Yuka Kato
Cold emailing is a time-tested and trusted means of increasing outreach and conversion rates, making it an effective marketing strategy for growing a business.
However, cold emails work only when done right. Many people who send cold emails end up annoying their audience instead of successfully making connections that create opportunities for their businesses.
The million-dollar question is, “How do you do it right?” How do you use cold emailing to expand your network and create profitable business connections?
To write an effective cold email, use compelling “from” and subject lines; introduce and validate yourself; say something nice about the recipient and segue into your reason for reaching out; provide value by identifying the recipient’s pain point and offering a solution; and end with a CTA.
This article will explain these steps in detail. We’ll also look at cold email examples to show you how to cold email using these steps.
At the end of this article, you’ll know how to write a cold email and how to use a cold email campaign to grow your business.
Let’s start the discussion with what a cold email is and what the features of an effective cold email are.
What is a cold email?
A cold email is an email you send to people who have no prior business connection with you in hopes of beginning a business relationship.
It is any email you send to someone who has not expressed any interest in connecting or communicating with you.
The emails are unsolicited, which means the email recipients are not clients or associates. They do not follow you or your business and have not requested or consented to receiving such emails.
However, this is how many business relationships start. Therefore, cold email is an effective way to start such conversations, making it an excellent tool for creating business relationships.
In the offline world, business relationships start with a conversation. For example, you could go to an industry conference where you meet people who may be interested in what you do. You look for every opportunity to start a conversation with certain individuals and subtly introduce your business to them.
And that is exactly how cold emailing works in the online world. Cold emails let you start a conversation with people you have no established relationship with, hoping they will become interested in your business and become new customers/ clients.
Key features of an effective cold email
Since cold emails are unsolicited, they can easily be perceived as pushy and end up annoying the target audience. However, you can prevent this and run a cold email campaign that brings desired results. To do this, ensure your cold emails have the following characteristics:
Short, easy to read, and actionable
People may not like receiving unsolicited emails. So, don’t give them more reasons to delete your email by making it too long.
People are more likely to read short emails than long ones. So, keep cold emails short and straight to the point.
Effective cold emails should not only be short, but they should also be easy to read. For example, instead of a large block of text in a single paragraph, use one- or two-sentence paragraphs with generous paragraph spacing.
Cold emails should also come with clear and specific action. When you make a simple request, recipients know exactly what you want and are more likely to respond. But when you have too many asks, your audience may be confused and settle for doing none.
Validate yourself
People are usually suspicious when they receive an unsolicited email from a total stranger.
When your recipient sees your cold email, you are a stranger. For them to take the email seriously, they need to trust you. Thus, for a cold email campaign to work, you must validate yourself and give recipients a reason to trust you.
In the offline world, if a total stranger approaches you and tries to start a dialogue, you’ll immediately want to know who the person is and what their intentions are.
People who get your cold email will also want to know why you’re reaching out. Thus, effective cold emails should start by introducing yourself and showing why you are credible and should be trusted.
Some ways to validate yourself include:
- Mention direct connections, like a mutual friend.
- Mention your authority, credibility, or social status that is relevant to the person.
- Mention common interests.
Knowing someone in common is the strongest form of validation, as it makes you less of a stranger. This works best if the mutual friend is someone the recipient holds in high esteem.
Leveraging your authority or credibility also works well, especially if such authority is relevant to the recipient. For example, a recipient may want to listen to what a proven expert has to say about helping him/ her meet a specific problem. Also, the more important you are, the more likely your cold email will get a response.
If you have no mutual friends or real status, you can still validate yourself by drawing on a commonality. For example, “We are in the same social group,” “We attended the XYZ summit,” etc.
Whatever way you choose to validate yourself, ensure one thing – after the recipient reads that part of your cold email, you should become less of a “stranger.”
The message is specifically tailored to the recipient
Email recipients want to know that you are not just spamming them. They want to know that you are interested in them as individuals and that your content has specific value for them. Tailoring your message to the recipient helps you achieve this. Thus, personalization is a feature of any successful cold email campaign.
