Contents
- 1 How to Write a Cold Email – Table of Contents
- 2 How to write a cold email in 10 simple steps?
- 2.1 1. Define your goals
- 2.2 2. Identify your target audience
- 2.3 3. Craft an irresistible subject line
- 2.4 4. Start with a relevant opening
- 2.5 5. Introduce yourself and your purpose
- 2.6 6. Sympathize with their pain points
- 2.7 7. Add your unique value proposition (USP)
- 2.8 8. Include a clear & direct call-to-action (CTA)
- 2.9 9. Close your email with appreciation
- 2.10 10. Don’t forget your email signature
- 3 7 Pro tips to remember when writing cold emails
- 4 4 common mistakes to avoid in your cold emails
- 5 How to send your first cold email?
- 6 How to write a perfect cold email for different use cases?
- 7 Best Cold Emailing Templates & Examples
- 8 Cold Email Sequence Template & Examples
- 9 Conclusion
- 10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Writing a cold email might not be rocket science, but it can feel like one if you’ve never written one before or you did but did not receive any response.
Most salespeople go through this journey, and only a few come out conquering. All of these people have one thing in common: a well-thought strategy.
Starting from how to write a cold email to common mistakes, this blog is a blueprint for anyone looking to ace their cold emailing game. Let’s get right into it!
How to Write a Cold Email – Table of Contents
- How to write a cold email in 10 simple steps?
- 7 Pro tips to remember when writing cold emails
- 4 common mistakes to avoid in your cold emails
- How to send your first cold email?
- How to write a perfect cold email for different use cases
- Best cold email templates & examples
- Cold Email Sequence Template & Examples
- Conclusion
- FAQs
How to write a cold email in 10 simple steps?
Writing a cold email is an art that requires carefully crafting your message to capture the recipient’s attention and motivate them to respond.
Here are the 10 steps you need to follow to write a perfect cold email:
- Define your goals
- Identify your target audience
- Craft an irresistible subject line
- Start with a relevant opening
- Introduce yourself and your purpose
- Sympathize with their pain points
- Add your unique value proposition
- Include a clear & direct call-to-action (CTA)
- Close your email with appreciation
- Don’t forget your email signature
1. Define your goals
Before you start drafting your email, clearly define the goals you wish to achieve (i.e. lead generation, promote your product/service, book more meetings, outreach to candidates, link building).
Remember that identifying your goals is about a lot more than what you want to accomplish; it’s about knowing what value you bring to your recipients.
By aligning your goals with theirs, you create a win-win situation that encourages involvement and the development of lasting relationships.
Plus, having a clear goal will help to shape your email message and give you an idea about what details to include to evoke a response from the recipients.
2. Identify your target audience
Once you know your goals, the next step is to research your prospects and customize your email copy to resonate with them.
Remember, even though you’re emailing people cold, you should still clearly understand who they are and what they care about. So, look up information on each prospect and their company so you can customize your message accordingly.
Understand that throwing your darts blindfolded won’t lead to the desired results. You can get responses if you’re targeting the right people. If you do that, half the battle is already won.
Consider the following questions to help you focus your research:
- Are there too many or too few people in my target audience?
- Will my offering assist my customer? Will they realize the value in it?
- Do I understand what influences my recipient’s decisions?
- Can I contact them by cold email? Is their email inbox reachable?
- Am I targeting the decision-makers in the organization?
Saleshandy Lead Finder offers a pool of 700 Million+ Contacts and 60 Million Companies that makes prospecting easier.
Generate leads effortlessly by using our inbuilt lead finder tool. Filter the leads by company, professional profiles, role and department, location, and many more options.
3. Craft an irresistible subject line
Your email subject line can make or break the overall impression and effectiveness of your outreach campaign.
That’s why your subject line must be compelling, personalized, and relevant to each prospect.
Let’s see two examples:
Bad subject line: Web Design Services Available
Good subject line: [prospect name], struggling with {{challenge}}?
As you can see, the first subject line is generic and not personalized for the prospect.
The second subject line, on the other hand, is more personalized for a specific prospect and resonates with the main pain point.
As a result, the recipient is more inclined to open an email with a second subject line to learn more about the opportunity.
