Sending cold emails is very much like shooting arrows in the dark—sometimes it may hit the mark, sometimes it may not. However, it doesn’t mean that all you can do is rely on luck. cold email best practices
So how do you maximize your chances of hitting bulls-eye?
You need to make sure that you’re shooting your arrows with proper form, am I right?
Well, the same goes for writing cold emails.
To help you get the results you’re aiming for, here are 7 cold email best practices that can help you become the Oliver Queen of cold email marketers!
7 Cold Email Best Practices
#1: It’s not about you, it’s about them
The most common (yet fatal) mistake you can do when creating a cold email is to make it all about yourself and how great your product is. Yep, instant turn off right there.
You need to understand that the people you’re reaching out to probably haven’t heard about you or your brand before. This makes it easy for them to ignore your email completely, especially if they don’t see any value in your message.
So if you want their attention, your message has to be about them. How? Instead of telling them how awesome your company is, tell them how awesome their company is, and how you can help them grow.
#2: Being too salesy is a major turn-off
Your prospects are like hounds—they can smell a desperate sales email from miles away.
Just like you will be annoyed when a sales rep talks your ear off about their product, your prospects will also be put off when your email screams desperation.
Yes, it doesn’t matter how good your product is, you will still get a no. So, start slow! Don’t expect to secure a call or close a deal on your first email.
Remember, your prospects are human, so treat them like such. Just like meeting someone new, start by opening a conversation with them, and then as they become more comfortable with you, you can start offering your product.
#3: Research Before You Reach Out
When reaching out to your prospect, it’s important to show them that you’re willing to put in the time and effort to get to know them (and their company).
Your research will give you the opportunity to build a connection with your prospect. Show them that you share their interest or that you’ve experienced the same problems — find a common ground, and you might just find yourself a new client!
#4: Personalization is Key
Everyone wants to feel special, including your prospects. The easiest way to make them lose interest is to send them a one-fits-all email — that’s why personalizing your cold email copy is crucial.
Personalizing here is more than just putting your prospect’s name at the start of your email and calling it a day. No, personalization and research go hand-in-hand.
You can comment on a recent article they published, congratulate them on their promotion, or mention a mutual connection as a start.
#5: Write a Subject Line that Win Clicks
Your subject line is your first touchpoint with your prospect. It determines whether you will gain their interest or get ignored completely.
That’s why creating a strong subject line should be a priority. Because it doesn’t matter how awesome your product is or how compelling your email copy is if your subject line fails to win you that first click.
In general, shorter subject lines (60 characters or less) perform better, because it means it won’t get cut off and appear incomplete. But what’s more important is to intrigue your prospect into clicking your email open.
#6: Keep Your Email Short and Sweet
People can get easily scared off when they are faced with huge blocks of text. Even if they choose to read it, they will scan the text rather than reading it word for word.
That’s why it’s better to stick to shorter sentences and break up your paragraphs. This way, your prospects can easily digest and understand your intended message.
#7: Limit Distractions to Increase Conversion
When creating your email, you need to focus on one goal. Having too many goals means you’re going to overwhelm and confuse your prospect.
“Do you want me to give you a call, reply, or check your website?”
The more choices you provide, the harder it is for your prospect to make a decision. And most likely, they will choose to not take action at all.
Plus, having too many links will increase the chances of your email being marked as a promotional email or spam. So, remove all the distracting attachments, links, and multiple CTAs that are not in line with your main goal and be clear on what kind of action you want them to take.
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