Cold emails are still alive and well. Here are a few steps that will help your emails stand out from the crowd.
Introducing yourself to a complete stranger can be a scary thing to do. The chances of being ignored are high but the possibility of landing a sale is worth it. We’ve all heard of cold calling, but in this article, we’re going to talk about the benefits of cold emailing.
When you put a computer between you and your customer, it becomes a little easier to send that unexpected email. But you’re still competing with all the other emails flooding into a user’s inbox.
Whether you’re sending cold emails to sell a product, connect with a colleague, or find investors for your business — there are a few tips that can help you improve your process.
Here’s a quick look at the tips we’ll discuss:
- Include personalization
- Identifying yourself and your motives
- Make it worth their time
- Don’t forget to follow up
Here’s How to Improve Your Cold Emails
Are your cold emails falling short of your expectations?
With the help of these four tactics, you can expect to see an increase in responses to your messages. From taking the time to learn more about your customer to sending follow up content — cold emails can be a valuable resource.
Personalize the Message to Your Recipient
First and foremost, you need to take the time to learn more about your recipient. Personalization will go a long way when reaching out to someone new.
Although when we talk about personalization, we don’t mean the creepy I know where you live and you this couch would perfectly complement the gray in your living room kind of personalization.
Start out small by using their first name in the email. Most of us don’t necessarily want to be greeted in a formal manner. You’d probably introduce yourself by first name, not Mr. or Mrs. so and so — follow these same rules when cold emailing them. It makes the conversation feel more personal from the start.
On top of that, do your research and learn more about their wants, needs, and interests. You have an opportunity to tailor the message to them — don’t miss out by sending a generic email. Adding this layer of personalization shows that you’ve taken the time to really understand them as an individual, not just a sale.
Clearly Identify Yourself and Your Motive
You need to clearly identify yourself when sending cold emails. If someone isn’t familiar with your name or email address, you have a chance of getting sent to the trash, or even worse the spam folder.
By sending emails from your personal email and using your full name, you’ll appear as a real person rather than a spam bot. This can make a big difference when it comes to an open or a quick delete.
You can also use this opportunity to build a more personal relationship with the user. By telling them who you are and why you are reaching out, it sets the tone for the future of your interactions. Building credibility and trust with these new contacts will go a long way.
It’s also important to let them know what your motive is early. You don’t need to beat around the bush. Let them know if you’re reaching out with a great offer on a system or solution they need or if you’re just looking to connect with others in your industry.
Being honest with them from the start will help create a better relationship and sense of trust.
Make it Worth Their Time
You need to make sure the offer you’re reaching out to users with is worth their while. Are you trying to sell them new software? Or have a resource that will help solve all of their business problems? Lead with that.
There needs to be value for the person you’re emailing. Just sending them a cold email out of the blue for no reason will surely find its way into a spam filter. Even if you’re just looking to connect with like-minded individuals, let them know why they should connect with you.
Before sending your email, take a minute and think from their point of view. Is the offer, or reason you’re emailing them worth their time? If not, go back to the drawing board and make sure you’re getting it right.
Don’t Forget to Follow-Up
So, your first email got ignored — but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. In most cases, someone just didn’t notice the email in their inbox or quickly skimmed over it without even giving it a second glance.
Don’t let that discourage you. It’s an opportunity to reach out a second time and remind them about the offer you previously sent. The second email in their inbox from a sender they’ve now seen before may be just what they need to open and click into the email.
Think about it this way, how many times have you started to open or read an email and got pulled away for an emergency meeting? Things happen, people get pulled away from their emails and sometimes forget to look back at what they were reading previously.
That’s where the follow-up comes into play. A friendly reminder about a previous offer can go a long way. While you don’t want to become the annoying spam bot constantly poking at your potential customers, you want to remind them about your products and offers.
Grow Your Customer Base With Better Cold Emails
Cold emails are a great way to grow your customer base and make new connections. Take the time to do your research and create an experience that benefits your customer and you’ll see great results. It might sound intimidating at first but once you’ve hit send on that first email, you’ll find a process that works for you.
