Must-Read: How to Write a Cold Email That Gets You Business (Tried and Tested)

Every business that you start commences with communication, mostly on emails. It is from that first step that the base of a successful business relationship is set.

Agreed, it may not always be fruitful, but when it does, it is not only a business deal that you may be acquiring but also a human relationship that you need to preserve if you think you deserve the business that’s coming your way. That first step is called a cold email.

We will see in this post what exactly is a cold email, how to write cold emails and how to send them, the process in its splendor.

You don’t close a sale, you open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise.
– Patricia Fripp

What is a cold email?

The first question, understandably so, should be this. What is a cold email or a sales pitch email? A cold email is basically an unsolicited but well-intentioned mail that you send to a prospective client, with the goal of striking up a conversation with them that leads to business. 

Simply put, it’s the first impression that can make or break the deal. 

If your cold email is a good one, it will make the prospect want to revert, and from there your communication, ethics, and earning expectations will be the decisive factors. However, to earn that first response, you need to master the art of writing a perfect cold email, one that is more decisive and less desperate. 

We’re not asking you to not sell. We’re just asking you to become smarter and more personal with your selling approach – unless you want the cold email you send, moved to trash without even being read. 

Think about the last time you received an email promoting a free trial of a product. Now tell us how long did it take for you to trash that mail for simply being ‘so promotional’? 

Seconds. 

So how do you write cold emails that doesn’t sound too desperate, too shallow or too pushy? In this guide, we’re going to walk you through everything you need to know and everything we have tried ourselves for a successful cold email campaign.

How to write cold emails – Tips from our desk!

Ask us about growth marketing and we’ll happily share everything we’ve done at FindThatLead to reach our audience. Lead search and prospecting is our day-to-day team task and we absolutely love getting into the nuances of building relationships that lead to businesses. And cold emails have been a part of our strategy all along! 

Here’s everything we have learned about writing cold emails and making them work:

1. Ditch the introduction

Contrary to what others may have to say, we believe that you should cut straight to the chase. One of the first things that you can do to write cold emails is to skip the ‘boring’ and ‘mundane’ introduction and start off with what you can do, instead. 

Some mail applications such as Gmail give the receiver of the mail a preview of the first few words itself. Make use of that space to convey the value you’re offering. 

Write a subject that will immediately catch their attention. Then start off with words that will get them interested enough to click on the mail to know more about what you’re offering. Leave your company details in your signature for them to find out more if they are intrigued.

2. Keep it short, silly

Well, our take on the (in)famous ‘Keep it simple, silly’ is simply here to tell you that the longer you stretch your cold email, the higher are the chances your prospective client would bounce off in the middle of it, not bothering to complete the rest. 

Studies suggest that a perfect cold email should not be more than five sentences long, else the response rate would be abysmal. Imagine getting a 2000 words essay talking about a product you’re not familiar with. Would you really bother reading through it all? 

The answer is most likely, NO.

3. Come to the point

Know how to pitch well, do not waste time in building salutations and castles. It does good to come straight to the point. You know their pain points and you know the solutions that you can offer. Figure out how you can address the same and pitch it to them without any backspaces. Often, people waste a lot of time in building up a pitch. In the process, they lose the lead. Everyone’s time is precious and millions of leads and emails are exchanged every day. Make sure your lead does not waste any. Also, you do not want important and relevant information to get lost amid irrelevant conversation.

Address the challenge, provide a solution and wait for a reply! 

4. Write like you are having a conversation

This does not mean going verbatim. It just means that be direct, crisp, and concise in stating what you want as you would while explaining verbally. Keep in mind that the prospective client whom you are addressing the cold email to cannot see your expressions or enthusiasm. The only thing which is going to make or break the deal is your written words. Make sure they count.

Pro tip: We firmly believe that you should add a hint of your personality in your cold email copy. That helps your message stand out and that human touch to it makes the recipient want to know more. Even if the reply is negative, you’re more likely to get a response when you’re being yourself and not robotic.

5. Include a proper signature

Make sure that you put all your contact details, including the web address and the physical address of your organization, in your signature. This way you’re letting the recipient see how professional you are at what you do and also shares all the information they need for getting in touch with you when they’re ready. You can get a free signature for your next cold email campaign here. 

Pro tip: Do include a picture of yours in the cold email signature instead of just adding your business logo. Let the recipient know that a person is reaching out to them ‘personally’ and not in a batch bulk email campaign – even if you are doing that!

6. Personalize what you can

Templates are fine, but nothing is better than customized and personalized touches, and cold email is no different. Since this is the first time you are knocking on someone’s door, you need to make sure you’re giving them a reason to open the latch. You need to show them how different you are from others. 

So, personalize your cold email copy with little changes. Instead of using the trending cold email templates on the internet, choose to only be inspired by them. A few ways to personalize your cold emails include using ‘you’ to address the recipient, talking in the first person instead of looking like an agency ready to spam someone’s inbox, use GIFs, ditch the fancy templates and mimic how you’d write a handwritten letter.

7. Try closing with a question

The best way to close an article is a call to action. The best way to close a cold email is to ask a question because here the goal is to start a conversation before trying to sell to them. Adding a question towards the end plays with the reader’s psychology, making them want to address it, increasing your chances of getting a response. 

Are you willing to give your business a boosting shot of [brand name]?

Time’s running out. Will you catch the best service while you can?

8. Follow up

Before you ask, no, following up does not seem like an act of desperation if you keep certain things in mind. You have sent your cold email, now is the time to follow up. Simply because each one of us receives hundreds of emails a day and you can’t really blame your prospect for missing out on your message! 

