How do you create a cold email that gets you an above-average open rate and an even better conversion rate? Is there a formula for the perfect cold email?
Cold emailing is a delicate art that combines sales skills with clever writing. You can certainly be forgiven if you don’t get it right the first time; there are many obstacles to overcome. However, the more cold emails you draft and the more feedback you get, the better you will become. There is no official formula for a winning cold email, but you can consult an expert for what is considered best practice. If you want to warm up your cold emails and drive up prospect engagement, follow our simple guide below!
1. Interesting Subject Line
The best cold email subject lines are the ones that catch, and keep, the reader’s attention. You need to know your target market’s interests, needs, and pain points, and leverage this knowledge. That doesn’t mean you need to make promises or create false expectations. Also, do not use loads of capitalized words and multiple exclamation points when you send cold emails. This will lose precious credibility from the start, as it appears unprofessional and spammy. Rather, try to imagine the circumstances under which your reader will be unable to ignore an email based on what they read in the subject line. Try to grab the reader’s attention with something immediately enticing, like their name or a question!
2. Greeting
Your greeting should be casual and personalized to maximize engagement. Whatever you do, do not mass-mail your cold emails, you will end up looking like every other mass-mail in your prospect’s inbox. Send to individuals, and address them by name. Do your research, and make sure you have the right person. Make it upbeat but not too familiar. Through diligent research, you should develop an idea of how to approach each individual prospect. If it’s a business context, you can use “Hi” or “Hey” at a push. This more casual approach works with almost everyone except for your very formal, traditional sectors like finance or law, which are less likely to respond well to a casual tone.
3. Intro Line
Your introductory line should be linked to your subject line, and personalized to reflect that you know the organization or person you are sending a cold email to. Most prospects will appreciate that you have taken the time to find out about them. This should not come across as stalker-ish, but rather professionally knowledgeable. You could try complimenting them on one of their business achievements or a particularly outstanding aspect of their business practice. Remember to be personable here, the intro is just as important as the subject line and greeting!
4. Video Insert
A video insert can be extremely valuable. It adds a further personalized touch, as well as an audio-visual link to the message. It should be professionally produced and well-scripted so that it is easily understood and compelling without being desperate. You will need to include this clip in your email, so ensure that it is small enough that it doesn’t hang up in the email server, as most organizations have a limit to the size of the email they can handle. A high-quality, upbeat and informative video insert can make all the difference, not only as an attention-grabber but as a way to immediately distance your email from dry, impersonal mass emails.
5. Call To Action
Your CTA should be simple and very clear. There should be no mistaking what is required of your reader. If it is a complex action that needs to be taken, spell it out in steps. However, continue using your approachable “voice” here; we don’t want to lose our prospect right before the finish line because of a bossy or blunt command to visit our site.
6. Farewell
Your sign-off at the end can be silly if you do that well. It can even be a little cheeky, perhaps a lighthearted industry-related joke. The idea is to maintain that casual, low-pressure atmosphere in your cold emails while still offering some compelling reasons why the reader should do “x-y-z.” Add another personalized comment or phrase in your sign-off, using the prospect’s name if possible, just to reiterate the warmth and feeling of connection we want to develop in these emails.
Follow-Ups
When it comes to follow-ups, note that your cold email template can be adapted to follow-ups as well, and you can have as few as three, or as many as seven, depending on your reader’s hesitation levels. Cold emailing executives with some experience in the field will know which kind of follow-up to send for each response from the reader, and which ones to follow up with if there is no response to the initial cold emailing outreach. Remember to make your follow-ups just as personalized as your initial emails, though. A generic-looking follow-up won’t be nearly as convincing and would be a huge step back from your initial connection.
There is no ultimate formula that describes the best way to send cold emails, but if you are cognizant of your word choice, do your research, and make an effort to genuinely connect to prospects, you will drive up your conversion rate and pick up some high-quality leads in the process!
