Have you ever wondered what is the difference between a cold email and SPAM? Is there any difference? Before your pulse gets higher you need to know that the answer is yes. The main difference lies in the context of your message. Even if you've had no prior connection to your recipient, your email has a better chance of not being labeled as spam when you are reaching out with a legit business reason.
Here you can find 4 simple rules to follow if you want to provide your prospects with the best experience:
Don’t be anonymous. Your signature and “From” field has to identify who you really are. You absolutely can not use a fake identity. Just your first name or just company name won’t look professional. Try to add your full name, company’s full name and a phone number or company’s address to your signature - this way your prospects will be sure they’re talking to real, trustworthy person. Remember not to use your private or informal email address like johnny1313@yahoo.com or funnysuzie_2@hotmail.com etc.
Tell the truth. Don’t use misleading subject lines. If your email is an advertisement or special coupon offer, just make sure it is labeled as such. Keep it real. It happens sometimes that the subject of such emails starts with 'Re:' or 'Fwd:' just to draw prospect's attention - this is not the way to go! You do not want to mislead your prospects from the very beginning of your interaction.
Include contact details in the signature, it should be the company’s physical address and a phone number. You can also put there the company's website.
Give your prospects opt-out options and honor them. Add an unsubscribe link. Honor cold replies - you don’t have to answer them, but make sure you won’t contact this person in the future.
Alright! Now, when we already know how to make your email avoiding SPAM, let's take a look at 10 key points that will help you make it reader-friendly as well:
Short subject line - don’t make it misleading. Keep it short and informative. You can also use some personalization there like e.g. your name x prospect’s name (John x Adam) to make it sound inviting.
Timing - analyze the time when your prospect sits in front of the computer and do not have to dig through the tons of emails to find your email. Make it easier for them and let the email hop in just in front of their eyes. If you want to read more about message timing settings, you can check it here.
Personalization - always use your prospect’s name and try to keep the email personalized. In general, people like to see/hear their name, and they will see you as more friendly. Try to use their company name or job position as well - show them that you’ve really analyzed their company and its needs.
Customize - remember to talk about your prospect, not about yourself. Skip the introduction, focus on what your company can improve in prospect’s company.
Short/to the point - keep your message short and try to put as much content in your sentences as you can. Get straight to the point.
Casual/write like you talk - don't get too official, write like you talk and keep it casual. It’s much easier to read someone’s words when you have a feeling like you two are talking.
Send all messages in one thread - make it easy for the prospect to find all your messages every time they want to come back to re-read them or reply, we recommend to send at least 3-4 messages in the sequence.
Call to action - make sure you give your prospect an instruction what to do in case he wants to contact you. Give him an easy way to schedule a call/meeting with you, e.g. add a Calendly link. It’s way easier to click than reply and wait for the confirmation and as a result exchange 10 emails to schedule one call or a meeting.
Address in footer - add some trustworthy information, like e.g. company’s physical address in the footer. Give your prospects a way to check your company as well.
Value - remember that the value you’re trying to present is the most important part of your email and your aim. Try to present each information in the clear and precise way. Focus on your prospects' needs instead of your own product. Find their biggest challenge and offer them a tailor-made solution!
Phew, that’s it! Now you’re fully prepared to write an amazing cold email.
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