Keep in mind the following tips for writing such irresistible subject lines for your emails:
- Make sure the subject is concise, attention-grabbing, and relevant
- Use powerful but simple words
- Ask industry-specific questions
- Offer insight to the customer
- Make people curious about your products and services
Read more : 65 Best Cold Email Subject Lines To Boost Open Rates in 2024
4. Start with a relevant opening
After capturing your prospect’s attention with a persuasive subject line, the next crucial step is to nail the introduction. At this stage, you must keep hold of their attention and entice them to read more.
Remember, you only have seconds to catch their interest before they hit delete. So, skip the generic opener and go for something personalized. We recommend finding an interesting fact, achievement, or pain point about their company you can reference. This shows you did your research and gets their attention.
For example:
“As the Director of Marketing at [Company], you must get hundreds of cold emails pitching random products. I’ll try not to waste your time and keep this short…”
A thoughtful opening line like this works better than a generic “How are you?” or talking about yourself first.
5. Introduce yourself and your purpose
Once you’ve hit the mark with your introduction, take a sentence or two to explain who you are and why you’re emailing. Be clear about your purpose so they immediately understand the context.
For example:
“My name is [your name] and I’m the [your position] at [your company]. I’m emailing because I saw that you recently partnered with [relevant company] on [relevant project].”
The key is briefly introducing yourself while quickly pivoting to their needs. So, don’t spend multiple paragraphs boasting about yourself.
6. Sympathize with their pain points
After introducing yourself and the purpose of your email, immediately demonstrate that you understand their challenges & sympathize with their pain points. This will help to build rapport and show that you get their needs.
Ideally, you should mention a specific pain point or challenge that you noticed while researching the prospect and explain how you can help resolve it.
For example:
“As a fellow marketer, I know how tough it can be figuring out which marketing automation platform makes sense with a limited budget. That’s actually why I’m reaching out…”
By relating to their problems like this, you can come across like a partner and not just another salesperson.
7. Add your unique value proposition (USP)
In a cold email, you only have a few seconds to pique the reader’s interest. This is where your value proposition comes into play. Adding value proposition means swiftly communicating your offerings to your target audience.
A well-crafted value proposition shows that you understand the recipient’s wants or concerns and how your offering may effectively address them. By emphasizing what makes your offer distinctive, you demonstrate to the recipient why they should choose your solution over others in the market.
This relevance makes your email more appealing, boosting the likelihood that they will read on. When your value proposition matches their needs, it forges a bond that further drives them to interact with your email.
Example:
“We understand that a team like yours has excellent abilities but is frequently constrained by time and resources when it comes to increasing outbound lead creation. Our application can assist you in automating the mailing process, allowing your team members to focus on what they do best: closing deals.”
8. Include a clear & direct call-to-action (CTA)
Imagine this: Your recipient has read your mail and is impressed by your product but doesn’t know what to do next. This might sound strange, but this is the sad reality of most cold email campaigns.
You can have the best email copy and subject line in the world, but no one will take the next step without a compelling call to action.
However, crafting a compelling CTA is not as easy as it sounds. But it’s crucial to give them a next step they can take like scheduling a meeting, call, or consultation.
Being direct with what you want them to do makes it easy for them to take action.
However, make sure you are not being overly salesy, otherwise, you risk annoying your prospects who are not yet ready to buy.
9. Close your email with appreciation
Showing gratitude takes you a long way. Ending your email with appreciation is a pleasant way to express gratitude while also leaving a great impression on the recipient.
So, to earn some brownie points, adopt the age-old practice of being humble in concluding your emails.
Let us share a few examples:
- “Thank You for your time and consideration.”
- “I want to express my gratitude for your support.”
- “I look forward to your continued support and thank you in advance.”
10. Don’t forget your email signature
Finally, be sure to include a professional email signature with your name, title, company, phone number, and email address. This gives them the details they need to contact you easily.
A professional email signature is essential since it acts as a virtual business card and leaves a pictorial impression in the recipient’s head. Using the company’s name, logo, and corporate colors helps reinforce brand recognition.
It facilitates simple communication and establishes trust with potential customers by offering important contact information and social media links. This increases response rates and trust, establishing fruitful business relationships.
7 Pro tips to remember when writing cold emails
A successful cold emailing strategy requires value-driven communication and respectful engagement with prospects. Here we’ve covered valuable and professional tips to generate business leads. Let’s understand each of them.
