Jake Jorgovan and many others got Fortune 500 clients with cold emails. No doubt, cold emails work wonders when done right. If you’re having trouble writing cold emails that get responses, the reasons can be:
- targeting blindly,
- your email is product-centric, not prospects centric,
- the subject line doesn’t intrigue the recipient,
- your email copy is boring,
- call-to-actions are confusing,
- you don’t test your emails.
In this article, we will discuss cold email tips that work for marketers and sales reps.
What do you aim to gain with cold emails?
Cold emails are opportunities to introduce your brand to new cold leads. The aim of sending these emails are:
- To get a sales-ready lead
- To get a meeting/call.
- To get referred to the ideal prospects.
One of the easiest ways to contact decision-makers from any industry is through cold emails.
8 tips on writing cold emails that get responses
A successful cold email must have:
- an actionable subject line to make the recipient open
- short and intriguing email copy
- the right call to action
1. Invest time to discover your perfect audience
Prospects will reply to an email if it contains something relevant to them. So identify who is your target audience. Then, understand their buyer’s persona. The practices below will help you to identify your ideal customers and their persona:
- Collect data and figure out common points among ideal customers.
- Monitor social media to include something relatable. This includes platforms like Quora, Reddit, Digg, etc.
Once you have found the common characteristics and needs, it will be easier to write a personalized cold email.
2. Connect with your prospect on an emotional level
Psychological impact overrules logic many times, even in B2B. We’re all humans after all. Make an emotional impact with your cold email to increase response rates.
Include emotional elements in your writing that connect to your audience. Focus on their aspirations, pain points, and job demands. Tap into some motivators that help overcome their struggles.
Checking social media is one way to identify your prospect’s desires. Remember, an individual will read your emails, so they must include emotional elements.
3. Write engaging cold email subject lines
The primary role of a subject line is to convince your recipients to open the email. Nearly one third of email recipients open emails based on the subject line alone.
An engaging subject line should contain:
- Personalization: Reading their name helps to get attention.
- Curiosity: Most people are nosy by nature. Write an intriguing subject line. And make sure to deliver on the promise.
- Urgency: FOMO or fear of missing is a compelling trick to convince recipients to open your emails.
Take inspiration from subject lines in your inbox, articles, and blog posts. Try these seven templates by Dan Lok to create a persuasive subject line.
- “How to deal with_________.”
- “The Biggest Mistake_________Make.”
- “The real secret to_________.”
- “The fastest way to_________.”
- “Here is a Shortcut for_________.”
- “How I_________.”
4. Make your cold email intro short
Build on your subject in the intro of your cold emails. Readers will decide if they should skip or read further based on the opening line.
Your recipient receives many cold emails. You need to stand out. A boring cold email introduction like, “Hello, we don’t know each other but…” won’t get replies.
Begin with something your reader connects with. Like, “Hey, Name! Noticed that your business has had troubles with [pain point] lately. I have faced a similar situation, so ….”
The primary goal is to hold your prospect’s attention and get a response.
5. Write compelling email copy
Your reader must feel like they are speaking to a real person, not an automated email.
To write compelling email copy, you need to understand your buyer persona inside and out.
Don’t be salesy. I’ve learned from my work as a sales writer that “Nobody cares about you; they only care about themselves.” So, if your email is about you, you will never get a response. The email content should focus on your prospects’ needs and pain points.
Here are some tips about email copy that’ll help you get a response:
- Use social proof (customer testimonials, case studies, number of trusted partners, users, etc.)
- Relevant content (Infographics, survey reports, whitepapers, etc.)
- GIFs and emojis if it fits your brand
- Images and videos to support your pitch
Look into these proven sales copy formulas to craft persuasive email copy:
- AIDA (Attention-Interested-Desire-Action)
- BAB (Before-After-Bridge)
- ACCA (Awareness – Comprehension – Conviction – Action)
Related Reading: Editing and Proofreading Tips for Writers
6. Include an engaging CTA
A call-to-action triggers the reader to take action, like visiting your sales page or filling out a form. Your copy explained everything the reader needs to know to decide if they want to take action. So your CTA should be concise and clear. Sometimes attaching an interactive sales deck to a short email can do the talking for you. Newer sales deck creators come with fantastic CTA options, such as forms to fill out, or personal calendars to book the actual demo.
You must test and try CTAs through split testing for the best results. Let’s learn how A/B testing can help to get more responses to cold emails.
7. Optimize your emails to improve response rates
A/B testing emails helps you find what kind of content work and what doesn’t. AB test subject line variations to see which has higher open rates. Or test copy variations and see which gets more responses.
You can conduct A/B tests to explore subject line variations and determine which captures higher open rates, or experiment with copy variations to uncover the messaging that elicits more responses, all while implementing automated lead nurturing strategies to foster meaningful customer relationships and drive conversions.
Here’s a list of elements to A/B test:
- Subject lines
- Opening lines
- CTA (Call-to-action)
- Images vs. no images
- Formal vs. informal
8. Use the best cold outreach tools
Many business owners, marketers, and outbound sales professionals don’t get enough email responses. A cold email outreach tool with good analytics helps you analyze what’s lacking in your cold email campaigns.
Here’s what to look out for when choosing a cold email tool:
- Ease of use
- Good deliverability
- Automation
- Affordable pricing
- Responsive customer service
Here is an overview of cold email outreach tools to review if you are looking for it. As your sales team grows, members should collaborate using shared inbox software. Working from a shared inbox makes responding quicker and easier.
Final thoughts on sales emails that get responses
Cold email outreach is effective but not a cakewalk. Research your customers and understand their pain points. It requires time to craft a good email copy with the correct elements to get replies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do people respond to cold emails?
Yes, people respond to cold emails. The average response rate varies from 15% to over 40%.
What is a good response rate for cold emailing practice?
A good response rate for cold emails is about 10%.
How many times should I send follow-up emails?
Salespeople usually send around 3-4 follow-up emails. It depends on the campaign and the target audience.
Author Bio:
Hinal Tanna is an SEO strategist and content marketer, currently working with the marketing team of Salesmate. She has a knack for curating content that follows SEO practices and helps businesses create an impactful brand presence. When she’s not working, Hinal likes to spend her time exploring new places.