Personalization is using the recipient’s data and interests within an email to make the content feel tailor-made for the individual.
When you tailor your message to the recipient, you tell them you have thought about them and are emailing them specifically instead of sending generic messages to a large group.
Effective personalization in cold emails is more than just using the recipient’s name in your emails. It requires researching who each recipient is and what they do. Find something unique or of interest to the person at the time and mention it in the mail.
This helps you create a message that identifies with each recipient as an individual and addresses his/her unique wants and needs. This way, your cold email will present value to the recipient and is more likely to generate a response and lead to profitable relationships.
Incorporating personalized images in your cold emails can elevate the level of engagement to a whole new dimension. Visual content has a powerful impact on human emotions and can convey complex messages with ease. By customizing images to align with the recipient’s interests, preferences, or recent activities, you show that you have taken the time to understand their needs and catered the message exclusively for them. This attention to detail strengthens the bond between you and the recipient, increasing the likelihood of a positive response and fostering profitable relationships. However, it’s important to exercise caution and ensure that the images are relevant and appropriate, as poorly chosen or intrusive visuals can have the opposite effect and undermine the personalization efforts.
Answers a pain point or gives your audience what they want
Your cold email is more likely to get a response if the recipient can see straight away that your offering can provide value that meets their needs.
Your recipients’ pain points are specific problems that they are experiencing.
When researching your recipients, identify the major pain point for each person. Then in your cold email, highlight how you can offer relief. That is, explain how your product or service can help them overcome the problem and bring value to their business.
This way, your email recipients can see that you offer what they want and will be more likely to take the desired action.
Say something nice
You wouldn’t immediately start pitching when you approach a stranger in the offline world. For the person to warm up to you, you may need to say something nice even before you greet them and introduce yourself.
Applying that in cold email campaigns brings good results. Some ways to do this include:
- Mention something positive they do that resonates with you. This gives them the happy feeling that people notice their efforts.
- Express gratitude. Studies show that receiving expressions of gratitude increases prosocial behavior and increases the response rate. This is because it makes the recipient feel like they are a good person for reading the content and taking the desired action.
- Show some vulnerability. Give recipients the feeling that they would be helping (and doing good) if they responded.
- Give them a way out. This is one way to make the recipients warm up to you. For example, you may say that you know they are busy before adding that taking the time to read the message (and act on it) will benefit them.
However, when “saying something nice,” you should be careful not to overdo it. People can discern when you are simply being superficial or patronizing, which can be counter-productive.
The message is original
Another important attribute of effective cold mail is originality. By definition, originality is the quality of being novel or unusual. In other words, a cold email to one recipient should be different from others sent to other recipients.
This means you should use a customizable template when running a cold email campaign. You can send the same general message to your recipients, but it’s important to personalize it for each recipient. This goes beyond using their first name. You can include their business name, important details about their organization, a congratulatory message on recent achievements, and more.
One-size-fits-all cold email templates: Why you shouldn’t use them despite their allure
A cold email template is a pre-formatted email that comes with content (text and images) that you can modify to create your own emails to contacts you have no prior connections with.
Many people advertise the “cold email template” as the solution to writing cold emails quickly and painlessly.
True, cold email templates make writing a cold email faster. Instead of writing your email from scratch, these templates allow you to plug the recipient data into appropriate slots within the content to quicken writing. However, cold email templates do not help you write effective cold emails.
So, if the goal is just to write your cold emails quickly, cold email templates will be fine. However, the goal always includes writing effective cold emails that establish business connections.
Most often than not, generic cold email templates do not produce cold emails that bring desired results. Effective cold emails must be original, and using bland cold email templates defeats originality.
First, finding a template for a personalized cold email is difficult. Secondly, even if you successfully personalize the email by plugging recipient data and interests into a template, your email will have the same structure as those of other people who use the same template.
Know that a cold email template that is online is available to everyone. Imagine a scenario where your recipient receives your cold email and finds it oddly similar to one they have received before from another business.
They may reason that you did not put in the effort to write to them personally. So, avoid using the fill-in-the-blank cold email templates.