1. Personalize your emails
Personalization is one aspect of cold emails you cannot overlook. It’s the secret ingredient that shows your potential customers that you know who you’re talking to.
Spend time researching each potential client personally rather than utilizing cliched opening statements. Visit their website or LinkedIn profile to learn more about their objectives, successes, current projects, or potential pain points.
The benefit of personalizing is that it creates an instant connection and gives your message more authority. Your email will be far more likely to be read and understood if it demonstrates that you took the time to understand them.
2. Keep emails short, to the point, and actionable
Keep your cold emails short, simple, and to the point. Focus on explaining to potential customers how your solution can help them solve their problems or accomplish their goals. While sending a cold email, your main objective is to get a favorable response.
Remember, it’s important to make it simple for your prospects to get through your email. The faster they can grasp the value you offer, the better your chances of conversion. Also, consider how you may best conclude your email to have that lasting impression.
Also Read: Cold Email AI: How to Use AI to Close 10x More Deals in 2024
3. Segment your audience based on their engagement level
Putting your recipients into groups regarding cold emailing is a game-changer. Segmenting your prospects is about forming groups of people with similar interests, problems, and levels of engagement.
By doing this, you can easily create content specially designed for each group and address their unique problems and requirements more effectively.
Think about it: When you address your consumers’ most pressing concerns, the value and relevance of your offers skyrocket. Addressing these critical concerns can have a positive impact, such as greater trust, higher conversion rates, positive word-of-mouth, client loyalty, and so on.
4. Use a cold email software
With a cold email software, you can easily create and fully automate your cold email outreach campaign. Cold email software like Salshandy provides robust analytics to track the impact of your email campaigns and evaluate their performance.
This software also lets you personalize, schedule, and automate your cold email campaigns. These tools increase your odds with features such as A/Z testing, auto follow-ups, email deliverability, etc.
The cold email software streamlines and optimizes your email outreach efforts, making it an incredibly useful tool for any sales team.
5. Demonstrate your Authority
When you reach out to someone you don’t know, you must show them who you are and why they should care about what you have to say. You’ve probably researched them, but they know nothing about you. Hence, developing confidence and trust is essential.
One good strategy to do this is finding common ground. Mentioning your mutual connections will provide powerful social proof that you are not simply another faceless stranger. It fills the gap right away.
If you don’t have major contacts or authority, look for uncommon connections or similar interests that foster a sense of connection. Even on a personal level, belonging to the same group can foster strong human connections.
Remember, those unexpected and rare similarities truly bond us with others. The goal is to go from a “stranger” to someone they feel they can relate to and be comfortable with.
6. Proofread the emails
Nothing can derail the efforts you put into crafting a cold email other than grammatical or spelling errors. A single error can give your prospects the wrong impression.
Prioritizing proofreading before clicking that “send” button is essential to retain that professional image and increase the chances of success. Investing in paid tools like Grammarly and PerfectIt is a good choice as they can help catch errors and improve the overall quality of your emails.
Making a list of frequent grammatical errors and inconsistencies can also be quite helpful. The checklist is a handy reference, ensuring nothing important is overlooked. It guarantees that your cold emails are precise and expertly written to create an impact.
7. Send multiple follow-up emails
Sending follow-up emails is an important part of cold outreach. While initial emails introduce you and your product or service, not all recipients may read them thoroughly. The reason is the sheer volume of emails they receive on a daily basis.
Follow-up emails indicate your desire to cultivate the relationship benefits both sides. Sending follow-ups allows you to deepen connections and boost the possibility of converting leads into satisfied customers.
Read More: Cold Email Frameworks That Will Get You More Conversions (+Templates And Examples)
4 common mistakes to avoid in your cold emails
As you walk on the path of writing cold emails, there are some potholes that you must avoid. Let us shed some light on these so you can clearly see them as you walk.
1. Generalizing the recipient
Generalizing the recipient can be your biggest mistake while sending a cold email. When you do this, the email can come across as robotic and impersonal, lacking the human touch, and this turns off non-robotic humans.
Instead, customize email messages for each prospect to make them feel someone wants to talk to them. Understand it’s not a billboard but a message to form a relationship.
2. Being too salesy or aggressive
Everyone has encountered an overly enthusiastic salesperson who seems more focused on selling us something than understanding our requirements. It’s annoying.
