Write Cold Sales Emails That Deliver Results

Contacting a lead cold might be a salesperson’s least favorite thing to do, but it doesn’t have to be such a pain. Typically, salespeople hate cold contact because it doesn’t always provide great results, but that’s not always the case. According to Clearbit: “For marketers and salespeople who do cold email the right way, I’ve seen response rates as high as 15% to 20%.” So cold emailing isn’t a lost cause, it just isn’t always done correctly. If you want to get better email responses, use these tips.

What is Cold Emailing?

If you’re not familiar, cold emailing is a subset of email marketing where a sales rep sends unsolicited emails to prospects without having previously contacted them. It’s essentially the email equivalent of traditional cold calling. A lot of companies use cold emails but many don’t approach it the right way so it gives little return on investment (ROI).

Tips on Writing Cold Emails

Cold emails are something everyone has to experiment with, but here are some tried and true tips that have helped us and others reach out to potential customers:

1. Start with a brief introduction.
2. Explain why they should listen to you.
3. Elaborate on a common pain point they have. This comes with industry knowledge and an understanding of your target audience.
4. Provide supported claims of why your solution works.
5. Simple call to action (CTA) with a reply or button function for quick replies.
6. A/B test subject lines and content to keep it fresh and see what actually works.

Use this free template from SalesHacker:

“Hi <name>, 

[Your name] here, the [title] with [your company]. I noticed you downloaded [your company]’s ebook, [title of the ebook]. I was wondering if you’ve had a chance to look at it yet, and if so, whether you have any questions. 

We recently published a checklist for implementing the solution we shared in that ebook. What we’ve discovered is that most people who struggle with [pain point] don’t realize how pervasive it is, nor how easy it is to solve. 
Our checklist has made a big difference in getting [end result/solution]. In fact, for one client, it generated [result] in just [time period]! 

I’d love to send you the checklist, or if you prefer, get on a call to walk you through it. Just hit reply and let me know you’re interested, and I’ll send it your way.

Looking forward to hearing from you,   
[signature]”

What’ll Be Your Next Cold Email?

With these tips and a standard template to get you started, what cold emails will you write? Remember to test out a few different emails, follow the tips above and see what works specifically for your target audience. Comment down below any suggestions you have for others!