Is cold email effective for me /for my business?
Cold email is one of the most effective sales tools, especially in B2B sales. Since cold emails are excellent at starting a conversation with “strangers,” it is a very effective tool to develop business relationships with prospective clients who may know nothing or little about your company.
The statistics also support the effectiveness of cold emails. In fact, 92% of decision-makers pay attention to unsolicited emails.
C-suite executives, business owners, and the likes are always willing to open their inboxes and read emails from strangers to make sure they are not missing an opportunity.
So, if you send cold emails to business decision-makers, there is a high likelihood that they will read what you have to say. More importantly, your email is likely to get a response.
78% of decision-makers report that a cold email has led to a face-to-face meeting, phone call, or event attendance. Many such meetings or conversations create relationships that secure the email recipient as a client.
How to write cold emails that get results?
The following steps will help you write cold emails that get you desired results.
1. Edit the email “from” line
The email “from” line indicates who the sender of an email is. It is usually set up when creating a new email account. After setting it up, many people do not touch the “from” line again. So, every email they send will carry the same “from” format.
However, leaving your cold email “from” line as-is can be a costly mistake. The “from” line is part of what forms the recipients’ first impression about you. Thus, it influences their decision whether to open your email or not.
In fact, studies show that 68% of Americans base their decision on whether to open an email or not on the “from” name.
For example, a recipient may be reluctant to open an email from a stranger named “Jaden White.” However, suppose Jaden White is the head of marketing at KillopTrics Ltd (a highly reputable company in the recipient’s industry).
In that case, Jaden White automatically becomes less of a stranger. So, editing the “from” line to read “Jaden White at KillopTrics Ltd” is more likely to get a response for the cold email.
Possible forms of email “from” lines are:
- First name only (e.g., Jaden)
- First name + Last name (e.g., Jaden White)
- First name + Last name + Job title (e.g., Jaden White, Head of Marketing)
- First name + Company name (e.g., Jaden at KillopTrics Ltd)
- First name + Last name + Company name (e.g., Jaden White at KillopTrics Ltd)
- First name + Last name + Job title + Company name (e.g., Jaden White, Head of Marketing at KillopTrics Ltd)
The right email “from” line depends on your target audience, the context of your message, and the goal you want to accomplish with the email.
For example, think about your prospective recipients. Think of their average communication style and who they’ll be keen to talk to. Then edit your “from” line accordingly. If your recipient favors informal communication, you may choose first-name-only lines instead of first name + last name lines.
Also, let your email “from” line match your message’s context. If you use an informal tone in the email body, your “from” line should match that.
2. Craft a catchy subject line
Like the “from” line, the subject line is something recipients see before they even open your emails. As a result, the subject line can determine whether a recipient opens your cold email or sends it to the trash.
A poorly written subject line can make the recipient send your cold email straight to the trash folder. In worst cases, the recipient may flag you as spam. This reduces deliverability, as future emails from you will land in spam folders and will not be seen by the recipient.
A great email subject line is critical to grabbing recipients’ attention and compelling them to open the email.
Great cold email subject lines are personalized, intriguing, and consistent with the email’s content.
Personalized subject lines also tell recipients that you carefully planned to contact them. It assures them that you are not a spammer pushing a multitude of similar messages to people to see those that hook.
Importantly, cold emails with personalized subject lines have 29% higher unique open rates and 41% higher unique click rates than non-personalized emails.
The best cold email subject lines appeal to curiosity. An effective subject line piques recipients’ interests without completely spilling the beans. Importantly, the line should address the recipient’s needs by touching on a problem they may have and promising a solution.
Lastly, a cold email subject line should be consistent with your email’s body. This means your cold email subject line should not be exaggerated clickbait (that makes huge promises just to get recipients to open the email to content of no value or interest). Ensure your email delivers the value the subject line promises.
3. Start with a clever introduction
A good “from” line and subject line may compel recipients to open your cold email. However, to hold their attention and make them read further, you need a good introduction.