But when writing a cold email, building relationships and providing value to the recipients should be the main priorities rather than using forceful sales tactics and aggressive pitches. A positive and optimistic tone should run through your email, making a great first impression.
Your email becomes more interesting and enticing when you care about the receiver and their needs. It’s all about building a relationship and demonstrating that you’re here to contribute, not just to make a quick sale.
3. Sending emails without a clear goal or CTA
The primary goal of CTA is to guide recipients to do a specific action assigned in the email. Remember that each CTA must deliver tangible benefits. Ask yourself these questions to frame an effective CTA.
- What am I expecting my recipients to do?
- How will they know what to do?
- Why would they do it?
Addressing these questions will help you craft a compelling CTA, which will motivate your recipients to take action thus fostering stronger engagement with your audience.
4. Neglecting to follow up
The key to unlocking better response rates lies in recognizing that initial emails are just a small part of a larger process. In order to complete the picture and actually engage with your recipients, well-crafted follow-up emails are crucial.
Surprisingly, sending only one follow-up puts you ahead of the competition. Why? Simply because you’re doing something that most people aren’t.
This subtle but significant effort distinguishes you as proactive, considerate, and interested in encouraging meaningful conversation.
A well-crafted follow-up increases the likelihood of receiving a response and reinforces your brand reputation as a thorough and attentive professional.
How to send your first cold email?
Crafting emails that provide value to leads is critical, and using a solid and influential cold email outreach tool may make a world of difference.
When writing your first cold email, we highly recommend using Saleshandy, as it offers multiple useful features to optimize and create value-based content such as:
- Mail Merge
Mail merge inside Saleshandy allows you to personalize cold emails at scale by dynamically populating custom fields like name, company, and any other prospect data.
This personalization goes beyond a simple mail merge by letting you craft dynamic custom fields (mail-merge) email content that changes per recipient for ultimate relevance. The result is hyper-personalized cold emails that feel authentic and capture attention.
- Spintax
Spintax helps improve cold email deliverability by randomizing certain text elements like greetings and call-to-actions.
These variations prevent your messages from looking like duplicate bulk emails to spam filters. With Spintax, each cold email copy appears unique while maintaining your core messaging for maximum inbox placement rates.
- Templates
Using our template library of high-converting, pre-written cold email templates gets you started on the right foot. Choose from templates proven to generate replies and warm leads across industries and roles. Use them as a foundation or mix-and-match sections to create a personalized cold email sequence in minutes.
- Pre-header
Email pre-header is a brief text that appears after the sender’s information and the subject line in an email.
A well-crafted pre-header can make the difference between getting opened or ignored.
Saleshandy allows you to easily edit pre-header text in the same place where you edit your subject line.
- Email Preview
Before sending your cold emails, get a pixel-perfect preview of exactly how they’ll appear in prospects’ inboxes. This helps you identify and fix any rendering issues beforehand to ensure consistent, professional-looking messages representing your brand.
You can preview emails for each prospect you have added to your sequences inside Saleshandy.
- Email Writing Assistance
Email writing assistance helps you to write perfect cold email copies and provides you with a personalization score, spammy words check, word limit check, and much more.
This guides you to elevate your messaging every step of the way. Get recommendations for clear, compelling, and error-free cold email content that follows best practices.
- Sequence Score – Email Writing Score
Sequence Score analyses and scores the quality of your cold email content based on proven deliverability criteria. It provides an overall grade while flagging specific areas that need improvement related to spammy words, content quality, personalization, and more.
Optimize for maximum engagement before hitting send.
- A-Z Variants
To test the best version of your cold emails, Saleshandy allows you to not just A-B test emails but A-Z testing. A-Z Variants will enable you to create fully customized email sequences tailored to each recipient from start to finish.
This generates dynamic variants of every email element, from subject lines to body copy to signatures based on any contact property. Achieve unmatched relevance and personalization at scale.
Let’s understand how to write your cold email using Saleshandy:
- Step 1 – Create an account on Saleshandy
- Step 2 – Connect your email account(s)
- Step 3 – Write your cold email and create an auto follow-up sequence
- Step 4 – Add your prospects
- Step 5 – Set your email sending schedule and launch the campaign
Step 1 – Create an account on Saleshandy
The first step in getting started with Saleshandy is to create a new account on their website. The sign-up procedure is simple and quick, taking less than a minute to complete.
