Cold emailing can be an effective way to generate leads, establish relationships, and drive sales. However, it’s important to craft a well-written and professional email that captures the recipient’s attention and encourages them to take action. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a cold email that gets results.
Step 1: Research the recipient
Before you begin writing your email, it’s crucial to research the recipient. This includes finding their name, job title, and contact information. You should also research the company they work for and their role within the organization.
It will help you to personalize your email and make it more relevant to the recipient.
Researching the recipient before writing your cold email is crucial for a number of reasons. First, it allows you to personalize your email and make it more relevant to the recipient.
This can increase the chances of the recipient reading and responding to your email. Second, it helps you to avoid sending your email to the wrong person or an inactive email address.
Here are some tips on how to research the recipient:
- Find the recipient’s name, job title, and contact information. This can usually be found on the company’s website or LinkedIn.
- Research the company they work for. This includes learning about their products, services, and recent news or events.
- Research the recipient’s role within the organization. This could include their responsibilities, their level of seniority and the size of the team they are leading.
- Look for any common ground or shared interests that you can mention in your email. For example, if you know that the recipient is a speaker at an upcoming event, you can mention that in your email and express your interest in attending the event.
- Look for any recent news or events that are relevant to the recipient’s interests. For example, if the recipient is part of a team that is working on a new project, you can mention that project in your email and express your interest in it.
By taking the time to research the recipient, you can personalize your email and make it more relevant to them. This will increase the chances of them reading and responding to your email.
There are a number of tools that can help you with researching the recipient of your cold email. Here are a few popular options:
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a great resource for finding the recipient’s name, job title, and contact information. It also provides information about the company they work for and their role within the organization. You can also use LinkedIn to find common connections and shared interests.
- Hunter: Hunter is a tool that allows you to find email addresses for a specific company or domain. It also includes a feature that verifies the email addresses it finds, which can help you avoid sending your email to an inactive address.
- Clearbit Connect: Clearbit Connect is a browser extension that allows you to find email addresses, job titles, and company information for anyone on LinkedIn or AngelList.
- Buzzstream: Buzzstream is a tool that helps you research and organize leads. It includes a feature that allows you to find the contact information and social media profiles of your leads.
- VoilaNorbert: VoilaNorbert allows you to find anyone’s email address by their name and company domain. It also allows you to verify the email addresses it finds, which can help you avoid sending your email to an inactive address.
These are just a few examples of the tools available to help you research the recipient of your cold email. By using these tools, you can quickly and easily find the information you need to personalize your email and make it more relevant to the recipient.
Step 2: Write a clear and compelling subject line
The subject line of your email is the first thing the recipient will see, so it’s important to make it clear and compelling. It should be specific and relevant to the recipient, and it should also be short and to the point. Avoid using generic subject lines such as “Introducing Our Company” or “Sales Pitch.”
Here are some tips on how to write a clear and compelling subject line:
- Be specific and relevant to the recipient: The subject line should be specific and relevant to the recipient’s needs or interests. For example, instead of “Introducing Our Company,” use “Introducing Our New Product to Improve X for Companies Like Yours.”
- Keep it short and to the point: A subject line should be short and to the point, ideally between 6 to 10 words. Avoid using long, complex sentences or jargon.
- Use action words: Use action words that encourage the recipient to open your email. Examples include “Learn,” “Discover,” “Improve,” and “Save.”
- Use personalization: Personalization can be as simple as using the recipient’s name in the subject line.
- Test different subject lines: Try different subject lines to see which ones perform the best. You can use A/B testing to test different subject lines with a small sample of your email list and see which one performs the best.
By following these tips, you can write a clear and compelling subject line that will increase the chances of the recipient opening and reading your email.
So far so good?
Let’s see what would be some examples of well-crafted subject lines for a cold email:
- “Improve your [specific issue] in just [time frame] with our [product/service]”
- “Quick Question About [specific topic]”
- “Your [industry/role] Guide to [specific benefit/achievement]”
- “Introducing [new product/service]: [specific benefit/achievement]”
- “Scheduling a call to discuss [specific topic/goal]?”