Why is this a part of writing the perfect cold email? That’s because what would you do if GOT ended their season one abruptly? You wouldn’t know where to go, what to watch next – so how can you expect your prospect to know where to reach you or what more value you can add to them?

Although, we do recommend spacing out your follow up cold emails so that you don’t bombard the prospect. Now we know keeping track of when you sent an email to who, and how many days it has been, can get really overwhelming. That’s why you should consider automating your cold email follow-ups using smart tools like the Email Sender by FindThatLead.

While those are some of the rules we follow to get people to respond to our cold emails, there are also a few no-nos’ we found along the way. 

What not to do while writing a cold email

The best cold emails have a subject line which is interesting and informative. It is important to be comprehensive yet to be concise. How can you do that? By drawing a line and not entering the zone where you are being intrusive. Sending a cold email is the first step towards a prospective professional relationship. Make it worth your and your potential client’s time.

For that, it is not only necessary to know what to do, but also what not to do. Here are a few things that you should absolutely abstain from while writing a cold email:

1. Using ambiguous subject lines

Your subject line can make or break the deal. Make sure that it is concise and provides value. Also, ensure that it connects directly to the mail and is not an ordinary clickbait. That act can make you lose the client and also give you a bad word of mouth in the industry.

2. Writing long emails

No one has that much time on hand. Remember, many people are writing a cold email and poaching the same client. Make sure that you get to the point faster. Write short and address the client’s pain points and what solutions you can offer. The best cold email should not be longer than five lines.

3. Ignoring the prospective client

The cold email has to be both about you and the client you are addressing. You have to ensure that you understand their business and the challenges therein, and are willing to offer the best solution in the market. It should not be a sales pitch just about yourself.

4. Not checking for incorrect grammar

It’s a proposal for a long-term relationship. Spelling and grammatical errors portray a lax attitude which reflects poorly on you. Do not hit the send button without thoroughly checking the cold email for any such errors therein.

5. Sending without signature

A good cold email is short, as mentioned earlier. Thus, you have no time to include your contact details in the mail body. The best way to do it via your signature. If you leave the signature out, not only does it look unprofessional, but also makes it tricky for the client to connect immediately. Make sure your signature is there in the cold email.

6. No follow up

This is yet another place where most of the people make a mistake. Wait for a decent time, probably two to three working days, and then shoot a polite reminder to your original cold email. Not following up can often lead to an ‘out of sight out of mind’ situation. The client may have been impressed but forgot to reply. You know what will serve as a reminder? A follow-up email.

Also read: The cold email mistakes you cannot make when preparing your first campaign

Cold emails may be short, but that’s the challenge. You need to be impressive in a few words. In that case, you need to cut what’s unnecessary and make sure you do not end up doing the practices mentioned above. 

How to Send a Cold Email with FindThatLead

Sending cold emails can be a daunting task, especially if you’re unsure of the tools and techniques to use. With FindThatLead, the process is streamlined and efficient. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to send cold emails using FindThatLead:

1. Connect Your Email Account

• Navigate to the Send Emails section on FindThatLead.
• Connect your email account. FindThatLead supports various mail services including Outlook, Yahoo, and Gmail through the SMTP connection.

2. Determine Your Email Limit: Remember, all emails are sent from your inbox. For Gsuite accounts, you can send up to 1500 emails per day. However, it’s recommended not to send more than 500 emails daily to avoid potential issues or bans.

3. Craft Your Email: Personalization is key. Ensure your emails are contextual and tailored to the recipient, you can also use our AI Helper too!.

4. Monitor Open & Reply Rates: Once you’ve started a campaign, you can view its statistics from the Send Emails dashboard. This includes open rates and reply rates. If you notice a low open rate, consider revising your email subject. If the reply rate is low, tweak the email body to make it more engaging.

5. Avoid Being Marked as Spam

• Ensure you’re not surpassing the recommended email limits.
• Configure your domain server with SPF and DKIM records to verify your domain. This helps in preventing your emails from landing in the spam folder.

6. Utilize the Follow-up Feature: Send Emails allows for multiple emails within the same campaign based on the response to the previous email. This can be a new email or a reply to the existing thread.

Cold email templates for your next campaign

Your staple cold email template should be one that is easy to write with a few customizations and personalization here and there. Understand that if you are consistently sending out emails, it is not possible to entirely customize each and every one of those. 

You need to have a few cold email templates at hand for different purposes. So we did the hard work for you and found some that are ready to be put to use! 

Cold email example and template 1:

Why should you meet me?

I am a [insert profession] with [number] of years of experience in [field] and have covered [relevant details]. I am good at what I do and willing to explore even further.

Why should you be interested?

I have this idea which can transform the way you look at [insert relevant content]. I have a ready template for your reference. Do take a look and let me know if you are interested.

Cold email example and template 2:

Hi,

I am [insert name]. I came across your website via [insert].

I have worked with clients/organizations such as [insert] and create weekly videos with them.

Would you be interested in something similar?

For starters, I have created a sample video for [hyperlink their article]

[VIDEO]

Do let me know if this interests you.

Making cold emails work – It’s more than just hitting send!

Templates for cold emails can guide you, but the best way to win a client is by knowing them. You need to know who you are talking to and you need to know what you are pitching. You need to know how your strengths can cure the weakness of your clients and use your cold email to pitch just that. These are five magical lines that can be the precursor to a long professional relationship. This is the email that will make or break your first impression.

Remember, in this world of cut-throat competition, rarely anyone gets a chance to make a second one, so be sure you know how to write cold emails.

Know the golden rule; Know your prospective client and personalize your cold email accordingly.

The next step to making your cold email work is to build a targeted list of emails. Get that FindThatLead prospect today.