Simply go to the Saleshandy website, click the ‘Sign up for Free’ button, and then follow the on-screen instructions to set up your account.
After creating the account, the following step is to connect your email account.
Step 2 – Connect your email account(s)
After completing the sign-up process, the next step is to connect to your email accounts. Here, you can add an unlimited number of email addresses to make your outreach more efficient.
Adding an email account is a simple process; you can choose between native integration or SMTP/IMAP. Go to the ‘settings’ menu, ‘add email accounts,’ and follow the on-screen instructions to add your selected email account.
To maintain good email deliverability, it’s essential to consider creating secondary domains for your email accounts. This practice helps preserve a high deliverability rate while safeguarding your sender’s reputation for your primary domain.
For instance, if your business domain is outreachexample.com, you can purchase secondary domains like outreachexamplehq.com and getoutreachexample.co.
Furthermore, it is recommended to create up to five email accounts from a single domain and send 50 targeted emails every day. This method ensures higher outreach results while retaining a good sender reputation.
Taking these steps can significantly improve your email deliverability and reputation, resulting in more successful cold outreach.
Step 3 – Write your cold email and create an auto follow-up sequence
Once you have connected your email accounts, you can begin writing your cold email in Saleshandy.
To begin, navigate to the ‘Sequences’ tab and press the ‘Create Sequence’ button.
After that, click the ‘Add Step’ button to bring up a popup window where you may write your email copy.
Once you’ve finished drafting your email copy, save it by clicking the ‘Save’ button to start your mass email campaign sequence.
Saleshandy allows you to send follow-up emails to recipients who haven’t opened or responded to your initial email. Return to the ‘Sequences’ area and click the ‘Add Step’ button again below your initial email step to add a follow-up email.
Step 4 – Add your prospects
After composing your email, the next step is to add prospects to your sequence. You have two options: add them individually or upload them in bulk.
To add prospects in bulk, navigate to the ‘Prospects’ section and click on the downward arrow located next to the ‘Add Prospects’ button. From there, select the ‘Import via CSV’ option, allowing you to upload your prospect list in one go.
When you upload your prospect list in bulk, you can clean and check your prospects’ email addresses.
If you haven’t yet validated their email addresses, simply click the ‘Continue’ button while uploading, and Saleshandy will do the verification for you. This guarantees that your email list is accurate before beginning your outreach efforts.
Step 5 – Set your email sending schedule and launch the campaign
The last step is to choose the time interval for sending your emails.
To do so, navigate to the ‘Settings’ section of your sequence. You can then easily choose your preferred email-sending schedule, establishing the time intervals between each email sent.
You can use this tool to optimize delivery timing for maximum impact and interaction with your recipients.
When you have finished establishing your schedule, you must activate your email sequence to begin sending emails. Make sure you’ve checked off all things from the cold email checklist before launching the campaign.
Return to the ‘Sequences’ area and change the ‘Draft’ option to ‘Activate.’
“Are you sure you want to activate the sequence?” it will ask. You’re done when you click the ‘Yes’ button.
Using these steps, you can flag off your email campaigns and generate quality leads for your business growth.
Read more : Cold email structure that generates high open and reply rates
How to write a perfect cold email for different use cases?
Now we know how to write a cold email, let us see how to write them based on different use cases:
How to write a Cold Email for a Job or an Internship?
When writing a cold email for a job or internship, here are some specific things to keep in mind:
- Make a good first impression: The first few sentences of your email are crucial in making a good first impression. Introduce yourself briefly and state the purpose of your email clearly.
- Personalize the email: Try to find out the name of the person you are emailing and address them directly. Use their name instead of using a generic greeting like “Dear Sir/Madam”.
- Keep it concise: Your email should be brief and to the point. Avoid including unnecessary details and focus on highlighting your relevant skills and experiences.
- Highlight your qualifications: Briefly mention your qualifications and experience that make you a suitable candidate for the job or internship.
- Explain your motivation: Explain why you are interested in the job or internship, and what specifically attracts you to the company or organization.
- Show enthusiasm: Show genuine interest and enthusiasm in the opportunity, and express your willingness to learn and contribute to the team.
- Close with a call to action: End your email by stating what you hope to gain from the email and asking for a follow-up, such as a meeting or call to discuss your application further.
- Proofread and edit: Before sending the email, make sure to proofread it thoroughly and edit any mistakes or typos. A well-written email with proper grammar and spelling shows attention to detail and professionalism.
