Discover the power of cold email outreach as a highly effective sales tool in the era of remote communication. In this article, we share five proven strategies that have transformed our cold email outreach, helping us optimise our efforts and achieve successful sales outcomes. Learn about structuring concise and engaging emails, the importance of personalisation, compelling call-to-action techniques, the value of follow-up, and time-saving efficiency through a repeatable process.
5 Strategies we’ve used to transform our cold email outreach
Leveraging cold emails as a powerful sales tool
The COVID-19 pandemic presented numerous challenges for sales teams, making it difficult to reach prospects through traditional channels such as phone calls. In response, we shifted our focus to cold email outreach and discovered its immense potential. By implementing various strategies, we explored the effectiveness of cold emails and their ability to book appointments. In this article, we will share the strategies that have worked for us, helping to optimise cold email outreach and achieve successful sales outcomes.
Strategy 1: Structure - Keeping cold emails short and simple
When it comes to crafting effective cold emails, brevity is key. Unlike phone calls, where you aim to secure an appointment in one conversation, cold emails serve as conversation starters. According to sales coach Josh Braun, the goal of a cold email is to initiate a conversation, not deliver a sales pitch. To achieve this, keep your emails concise, limiting them to a couple of lines and a maximum of 200 words.
Begin with a personalised subject line that grabs your prospect's attention. Follow this up with a couple of lines in the body of the email that demonstrate your research, pique their interest, and potentially make them laugh. Transition into a succinct one-line pitch, and consider including social proof through a brief case study. Finally, end with a soft call to action, such as asking if there's any reason you couldn't have a chat. Remember, the objective is to get them on the phone, not deliver the entire pitch via email.
Strategy 2: Personalisation - The power of customised outreach
Personalisation plays a crucial role in cold email success. According to Refract, personalised emails can increase transaction rates by 600%, while tailored content nurtures leads and boosts sales opportunities by 20%. To demonstrate genuine interest and avoid generic messaging, tailor the tone, language, and overall composition of your email to each prospect.
Dig into your prospect's social media profiles, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, for inspiration. Look for shared interests, previous workplaces, or any other relevant information that can help you create a catchy opening line. Ensure the personalisation is relevant to your pitch and smoothly transitions into your overall message. Aligning your personalised subject line, opening line, and pitch creates a seamless and compelling experience.
Strategy 3: Call to Action - Compelling and conversion-oriented
Although the ultimate goal of cold emailing is often to schedule a phone call, it's important to use a soft call to action that doesn't demand an immediate commitment. Instead, focus on creating a call to action that encourages engagement and builds rapport.
One effective call to action we have found is: "Is there any reason why you wouldn't want to discuss this further?" This no-oriented approach makes it easier for prospects to respond and maintain a sense of control during the conversation. The lack of force also appeals to prospects who appreciate a non-pushy approach. Surprisingly, it often sparks curiosity and makes them wonder what they might be missing out on.
Strategy 4: Follow-Up - Persistence pays off
Follow-up emails are a vital component of successful cold email outreach. According to CRM platform Copper, follow-up emails can triple reply rates and even outperform initial outreach emails in terms of response rates. To maximise their impact, ensure your follow-up emails are personalised and relevant.
When following up, reply to your initial email to provide context for prospects who may have missed it initially. Avoid generic follow-up messages that simply state you are "just following up." Instead, personalise each follow-up email, once again showcasing your research and genuine interest.
Don't limit yourself to email follow-ups alone. Incorporate other communication channels like phone calls and LinkedIn messages to increase touch points with prospects. Personalise these interactions as well, leveraging the information you gathered during your research. Engage with their LinkedIn posts to create additional touch points and increase brand recognition.
Strategy 5: Time-Saving Efficiency - Creating a repeatable process
To optimise your cold email outreach, develop a repeatable process that allows you to send a high volume of effective emails. With open rates averaging around 40%, most emails will go unread. Thus, it's not worth investing significant time in creating new emails from scratch. Instead, use a short, customisable template that you can personalise efficiently.
Focus on personalising the first line or two of the email, while keeping the rest of the body copy relatively consistent. Batch your research to streamline the process. Spend one day conducting thorough prospect research, gathering valuable insights from their LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. On the following day, allocate dedicated time to customise your email template and send them out.
Ready to unlock the potential of cold emailing? Commit to sending a substantial number of well-crafted emails, leveraging the power of personalisation, and observe the positive impact on your sales efforts.
If you require assistance with data or wish to narrow your approach, EngageTech's Sales Intelligence platform can help you identify prospects most likely to respond. Schedule a demo today and take your cold email outreach to new heights.
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