When recipients get your personalized cold email, they may be curious about this “stranger” that addresses an email to them by name. They’ll want to know who you are and why you’re contacting them. So, your introduction should address this.
Use a warm and friendly introduction to explain who you are and why you’re contacting them. However, keep this short (a few lines of 2 to 3 sentences).
To capture your audience’s attention and make them warm up to you, your cold email introduction should segue into saying something nice about them (their company, expertise, achievement, work, etc.).
4. Provide value (explain why you are contacting them)
After complimenting the recipient, go immediately into the business reason for contacting them.
This is where you make a case for what you’re offering and the value you’re providing.
To write effective cold emails, tie your offering to a specific pain point of the recipient. Recipients quickly see the value you’re offering if your message identifies their pain points and provides a potential solution.
However, you should avoid salesy pitches. Cold emails aim to start a conversation and not to complete a sale. Your tone should be that of someone who wants to help, not someone who wants to complete a transaction.
To achieve this, do not list product features. Instead, focus on the benefits your product offers. Remember to be specific, as vague benefits will dilute the value you promise.
5. End with a call-to-action
A call-to-action is a text prompt that encourages the target audience of a marketing campaign to take a desired action.
When sending cold emails, you’ll want the recipient to perform an action (e.g., reply to you, schedule a Skype conversation, etc.). So, clearly state what you want the recipient to do at the end of the cold email.
An effective cold email CTA should be a single, clearly defined action. You shouldn’t confuse recipients by making multiple asks or making recipients wonder what you really mean.
The cold email CTA should also be something reasonable or easy for recipients to do. For example, when running your first cold email campaign, a request to respond with an email may work better than an invitation for a 30-minute call.
6. Include a cold email signature
Don’t forget to add an email signature to make your cold emails look more professional and make you appear more trustworthy.
An email signature usually includes a photo of yourself, your full name, job title, company name and address, contact numbers and social media handles, and a hyperlinked website address. To increase credibility, it should also include your professional signature.
The email signature tells your recipients who you are. It also directs them to where they can find more information about you and your business.
When you sign off with a cold email signature, you look more trustworthy, increasing the likelihood of your emails getting a response.
7. Send a follow-up email
A cold email aims to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Sometimes, recipients may not respond to your cold email, and you’ll need to send a follow-up email to spark a conversation.
In fact, studies show that the first point of contact results in only 2% of sales. Thus, sending follow-up emails is critical to the success of a cold email campaign.
How to follow up on a cold email?
Remember that a cold email is unsolicited. For this reason, you can come across as pushy when you follow up on a cold email that the recipient did not respond to.
When sending follow-up cold emails, you should pay attention to the following:
- How to write the cold follow-up email.
- How many follow-up emails you should send.
- How long you should wait (after the first cold email) before sending follow-ups.
How to write a cold follow-up email
Writing a solid cold follow-up email follows the same principles as writing the first one. The steps for writing an effective cold follow-up email are as follows:
- Reply to the old email. It’s best practice to refer to the initial message when following up on a cold email. To make it easy for recipients to find the initial email, simply reply to it when sending the follow-up.
- Write a solid subject line. If your cold email got a response, your follow-up subject line should continue the conversation. If your initial email didn’t get a response, modify the subject line (even when replying to the old cold email).
- Provide context for why you’re contacting them. Address the reason you are mailing the recipient. If the follow-up is to a recipient who responded, nurture the relationship accordingly. If you’re following up on someone who didn’t respond, identify the prospects’ pain points to which you can provide relief.
- Provide value. Convince the cold prospects that what you’re offering will benefit them. If possible, sweeten the deal. For example, if you have a SaaS product, offer a free premium trial of your software. If you’re into content marketing, offer to write the initial blog post for free.
- Add a powerful call-to-action. Add an actionable call-to-action. Clearly spell out what you want them to do.
How many follow-up emails should you send?
Sending too many cold follow-up messages may annoy your prospects.
There’s no hard and fast rule about how many follow-up emails should follow a cold email. However, some statistics show that 80% of prospects say “no” four times before saying “yes.”