Cold Email Example: The inquiry email for an internship
Could I be your next intern?
To whom it may concern,
I am writing this email to see if {{company name}} has any internship opportunities.
My name is {{Your Name}} and I am a {{recent graduate/student}} at {{university name}} with a degree in {{Major or degree name}} and I have achieved {{mention grades}}.
I have relevant coursework in {{area}}.
I was also a part of the {{student committees/volunteering}} and {{add an achievement}}.
I am interested in your firm because {{mention a personal or professional connection}}.
In case you are interested, I have attached my resume and relevant references. I would love an opportunity to grow at {{company name}}!
Best,
{{Your Name}}
How to write a Cold Email for Sales?
Apart from the points covered above here are some specific things that you can consider when writing a cold email for sales:
- Identify a common connection: Do some research to find out if there are any common connections you share with the recipient of the email, such as a shared alma mater or mutual acquaintance. Mentioning this in the email can help establish a rapport and make your message stand out.
- Keep it conversational: Rather than using formal language, try to keep your email conversational and use a friendly tone. This can help establish a connection with the recipient and make them more likely to engage with your message.
- Offer a personalized solution: Instead of just pitching your product or service, try to offer a personalized solution that specifically addresses the recipient’s needs or pain points. This can make your message more relevant and compelling.
- Use multimedia: Consider including multimedia elements in your email, such as a video or infographic, to make your message more engaging and memorable.
- Provide social proof: Use customer testimonials, case studies, or other forms of social proof to demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service and build credibility.
- Follow up strategically: After sending your initial email, follow up strategically with a personalized message that addresses any questions or concerns the recipient may have. This can help keep the conversation going and increase the chances of closing the sale.
Cold Email Example: The “helpful” technique for Sales
{{First Name}}, are you dealing with [email marketing issues - example of the problem]?
Hello {{First Name}},
Have you been facing issues with [email marketing responses - example of the problem]? We’ve all been there, trust me!
If you’re in the same boat, then lucky for you because I would like to help you out.
Just send me an email and I’ll tell you about my ideas.
Looking forward to your response!
Have a great day!
Regards,
{{Your Name}}
How to write a Cold Email to Venture Capitalist (VC)?
When writing a Cold Email to a Venture Capitalist (VC), here are a few things to consider:
- Keep it concise: Venture capitalists receive a large number of emails every day, so it’s important to keep your email brief and to the point. Avoid including too much detail or background information.
- Personalize the email: Do some research on the VC and their portfolio to personalize your email. Mention specific investments or projects they have worked on and explain why you think your pitch would be a good fit for their portfolio.
- Highlight your unique value proposition: Make sure to clearly communicate your unique value proposition and explain why your business or idea is different and innovative compared to others in the market.
- Include a clear ask: Be specific about what you’re looking for, whether it’s funding, feedback, or a meeting. Make it easy for the VC to respond by suggesting a specific time and date for a call or meeting.
- Show traction: If you have any traction or early customers, make sure to mention this in your email. This can demonstrate that your idea has real-world potential and can help build credibility.
- Be respectful of their time: VCs are busy people, so make sure to be respectful of their time. Avoid sending follow-up emails too frequently or asking for too much in your initial email.
- Provide an exit strategy: VCs are looking for investments that will provide a return, so make sure to include an exit strategy in your pitch. Explain how you plan to generate revenue and ultimately provide a return on investment for the VC.
How to Write a Cold Email for Networking?
When writing a cold email for networking, it’s important to pay attention to the details in order to make a good impression and increase your chances of receiving a response. Here are some hyper-specific things to keep in mind:
- Personalize your greeting: Use the recipient’s name in your greeting instead of a generic “Hello” or “Dear Sir/Madam.” This shows that you have taken the time to research and address the person specifically.
- Explain your purpose: Clearly state why you are reaching out and what you hope to gain from the interaction. For example, you might say that you admire the recipient’s work and would like to learn more about their career path.
- Show your value: Explain how your skills, experience, or interests align with the recipient’s work or industry. This demonstrates that you are not simply seeking a favor, but that you have something to offer in return.
- Be respectful of their time: Acknowledge that the recipient is busy and request a specific amount of time for the conversation or meeting. Offer to work around their schedule and be flexible.
