Many questions are running through a marketer’s head when sending a cold email: Will it head to spam? Will it be opened? Will it at least be read before getting deleted? Even with these questions, cold email outreach is a popular outbound sales channel. So what makes a cold email successful? In short, in order to get replies, a cold email has to be short yet powerful, and intriguing. For this reason, each part of the message has to deliver value and play a crucial communicative role. Let’s do a deep dive on writing successful cold emails.

What is cold email outreach?

A cold email is one that is sent to someone who has no prior contact with you or your organization and has never heard of it. People send cold emails for a variety of purposes, including job hunting, selling a product, networking, and so on. In sales, a  cold email is one of the initial touchpoints in sales professionals’ multistep, multichannel outreach approach for booking appointments with prospects. Every cold email will have a core goal, such as scheduling a meeting with the prospect, getting the prospect to download a piece of material created by your company, pushing the prospect to your website’s price page, or anything else you want them to do after reading your email. 

Good cold email outreach is about relationships

We usually look at cold outreach as a way of getting your prospects to do things for you, but it really is about what you can do for them. A cold email’s goal is to catch the interest of your recipient so that a relationship of mutual benefit can be built. It doesn’t matter if you’re attempting to build backlinks, promote websites across different niches, or offer potential clients the deal of the year, it’s the relationship that will bring you there.

How to write a cold email?

Anyone can write cold emails. But to write successful ones that get replies, you need to perfect the cold email formula. 

Let’s break down the different components that make a cold email great:  
1. From line 
2. Subject line
3. Email body 
4. Call-To-Action
5. Email Signature

From line

Imagine there are 3 emails in your prospective client’s inbox.

One is from bobtherealtor@gmail.com, one from Xeron, and another from Ana from Steax. 

Which one would they automatically send to spam?

The email address bobtherealtor@gmail.com appears spammy and unprofessional. Sending emails from personal addresses is a sure method to get a one-way ticket to spam.

What about the ‘from line’, Xeron? Will it be opened by your prospects? This one is a maybe. 

And what about Ana from Steax? Because this ‘from line’ appears professional, people are more inclined to believe you and what you are saying in your emails.

Furthermore, using a corporate email address guarantees that people become acquainted with your brand.

So, how can you make sure your ‘From Line’ looks trustworthy?

Avoid sending emails from spammy-looking addresses like bobtherealtor@gmail.com.
Use a professional email address and mention your name and company in the ‘from line’.If you’re using a personal address, add an email signature so your reader can look you up on the internet.

Here Are 3 Good ‘From Line’ Examples:

Anna Richards [First Name, Last Name]

Alex from Stacks [First Name from Company]

Milo Janis at Vybex [ First Name at Company]

Subject Line

Your subject line is the first impression you create in the crowded environment of email inboxes, and your prospects will judge your email based on it. In fact, 33% of email recipients use subject lines to choose whether to open an email or mark it as spam. If your cold email subject lines don’t attract their attention, your emails will be sent to Trash or Spam, no matter how well-written they are.

How to create ‘Subject Lines’ your prospects can’t ignore?

Make your subject lines personal:

Emails with personalized subject lines have double the open rate as those with generic subject lines. This is because personalized subject lines communicate to prospects that the email was created specifically for them and hence is essential.

Subject lines can be customized in the following ways:
-> Using basic information such as name and company name 
-> Using professional updates such as promotions, job changes, and so on.
-> Using the prospect’s interests, such as their hobbies, favorite cuisine, sports, and so on.

Keep your subject lines short:

What’s the reason for this? Mobile devices are used to read more than 42% of emails. Furthermore, most mobile email programs only display the first 50 to 70 characters of the subject line. That is around 7-10 words max. Having a short cold email subject line ensures your subject lines aren’t cut off due to a lack of screen space.

Here are some things to think about while choosing shorter subject lines:
-> Include a subject line that offers the reader an idea of what your message is about.
-> Only capitalize your whole email subject line when essential.
-> Use strong phrases in your topic line, but avoid typical spam trigger terms.

Here are three examples of good subject lines: 

If you want to capture the prospect’s attention and demonstrate how little of their time you require, state i.e. – “26 seconds (or less)”.

If you want to underline a good deal write f.e –  “Get this before it’s gone”.