How long should you wait (after the first cold email) before sending the follow-up?
Sending a follow-up email too soon may also annoy recipients. However, if you wait too long to follow up on a cold email, you may slip off your prospects’ minds.
There’s also no hard and fast rule about how long to wait before following up on a cold email. However, a rule of thumb is to wait a week before sending the first follow-up and about two weeks before the second follow-up.
An email marketing tool with email tracking capability (like Mailsuite) helps you optimize follow-up emails. Mailsuite alerts you to recipients’ actions on your cold email. It’ll tell you when a recipient opens the mail, reads it, clicks on a link, etc. With this, you’ll know how best to plan a follow-up.
What can you use cold emailing for?
Cold emailing is popular for sales campaigns. However, there are many use cases for cold mailing (besides sales emails). These include:
- Generate leads. After researching your target audience and preparing a list of prospects, you can pitch to them using cold emails. This helps you generate hot leads.
- Establish business partnerships. If you need mutually beneficial partnerships, cold emails are excellent for reaching out to potential business partners.
- Expand your professional network. Cold emails are perfect for reaching out to and building relationships with other professionals in your field (or related field). Such relationships can expand your knowledge and lead to referrals.
- Acquire links for your website. Getting high-quality inbound links increases your credibility. After researching and identifying link targets, you can use cold emails to contact and pitch to each prospect’s company.
- Recruit potential employees. Targeted recruitment that attracts candidates with certain experience can get you special talents. If you create a list of qualified candidates, you can use cold emails to connect with them.
- Ask for an internship. Cold emails are incredibly effective in finding internships. You find professionals you don’t know but would like to interview for. Then you send them a cold email.
FAQs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about cold emailing.
What is a good cold email?
A good cold email features a compelling “from” line and a catchy subject line that compels the recipient to open the email. For the body, a cold email format breaks down into parts:
- An introduction that explains who you are and why you are reaching out
- A validation that gives recipients a reason to trust you, a compliment to make the prospect warm up to you
- A personalized message that identifies and addresses a major pain point of the recipient
- An actionable call-to-action
Is cold emailing illegal?
Cold emailing is generally considered legal. However, the legality depends on the spam laws of the specific country or region.
For example, in the US, the CAN-SPAM Act sets the requirements for commercial emails. These include: not using deceptive subject lines, telling recipients where you’re located, telling recipients how to opt out, etc.
As long as your cold email strategy does not violate the provisions of the law, your unsolicited emails to prospects are 100% legal.
Do cold emails really work?
Cold email outreach is an excellent way to start a conversation with people you have no established business relationship with.
92% of decision-makers pay attention to unsolicited emails, and 78% of these people say cold emails have led to a business conversation or meeting.
What is the fastest way to write cold emails?
A cold email template is the fastest way to write a cold email. The templates tools that allow you to plug recipients’ data into a message in order to create personalized cold emails.
However, your email will not be totally original, putting you at risk of sending a recipient an email oddly similar to one they’ve seen before. So, at best, use a cold email template for inspiration to craft your original message.
Takeaway: Supercharge cold emailing with Mailsuite
Cold emailing means sending an unsolicited email to a specific person you have no business relationship with, hoping to pique their interest in your business and make them customers.
Cold emailing is 100% legal when relevant spam laws are not violated, and it works effectively to start a conversation and develop business relationships.
The steps discussed above will help you write cold emails that get results. These include: editing the email line, crafting a strong subject line, using a clever introduction, providing value, ending with a strong CTA, including an email signature, and following up appropriately.
Since following up is a critical element of successful cold email campaigns, the best cold email software is one that empowers you with how best to follow up.
This is where email tracking with Mailsuite comes in.
Mailsuite is an excellent platform for small business email marketing. It is an easy-to-use platform that lets you send original, personalized cold emails right from your Gmail account.
It comes with superior email tracking capabilities that alert you when recipients open and read your email. So you’ll know when best to follow up to nurture the leads for successful business outcomes.
Want to connect to cold prospects and develop profitable business relationships? Install Mailsuite for free today!