- Proofread your email: Check for spelling and grammar errors, and make sure your email is professional in tone and formatting. A polished email can make a big difference in how you are perceived.
Cold Email Example: Networking
It was nice meeting you {{First Name}}!
Greetings {{First Name}},
We met at {{event}} on {{day}} and I had a great time chatting with you about {{topic}}.
If I recall correctly, you expressed an interest in {{your services}} that we offer.
Do you want to book a quick meeting with us this week to see how we can help each other out? We’ll keep the meeting short, I know you are busy!
{{calendar link}}
Let me know when you are available.
Sincerely,
{{Your Name}}
How to Write a Cold Email to an Investor?
When writing a cold email to an investor, keep in mind to:
- Research the investor: Do your homework to learn about the investor’s background, investment portfolio, and areas of interest. This will help you tailor your message to their specific needs and preferences.
- Explain why you’re a good fit: Clearly explain why your business or project is a good match for the investor’s investment strategy and goals. Be specific about what you’re offering and how it aligns with their investment priorities.
- Show traction: Provide evidence that your business or project has traction and is making progress. This could include metrics such as revenue, user growth, or customer engagement.
- Be transparent: Be upfront about any potential risks or challenges associated with your business or project. Investors appreciate honesty and want to know that you have thought through the potential pitfalls.
- Be respectful of their time: Acknowledge that the investor is busy and request a specific amount of time for the conversation or meeting. Offer to work around their schedule and be flexible.
- Provide a clear call to action: Clearly state what you want the investor to do next, whether it’s scheduling a meeting, reviewing additional materials, or making an introduction.
- Follow-up: If you don’t receive a response within a week or so, send a polite follow-up email. Investors receive many emails, so it’s possible that yours simply got lost in the shuffle. A gentle reminder can be helpful, but don’t be pushy or aggressive.
How to Write a Cold Email for a Partnership?
When writing a cold email for a partnership, it is important to pay attention to some very specific and micro-level details to increase the likelihood of receiving a positive response. Here are some tips:
- Research the recipient: Before you start writing the email, research the person or company you are reaching out to. Look for any commonalities or shared interests, and try to tailor your message accordingly.
- Keep it short and to the point: Cold emails should be concise and easy to read. Try to keep the email to no more than a few short paragraphs and focus on the key points you want to convey.
- Personalize the email: Address the recipient by name and use a friendly, conversational tone. Avoid sounding too formal or robotic.
- Highlight the benefits: Make sure to clearly articulate what the recipient stands to gain from partnering with you. Focus on the specific ways in which your partnership can benefit both parties.
- Offer something of value: It can be helpful to offer something of value upfront, such as a free sample or consultation. This can help to establish trust and build rapport.
- Proofread carefully: Be sure to proofread your email carefully to avoid typos or other errors that could detract from your message.
- Follow up: If you don’t hear back right away, don’t be discouraged. Follow up after a few days to reiterate your interest and offer.
Cold Email Example: Content Partnership
Suggestion for your blog page!
Hi there, {{First Name}}
Happy {{Day of the week!}}
I am {{Your Name}} from {{Company Name}} and I work as {{Position}.
My team and I have been reading your blog page for a while now and are impressed with your work, especially {{add a few blogs you liked by name or topic}}.
We are also interested in {{topic}}.
I wanted to quickly reach out to you to ask if you would be interested in discussing a mutually beneficial collaboration between our teams.
We could help each other raise awareness for {{name of your product}} and {{name of theirs}}.
It’s a win-win for both!
Let me know!
Thanks,
{{Your Name}}
Read more : 11 Tips to Improve cold email response rate
So far, we have seen how to write cold emails for various use cases. Let’s look at some examples of effective cold emails:
Best Cold Emailing Templates & Examples
Here are a few sample cold email templates & examples that you can use or refer to while crafting your cold email:
1. Reaching Out Before Calling
{Let’s talk {{First Name}}!
Subject:{Let’s talk {{First Name}}!
Hey there, {{First Name}}
How are you doing today? I am {{Name}} and I work at {{company name}}.
We work with companies like {{their company name}} to:
{{mention pain points and the solutions offered}}
I was wondering if you are the right person to have a conversation with about this? I would love to get in touch with you over the phone, as having an actual conversation could be beneficial.
If you are interested, you can reply to this email and let me know your availability.
