Email outreach is one of the most effective ways to generate leads for your business. According to statistics, cold email outreach has a response rate of up to 50%. With some thoughtful planning and research, you can craft compelling cold emails that convert recipients into leads.
How to Find Email Addresses
The first step is identifying and collecting relevant email addresses to reach out to. Here are some tips for finding email addresses of your target prospects:
- Use social media like LinkedIn to find contacts at target companies. You can use sales intelligence tools to find email addresses associated with these contacts.
- Attend industry events and conferences to network and collect business cards. Add those emails to your outreach list.
- Search company websites for listings of people in roles you want to target. For example, look for “Our Team” pages.
- Use tools like Hunter and Clearbit to find email addresses associated with domains and companies.
- Purchase email lists from reputable providers. Always comply with anti-spam regulations.
Craft an Appealing Subject Line
A good subject line is critical for getting your email opened. Follow these tips for irresistible subject lines:
- Keep it short, under 50 characters.
- Include the prospect’s name to personalize it.
- Ask a question to trigger curiosity. For example, “Quick question about [subject matter]?”
- Use power words like “Announcing,” “Free,” or “New.”
- Avoid spammy phrases like “Act Now.”
- Test different subject line versions and see which gets more opens.
Write a Compelling Opening
The opening paragraph is your chance to hook the prospect’s attention. Use these strategies to make your opening effective:
- personalize the greeting using the prospect’s name.
- State who you are and why you’re reaching out.
- Cue the value proposition or topic to get interest.
For example:
Hi [First Name],
My name is [Your Name] and I work for [Company], a firm specializing in [Your Expertise].
I’m emailing you today because we’ve helped companies like [Prospect Company] [insert compelling statistic or statement about value proposition].
Emphasize Benefits in the Body Copy
The body paragraphs should focus on proving your value and showing how you can help the prospect. Include relevant details such as:
- Specific ways you can solve their problems or meet needs
- Case studies and examples that relate to their industry
- Testimonials from current similar clients
- Data or research that supports your offerings
Articulate the direct benefits the prospect will enjoy by doing business with you. Stay focused on their needs instead of bragging about your own expertise and achievements.
Add a Clear Call-to-Action
Close your email with a clear call-to-action (CTA) that tells the prospect what to do next. For example:
- “Schedule a free 20-minute consultation with me”
- “Visit our site to download our latest case study”
- “Give me a call next week and we can discuss options”
Having one solid next step makes it easy for the prospect to take action.
Proofread Thoroughly
Before you hit send, always proofread your email for mistakes. Check for:
- Spelling and grammar errors
- Incorrect names or email addresses
- Formatting issues
- Missing images or attachments
- Broken links
Reading your email aloud can help you catch problems. It also helps to get a second set of eyes to proofread.
Follow Up Persistently
Only 20-30% of prospects will open your first email, and even fewer will respond right away. That’s why you need to follow up. Here are some effective follow up strategies:
- Send follow up emails every 3-5 business days to remind prospects.
- Try different subject lines to get more opens.
- Consider switching to phone follow ups after a few emails.
- Adjust your messaging based on any prospect replies.
- Keep following up until you get a “yes” or “no.”
On average it takes 6-8 follow up contacts before a prospect converts to a sale.
Optimize Your Tactics
Continuously refine your outreach process to improve results. Some areas to optimize include:
- Contact lists: Remove unresponsive contacts and add promising new prospects.
- Email copy: Tweak messaging based on the highest performing emails.
- Subject lines: Use your open rate data to refine subject lines.
- Follow ups: Adjust follow up timing and strategies to convert more prospects.
- Workflows: Set up email sequences or campaigns to automate where possible.
Review Email Metrics
Analyze key metrics to see how your cold email program is performing. Important metrics to track include:
- Open rate – Percentage of emails opened
- Click-through rate – Percentage of links in email clicked
- Response rate – Percentage of emails that received a reply
- Unsubscribe rate – Percentage of opt-outs from your emails
- Sales conversations – Number of emails leading to real sales discussions
- Deals closed – Number of deals directly attributed to cold email
Benchmark your metrics against industry averages. For cold email those include:
Metric | Industry Average |
---|---|
Open rate | 20-25% |
Click-through rate | 2-3% |
Response rate | 10-15% |
Unsubscribe rate | 0.1-0.2% |
If your metrics fall below these benchmarks, re-evaluate your outreach process.
Leverage Email Automation
Automating parts of your cold email workflow can save enormous time and effort. Consider using email automation to:
- Send initial contact emails
- Schedule follow up emails
- Track email opens and clicks
- Remove unsubscribed contacts
- Trigger emails based on certain prospect actions
Tools like MailChimp, Outreach.io, and PersistIQ offer robust email automation capabilities.
Align With Your CRM
Integrate your cold email efforts with your CRM system. This allows you to:
- Sync email activity directly with CRM contacts
- Update prospect records based on email engagement
- View email history and metrics within CRM
- Use CRM data to personalize email outreach
- Report on pipeline opportunities generated
Popular CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Zoho all integrate nicely with cold email platforms.
Comply With Email Laws
When sending cold emails, you must comply with anti-spam and data privacy regulations. This includes:
- Obtaining consent before emailing prospects in certain regions (e.g. GDPR)
- Honoring unsubscribe requests immediately
- Indicating a physical mailing address in your emails
- Not disguising the origin or subject matter of emails
- Limiting email frequency to avoid spam complaints
Work with a lawyer to ensure your outreach complies with regulations like CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR.
Conclusion
Cold email remains one of the most effective tactics for generating qualified leads. By carefully crafting your messaging, relentlessly following up, and continuously optimizing your efforts, you can achieve excellent results.
Focus on customizing your outreach, providing value to prospects, and making it as easy as possible for them to engage. With the right strategy, cold email can become your #1 lead generation channel.