The Art of the Cold Email
You’ve heard about cold calls and how to best tackle this daunting task. What about its relative, the cold email? Of course, you can gather a list of prospects, write an email describing how great and your products or services are, and click send. Done. But will you receive any responses? You might have just wasted your time. An email can be sent “randomly” but that does not mean it shouldn’t be relevant and targeted. It is not free license to make wild claims. Instead, learn the art of the cold email. A cold email that elicits a response is one that has been carefully crafted and tweaked to perfection.
The Art of the Cold Email
Tailor Each Message
Making each message individualized means that you won’t be able to send the email out to a list of 1,000 prospective clients. Depending on how much time you are able to dedicate, decide to focus on a small number of recipients. Research each and every one of them. A message can only be personalized if you understand what the person will find interesting or worthwhile. It should make sense to them why you chose to email them specifically. Ask questions like: “What needs do they have and what do they care about?” Consider their skill sets: how can you personalize your emails to those talents? If an email feels as if it has been churned out by a computer and spit out to hundreds of people, it will be passed over in a matter of seconds.
Show Value
We are selfish beings. We want to know what others can do for us. That is, we’re always thinking, “That’s great, but what’s in it for me?” It can be to your benefit to highlight a current problem. If you have taken time to research the email recipient, then you should have an idea of what types of problems they encounter. Consumers will go to great lengths to find solutions to their problems or avoid future pain.
Keep it Quick
If the recipient does in fact open your cold email, don’t make them regret it when they see long, winded paragraphs. Just like an elevator pitch, a cold email should be brief and to the point, including only the most important facts. Your language should be clear, with an obvious request for the desired action. Write the way that you talk so that the email feels natural, as if you were meeting someone at an event. You might want to read it aloud to a family member or a coworker.
Display Credibility
While the email shouldn’t be all about you, the recipient wants to know who they are hearing from and why you have reached out to them. Assume that they know nothing about you or the company that you work for. Be sure to mention any mutual acquaintances to bring you one step away from being a total stranger. Bragging would be inappropriate, but if you have any authority or social standing, it should be briefly mentioned. The recipient will hold you in higher regard and continue to read, as they will now be curious why you are contacting them of all people. If there is any connection to this person that you can possibly reference, even distant, state it within the first few sentences of your email.
Perfect the Subject Line
Lastly, or rather, firstly – make a good impression. The content of your email could be eloquent and valuable, but if the subject of the email fails to represent this, your cold email might end up being deleted before it is opened. Consider your request. What is the purpose of the email? Be straightforward. The subject line should express what you are asking for, in a maximum of seven words.