the better!

11. Treat Timing Like It’s Everything Because It Is!

When it comes to email, timing is everything. It’s not just a popular phrase it also happens to be true.

When you send emails, you have no idea when your recipient will read them. If they receive an email at the wrong time (like right before they go out), they might not even open it at all! 

That means that if the timing isn’t right for your message, it could potentially get lost in their inbox forever or worse: ignored entirely.

As a rule of thumb: don’t send emails first thing in the morning or last thing at night. The best times to send cold emails are mid-morning and mid-afternoon; 

This way, you’re giving people enough time for their morning routines or after-work activities and still leaving plenty of time for them to respond before bedtime.

12. Follow Up Promptly (And Politely) When Necessary But Avoid Being Too Pushy

Once you’ve sent your email, wait for a response. If one doesn’t come in a few days, send a quick reminder email. 

Don’t be too pushy it’s perfectly fine to send just one follow-up message within the first week of sending your original contact request if you haven’t heard anything back by then. 

If you still don’t hear anything after that, it might be time to contact someone else at the company before trying again or contacting someone else at all.

There are some things not to do when following up:

• Don’t be too persistent
• Don’t be too repetitive (e.g., “I haven’t heard back from you yet.”)
• Don’t demand an answer immediately.

This will make anyone want to avoid responding altogether! Instead, ask politely if they would consider giving feedback on your idea sometime soon and/or when they might have time for a discussion meeting later this month?

But most importantly…don’t ever be needy! No one likes working with other people who need a lot of hand-holding; 

Likewise, if people feel like they should constantly watch over their shoulders because there’s always someone waiting behind them ready to pounce on any opportunity that arises…they won’t be able to trust anyone else either!

13. Use A Catchy Subject Line That Will Make Them Want To Read Your Email Immediately!

While you want to make sure that your subject line is short, catchy, and relevant to the recipient, there are a few other things you should keep in mind. First of all, make sure that your subject line is grammatically correct. No one wants to read an email with a typo in the subject line. 

Also, don’t write too much in this section a general rule of thumb is no more than two sentences. 

While it’s okay if you have more to say about what you’re selling or offering them (one sentence), it’s best not to go overboard here so as not to waste their time on something they may not be interested in reading about yet.

Finally, use first-person language like “I” and “we.” Why? Well…if someone writes a cold email from the perspective of their company (i.e., “Our company has been doing X for years…”), then it can come off as presumptuous or even aggressive! 

This can make readers less likely to respond positively to what was offered upfront because nobody likes being told what they should do by someone else (even if said advice comes from someone who knows what they’re talking about). 

By changing this up into something more personal by saying something along the lines of: “I noticed that X has been going well since last year…” 

Alludes towards how aware they are of current trends while also showing confidence when approaching potential clients/partners/etcetera!

14. Test, Test, And Retest Your Emails !!! ( A/B Split Tests ) Learn Via Sifting!

To ensure that you are sending the best cold email possible, you must test it. Period.

It’s true for every business and brand out there: the more people know about your brand, the better your chance of selling them something or getting them to come in for a service. So how do we make sure that people are reading our emails?

If you don’t have one already, get yourself an email tracking software such as Mailchimp or Campaign Monitor so that when someone opens your email in their inbox and clicks on links within it, you’ll know what they did after opening the message.

You want to test two different versions of your original template: one with images and one without any images at all (or maybe even just text only). 

If one performs better than another then keep using those statistics as a yardstick to measure future campaigns against other competitors in similar industries or niches until they’re consistently beating out their competitors’ stats by tenfold or more!

Planning a strategic cold email marketing campaign? Check out our article with 17 Tips for Creating a Strategic Cold Email Marketing Campaign to ensure that your outreach efforts are well-organized and yield better results.

Conclusion

I hope this guide has equipped you with the knowledge and tools to craft your very own cold emails! Remember, the key is keeping it short, sweet, and to the point. 

If you’re having trouble coming up with a subject line that’s catchy enough to grab someone’s attention, there are lots of free tools available online (like this one) which can help generate ideas for you based on what they do or don’t like reading about. 

Once you’ve got something good going on in your mind, keep testing until you find something that works well for everyone involved—and don’t be afraid if things don’t go according: remember that no one gets it right every time!

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources to help you dive deeper into the world of crafting effective cold emails:

Cold Email for Job Seekers Learn how to use cold emails as a powerful tool in your job search, reaching out to potential employers and making a lasting impression.

The Winning Cold Email Template Discover a proven cold email template that resulted in acquiring 16 new B2B customers, and find insights on how to adapt it to your own outreach strategy.

Writing Effective Cold Emails: A Six-Step Tutorial Follow a step-by-step tutorial that guides you through crafting cold emails that actually work, from subject lines to personalization and value proposition.

FAQs

How can I make my cold email stand out in a job application?

Craft a personalized and compelling subject line that addresses the recipient’s needs, and focus on showcasing your relevant skills and experience in the email body.

What elements should a successful B2B cold email template include?

A successful B2B cold email template should include a concise and engaging subject line, a brief introduction, a clear value proposition, social proof or case studies, and a strong call to action.

How do I ensure my cold email doesn’t come across as spam?

Personalize your cold email by referencing the recipient’s industry or recent accomplishments. Avoid overly promotional language and focus on providing value and solving a problem they might have.

What’s the key to writing a cold email that gets responses?

Research your recipient’s pain points and challenges, and tailor your cold email to address those specific needs. Highlight how your product or service can provide a solution.

Is it important to follow up on cold emails?

Yes, following up on cold emails is crucial. Many recipients may not respond to the first email, so sending a well-timed follow-up can increase your chances of getting a response and continuing the conversation.