- “Invitation: [event/webinar] on [topic]”
- “Exclusive offer for [company name] on [product/service]”
- “Quick update on [industry/topic] and how it affects your [specific role]”
- “Request for [service/meeting] to improve your [specific goal]”
- “Did you miss our [recent event/promotion]? [specific benefit/achievement]”
Of course, these are just a few examples of well-crafted subject lines that can increase the chances of the recipient opening your cold email. It’s important to keep in mind that the subject line should be relevant, specific, to the point and personalized, if possible. I cannot stress this enough!
Step 3: Start with a hook
The first sentence of your email should be a hook that grabs the recipient’s attention. This could be a question, a statement, or a fact that relates to the recipient’s needs or interests. The goal is to make the recipient want to read more.
Here are 10 examples of a good hook to start your cold email:
- “I noticed that your company has been expanding rapidly in the [specific industry/market], and I wanted to introduce our [product/service] that can help you [achieve specific goal].”
- “I saw that you recently published an article on [specific topic], and I wanted to share some insights on how our [product/service] can help with [achieve specific goal].”
- “I came across your company while researching solutions for [specific problem], and I wanted to introduce our [product/service] that can help you [achieve specific goal].”
- “I have been following your work in [specific industry/market], and I wanted to reach out and see if we can schedule a call to discuss how our [product/service] can help you [achieve specific goal].”
- “I’m reaching out because I believe that our [product/service] could be a great fit for your [specific goal/needs].”
- “I came across your company and I am impressed by the work you do in [specific industry/market], I would love to discuss how our [product/service] can help you achieve [specific goal].”
- “I am writing to you because I think that our [product/service] could help your company [achieve specific goal].”
- “I understand that your company is facing the challenge of [specific problem], I wanted to reach out and let you know that our [product/service] can help you [achieve specific goal].”
- “I am writing to you because I believe that our [product/service] could be a valuable asset for your company in [specific industry/market].”
- “I noticed that you are attending [specific event], and I wanted to introduce our [product/service] that can help you [achieve specific goal] before the event.”
These are just a few examples of good hooks that can grab the recipient’s attention and make them want to read more of your email. Keep in mind that a good hook should be relevant, specific, and personalized as much as possible.
Step 4: Provide value
In the body of your email, it’s important to provide value to the recipient. This could be in the form of information, advice, or a solution to a problem they may be facing. The key is to show the recipient that you understand their needs and can help them in some way.
Providing value in your cold email is crucial in order to capture the recipient’s attention and encourage them to take action. Here are a few tips on how to provide value in your cold email:
- Understand the recipient’s needs: Take the time to research the recipient and their company, and understand their needs and pain points. This will help you to tailor your email and provide value that is relevant to them.
- Highlight the benefits: When describing your product or service, focus on the benefits and how it can help the recipient achieve their goals. Avoid using jargon or technical terms, and instead use language that is easy to understand.
- Provide a solution: Show the recipient how your product or service can help them solve a problem or overcome a challenge they may be facing.
- Use testimonials or case studies: Provide real-world examples of how your product or service has helped other companies or clients. Testimonials and case studies are a great way to demonstrate the value of your product or service.
- Offer a free trial or consultation: Offering a free trial or consultation is a great way to provide value and demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service.
- Provide a resource: Offer a free resource such as an e-book, white paper, or webinar that can help the recipient learn more about a specific topic or solve a specific problem.
By providing value in your cold email, you can demonstrate to the recipient that you understand their needs and can help them in some way. This can increase the chances of the recipient responding to your email and taking action.
Step 5: Make a clear call to action
The last sentence of your email should be a clear call to action. This could be to schedule a call, request a meeting, or visit your website. Be specific about what you want the recipient to do and make it easy for them to take action.
10 examples of witty call to action
- “Don’t be a chicken, schedule a call with us today!”
- “Don’t be a party pooper, request a meeting with us now!”
- “Don’t be a square, visit our website and see what we’re all about!”
- “Don’t be a sloth, try our product/service for free now!”
- “Don’t be a stick in the mud, sign up for our newsletter and stay in the loop!”