If you want to part ways with the prospect, say – “Moving on”Remember:

Your subject lines, whether short or long, should entice your prospects to read your email. So, if you think a short subject won’t give enough information to your prospects, go for a longer subject line, but make sure it doesn’t run more than 10 words.

Subject Line A/B Testing

Cold email open rates range between 20% and 40% on average. However, take this with a grain of salt because your open rates are affected by a variety of things such as your audience, industry specialization, and so on. And the only way to uncover your open rate is to A/B test various subject lines.

Here’s how to split-test your topic lines:
-> Purchase cold email software that enables A/B testing.
-> Select the A/B testing sample size and duration.
-> Choose the subject line variants you wish to try.
-> Choose the subject line that has the highest open rate.

Email body

When your prospects open your cold email, two questions are running through their minds:
- What do they want from me?
- What is in it for me?

Make your email engaging

Your email introduction should make readers go, “Wait, what?”

Stop introducing yourself or your product in the first few lines of the email body.

Drop the age-old intros like “Hope you are doing fine” or “I found your profile..”.

Try addressing their pain points or making note of their competitors.

Weave in an industry-specific joke.

Explain what’s in it for them

This is the section where you explain why you emailed them. This is a tricky part since your prospect knows the true motive for your communication. And if they believe you forced customized the email in order to gain a meeting, they will ignore you.

So, how can you prevent this from happening? How can you provide a sales pitch without seeming pushy? Here’s how it’s done:

-> Find a technique to gently transition into the reason for your email. In other words, your introduction should naturally lead to the purpose for your call. 
-> Give them a purpose for your email, why they should read it (relevance), and how it will benefit them (benefit).
-> Highlight your value proposition by discussing previous customers or describing how you differ from competitors (without bad mouthing them).

Call-To-Action

What action do you want your prospects to take after reading your email? Do you want them to respond, download a resource, schedule a meeting, or sign up for a free trial? In any event, a call to action (CTA) is what prompts people to do what you want them to do

How to craft a compelling CTA?

Though the context of your email and the reaction you desire from the prospect will influence your call-to-action, here are a few ideas to help you write an exciting CTA.

Restate the Value Proposition

In the call to action, reiterate the value you’re providing to the prospect. You should be able to gently remind the prospect to connect the various components of your email content.  A study reveals that when there is a ‘because’ component to a request, people respond more positively. As a result of ‘the value’ you are delivering, they are more inclined to click on your CTA.

Provide a Specific Time And Date

Being decisive will remove any uncertainty. Since you’re being decisive about the time and date, you are removing their burden of them coming up with a date and time to meet. If it’s convenient for them, they’ll accept your terms or get back to you at a convenient time.

Make a Connection Request

Many times, you may not have the correct contact, in which case you must get in touch with the decision maker. “Demanding” to talk with the main “decision maker” is not a good idea and can have the opposite effect.  If you’re not sure who you’ve reached out to and haven’t received a response, you can use the chance to contact a corporate executive, explain how you can benefit their firm, and ask them to introduce you to the correct person.  

If they perceive the value in your product, they will gladly connect you with the right decision-makers.

Email signature

An email signature is the space at the end of the email where you can showcase your company and what you do. Since the email is mostly about how you can help your prospect, this is what they’ll investigate to check your credibility.

What should your cold email signature contain?

A great cold email signature contains 3 components. They are:

1. Who am I? – Include factual information such as your name, title, firm name, address, and social media connections in this section. 

2. Why am I important? -This is where you give your prospect a reason to trust you. Include a quote or catchphrase, social media links, or a summary of your accomplishments.
Just don’t clutter it with unnecessary links that could distract the reader.

3. What I want you to do – Give a link to your calendar here. This way, you make it simple for high-intent prospects to schedule a meeting with you. 
In some cases, businesses go for a hybrid approach that combines elements of both in-house and outsourced sales strategies. This approach helps to leverage the benefits of each model while mitigating their drawbacks.

Conclusion:

Cold emailing can be a challenging task, but with the right methods, you can improve your chances of getting a response. We went over creating appealing subject lines to customization approaches and effective calls-to-action. By following these suggestions, you can boost your email open rates and engagement, increasing your chances of receiving the desired response. To make a lasting impression, don’t forget to focus on developing an intriguing subject line and craft great email content. 

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