Cheers,
{{Your Name}}
2. The “Startup Technique”
{{First Name}}, do you need help with [email marketing - example solution]?
Hello {{First Name}},
Have your employees at {{insert company name}} been dealing with [email marketing problems] currently?
I’m from {{XYZ company}} and I’m working with dozens of companies from your field, like [Examples of companies] to make sure their [email marketing issue] is resolved on a daily basis because of our [email marketing services].
Trust me, I know you might not have an easy day as the {{Position of prospect}}, and your schedule might be as busy as it gets, but how about we settle for a quick call for later?
We might get to the bottom of this and eradicate the problem forever.
Cheers!
{{Your Name}}
3. The “direct” technique
I have some exciting news!
Hey {{First Name}},
I am {{Your Name}} from {{XYZ}}, and we specialize in [email marketing services]. With the hustle and bustle of life, sending out emails manually has become a tedious task.
With traditional [email marketing], tracking open rates and ensuring deliverability are not guaranteed.
But, with {{name of software}}, all of these things are a dream come true!
If this has piqued your interest, reply to this email and we’ll go from there.
[Adding your website and links to social media can prove to be beneficial and increase your chances of a reply]
Regards,
{{Your Name}}
Cold Email Sequence Template & Examples
1. Follow-Up Email #1
Hey! Remember me?
Hi {{First Name}},
I emailed you a few days ago about {{insert the content of email}}.
I understand that you might be busy.
Did I mention we offer a [14-day free trial] with no commitments whatsoever?
You can sign up for our trial [here], in case you wish to try out our software to ensure you are making the best choice for yourself.
Let me know how it goes.
Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Best Wishes,
{{Your Name}}
2. Follow Up Email #2
{{First Name}}, any update?
Hi again, {{First Name}},
Hope you’re having a great day.
I wanted to reach out to ask you if there were any updates in regard to the previous email I sent?
I know this email has probably gotten lost in the shuffle, so I really hope you see this one.
Just to reiterate, {add content shared in the first two emails but keep it short}.
Let me know :)
Best,
{{Your Name}}
3. Asked to follow up later
Is this a good time to talk?
Hi {{First name}},
The last time we spoke, you wanted me to get back to you after a while. Our conversation ended on {{topic}}.
I am just following up to know if it would be a good time to discuss this now. I am sharing the proposal file, and I would be happy to recap our previous conversation as well.
Let me know a suitable time to connect with you.
Thanks,
{{Your name}}
4. After getting no response
I think it’s time to say goodbye!
Hey {{First name}},
I have tried to connect with you several times, and I haven’t heard back from you at all. I understand you may have different priorities at this given time, and thus I will be closing your file.
In case you would like to connect in the future, don't hesitate to email me.
Thanks,
{{Your name}}
5. The “break up” email
{{First Name}}, let’s cut to the chase!
Hello {{First Name}},
I know this is probably getting a bit intrusive. I wanted to reach out to you one last time.
Let me know if you are interested in {{mention what was offered}}.
If I don’t hear back from you, I’ll assume the timing wasn’t right or you have other better offers.
If in the future, you would like to use our services feel free to reach out to me.
Wishing you the best.
Cheers,
{{Your Name}}
You can also use ChatGPT to write cold email. Read our detailed guide on How To Write Cold Emails Using ChatGPT?
Conclusion
Writing a cold email is hard but If you follow all the best practices mentioned above then you are guaranteed to craft a perfect cold email that gets a response. Remember to keep your emails short and personalized.
If you don’t receive an instant reply, don’t be alarmed; this is quite common in a cold email campaign. Add automated follow-ups to keep checking in with prospects in case they aren’t convinced.
Cold emailing requires persistence without being too pushy. Nudge your prospects in the right direction by proving to them that you are here to help and aim to resolve their pain points.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What should be the length of a cold email?
Cold emails should be clear and to the point. It is recommended to keep your cold email under five sentences or less than 150 words to get read and receive a reply.
2. How can I make my cold email stand out?
One should always personalize the subject line and make it catchy to make your cold email stand out. It is also important to personalize the email content, provide some value to the recipient, and end your email with a competing call-to-action.
3. What is the best time to send a cold email?
The best time to send a cold email varies depending on the recipient’s time zone, industry, and schedule. It is recommended to send your cold email in the middle of the week in the early morning or late afternoon to get an increased open rate.