- “Don’t be a sourpuss, let’s schedule a call and talk about how we can help you”
- “Don’t be a wet blanket, let’s schedule a meeting and light your fire”
- “Don’t be a scaredy cat, book a demo with us and see how we can help you”
- “Don’t be a couch potato, register for our webinar and learn something new”
- “Don’t be a chicken, let’s schedule a call and hatch a plan”
It’s important to consider the tone and style of your call to action based on your target audience and the nature of your business. While silly or witty calls to action can be a fun and creative way to make your email stand out, they may not be suitable for all types of businesses or audiences.
On the other hand, more professional calls to action can be more appropriate for certain industries or audiences.
It’s also important to keep in mind that different calls to action may perform better for different recipients, so it’s a good idea to test different options. A/B testing allows you to test different versions of your email, including different subject lines, hooks, and calls to action, with a small sample of your email list.
This can help you to determine which version of your email is the most effective and increase your chances of success with cold emails. By testing different options, you can find the best way to reach your target audience and increase your chances of getting a positive response.
Here are 10 examples of more professional calls to action for your cold email:
- “Schedule a call with us to discuss how we can help you achieve your goals.”
- “Contact us to request a meeting and learn more about our services.”
- “Visit our website to learn more about our products and solutions.”
- “Sign up for a free trial of our service to see the results for yourself.”
- “Join our newsletter to stay updated on our latest products and services.”
- “Book a demo with us to see our product/service in action.”
- “Register for our webinar to learn more about [specific topic].”
- “Download our free resource to learn more about [specific topic].”
- “Contact us to schedule a consultation and discuss your needs.”
- “Sign up for our service now to start seeing results.”
These calls to action are more professional and straightforward, making it clear to the recipient what you want them to do next and giving them a clear next step. They are also focused on providing value, whether it be learning more, testing or trying the service or product.
Using calibrated questions in your call to action can be an effective way to engage the recipient and make them think about the opportunity you are offering.
By asking a question that implies that not taking action would be a missed opportunity or a negative outcome, you are making the recipient think about the potential consequences of not taking action. It can also be a way to make them feel more invested in the decision-making process.
Here are some examples of calibrated questions that you can use as a call to action:
- “Are you willing to miss out on this opportunity to improve your [specific goal]?”
- “Can you afford to let this chance to [achieve specific benefit] slip away?”
- “Is your team prepared to miss out on [achieving specific benefit]?”
- “Are you too busy to schedule a call and learn more about our [product/service]?”
- “Are you ready to take the next step and [achieve specific goal]?”
- “Can you afford to miss out on the chance to [achieve specific benefit]?”
- “Is your company prepared to miss out on [achieving specific benefit]?”
- “Are you ready to schedule a meeting and learn more about our [product/service]?”
- “Are you willing to miss out on the chance to [achieve specific benefit]?”
- “Can you afford to let this opportunity to [achieve specific benefit] pass you by?”
It’s important to remember that calibrated questions can be a powerful tool to engage the recipient and make them think about the opportunity you are offering, but it could also come across as pushy or aggressive if not used correctly.
It’s important to use them in a way that is appropriate for your audience and your business. Additionally, it’s important to test different versions of the calibrated questions to see which one resonates the most with your audience.
Step 6: Proofread and test
Before you send your email, make sure to proofread it for any spelling or grammar errors. It’s also a good idea to test your email by sending it to a friend or colleague to get feedback.
Next Steps
Ready to learn more about the art of getting leads via cold email? I recommend checking out Cold Email Mastery – a very actionable course that will turn you into a cold email expert overnight. Read my Cold Email Mastery course review here.
Conclusion: Increase Your Chances of Success with Cold Emails
In conclusion, cold emailing can be an effective way to generate leads, establish relationships, and drive sales. However, it’s important to craft a well-written and professional email that captures the recipient’s attention and encourages them to take action.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can increase your chances of success with cold emails. From researching the recipient, to writing a clear and compelling subject line, to providing value, to making a clear call to action, each step is crucial in the cold emailing process.
Remember to proofread and test your email before sending it out to ensure that it is error-free and effective. Cold emailing, when done right, can be a powerful tool for growing your business and building relationships. So, take the time to craft a great cold email and watch your response rate soar.