The cold call email. We’ve all done them; and we either love them or hate them.
There are various reasons to love or hate cold call emails – whether you love the rush you get when you hit that Send button or hate the panic you feel when you’re trying to compose an email that will receive a response.
Cold call emails have a certain kind of art to them. In order to be effective, they need to be engaging, direct and to the point, as well as provide enough useful value to the recipient so they will respond. In this post we are going to show you how to write a cold call email that will help you receive more responses and get your foot in the door.
Hit the ground running
Your email opener doesn’t need to beat around the bush. You’re emailing with a purpose so you may as well get right to it.
Begin with an appropriate salutation (Dear so-and-so, Hello, and Good morning/afternoon/evening are typically pretty safe bets although it depends on the goal of your email) and then jump right in.
You may also consider opening with some research you’ve done on the recipient or their company following the salutation in order to break the ice, though again, that ultimately depends on why you are sending them the cold call email in the first place. Sometimes it may be better to just introduce yourself and tell them explicitly why you’re emailing them and not waste any time.
For instance, you may wish to show the email recipient that you’re not emailing them by accident or as a matter of convenience but that you have identified them as being the right person to contact for your specific purpose.
Regardless on which option you choose, research on the subject of your email is never a bad idea. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to connect with them.
Show them the money
Once you have opened your email with an introduction and identified your reason for contacting them, you should then provide them with information as to why what you are offering them will be a benefit to them.
It cannot be stressed enough that this information should be relevant specifically to your recipient and not be too generalized. This shows that you are not just sending a mass email to all your “business contacts” and that you are aware of how you can help your recipient’s individual needs.
You do not want your cold call email to be overly long or else the recipient won’t read it in its entirety – truth be told they will likely only skim it in the best of circumstances. You want to drive your value propositions home quickly and effectively. Generally, you should think about describing the benefits and value of what you’re offering in a series of bullet points or a short, numbered list. Eyes tend to be drawn more to short paragraphs and bullets, so try and follow this format for including the most important information in your email – how you can help.
Make your ask
Once you have laid your preliminary groundwork with your cold call email recipient by showing that you are knowledgeable about what it is they do and identifying how you, your product, or service can be of help to them, you can end your email with a call to action.
Make sure to keep things simple and not ask for too much in your first email. A call to action may be a meeting or a phone call to further the discussion, or even just a simple reply to your email. Your goal is to provide the least amount of work possible for your recipient.
Specificity is key here though. Like we said before, there’s no need to beat around the bush. Be clear in what you want and don’t be vague about it; provide a clear call to action that invites a response. If you’re asking for a call or meeting, provide time options rather than using the word “sometime.” This way you’re not waiting around and wondering when and if they’re going to reply. If they don’t respond within the timeframe you provide, you can start thinking of sending a follow-up email.
Things to keep in mind
There are many things to keep in mind in terms of how to write of a cold call email. Here are a few reminders that should help you achieve your goals.
- Keep your email short and concise
- Do your research
- Make sure you’re contacting the relevant person
- Don’t ask for too much
- Personalize your email to the recipient
- Use specific CTAs
Ready to write a cold call email?
If you’re ready to begin writing a cold call email but need an email solution to help you with building and designing it, check out SimplyCast’s Email Editor by signing up for a free trial below!
And, if you found this post useful, be sure to check out How to Write a Marketing Email and How to Write a Follow-Up Email!
