Even with a qualified list of leads and a value-packed offer, your cold email will still fail to persuade if it can\u2019t engage your prospect and deliver enough perceived value for them to take action.<\/p>\n
But, the absolute worst mistake you can make, and the one that practically guarantees you\u2019ll be ignored?<\/p>\n
Overly \u201cme-centric\u201d emails that fail to address the needs of the lead.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve probably got plenty of them lying in ambush in your inbox (or spam folder, if you\u2019re lucky). For reference, here\u2019s an extreme example of what a me-centric cold email looks like:<\/p>\n
![\"me-centric](\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image-4.png?resize=700%2C360&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
Not only are these emails painfully bland, but they\u2019re also outrageously irrelevant to the receiver. Worst still, they\u2019re completely selfish, which makes them ineffective at generating leads<\/a>.<\/p>\n In this post, I\u2019ll give you 5 cold email tips that will help you avoid me-centric messages and write cold emails<\/a> that actually compel cold leads to reply and take action.<\/p>\n Did you know that nearly 50% of email recipients<\/a> open emails based solely on the subject line?<\/p>\n Strong subject lines are the backbone of effective cold emails.<\/p>\n They are your first (sometimes last) chance to make an impression. If your subject line fails to grab attention<\/a> and \u201cwin the click,\u201d it doesn\u2019t matter how good the rest of your email copy is.<\/p>\n Your message will not reach your prospect, and your chances of selling drops to zero.<\/p>\n While you want your subject line to stand out, you should also take care to not appear \u201cspammy\u201d \u2014 69% of people will report your email as spam based on the subject line alone.<\/p>\n To write email subject lines that stand out, keep these research-backed basics in mind:<\/p>\n On average, shorter subject lines perform better. After evaluating more than 1000 email subject lines<\/a>, AWeber found that 82% of experts send subject lines with 60 characters or less.<\/p>\n Shorter email subject lines also prevent your line of text from appearing incomplete on mobile devices (which are now responsible for at least 50% of email opens<\/a>).<\/p>\n When a task, object, or interaction feels incomplete, our brains are wired to become curious<\/a> and are more likely to remember it.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why subject lines that tickle the imagination with a little curiosity work.<\/p>\n In what Kyle Racki<\/a> labeled \u201cthe best cold email he received,\u201d the rep could\u2019ve used a normal subject line like \u201cBetter customer experience,\u201d but he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n He piqued Kyle\u2019s curiosity with the vague, but snappy subject line: \u201cMagic Goggles.\u201d<\/p>\n In Yesmail\u2019s analysis of 7 billion emails, emails with personalized subject lines earned double the unique click-rate and 58 percent higher click-to-open rate<\/a> than emails without personalization in their subject lines.<\/p>\n Even if you don\u2019t have the name of your lead, you can still personalize with a name they\u2019re familiar with.<\/p>\n For example, \u201cI know you through x organization\u201d or \u201cheard about you from x person.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for more inspiration on writing cold email subject lines, see our subject line guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n To stand a chance of standing out, personalizing your outreach email<\/a> needs to be a top priority.<\/p>\n Generic terms and sales messages like \u201cfavored customer\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m such a huge fan of your work\u201d bleed personality from your cold email.<\/p>\n Explain why you\u2019re contacting them specifically. Explain why they\u2019re a special or \u201cfavored\u201d customer.<\/p>\n If you state that you admire their work, or they are unique, support what you say with credible evidence.<\/p>\n To write cold emails that connect, you need to go beyond placing a name in the subject line and calling it a day.<\/p>\n Here are some other ideas you can use to personalize your cold email and build trust:<\/p>\n Most people scan content rather than reading word for word<\/a>. They want digestible information they can easily understand.<\/p>\n If they pause or slow down, it\u2019s only to focus on and absorb information that\u2019s highly relevant to them.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why greeting your prospect with a chunky wall of text is an instant turn-off.<\/p>\n Avoid scaring leads away by sticking to shorter sentences and paragraphs when writing your cold email.<\/p>\n This quickens the pace of your writing, makes it easier to understand, and surrounds your text with welcoming white space, which has been proven to improve comprehension<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a general rule, aim for one main point per paragraph and one main idea per sentence. For more guidance, this article<\/a> gives you 10 rules for writing your next cold email.<\/p>\n A famous New York Times case study<\/a> tested the influence that multiple available choices have on decisions.<\/p>\n In a shopping mall on a busy Saturday, researchers set up a stand that sold different flavors of jam.<\/p>\n Every few hours, they switched between offering 24 flavors to offering only a group of 6 flavors. Take a guess at which group of flavors led to more sales?<\/p>\n With 24 different flavors, only 3% of people actually bought anything. When presented with only 6 flavors, however, 30% of people made a purchase.<\/p>\n This is known as the paradox of choice<\/a>, which states that the more options and choices there are, the harder it becomes to make a decision. In other words, give buyers fewer options, and they\u2019re more likely to buy, since they won\u2019t be overwhelmed by all their options.<\/p>\n The same principle applies to writing cold emails that get your lead to take action.<\/p>\n For example, following the call to action is easier in this email:<\/p>\n Read it:<\/p>\n Hi Yesware,<\/em><\/p>\n First off, thanks for the epic product \u2014 you\u2019ve made the internet a better place!<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019ll be brief. I\u2019m sure you\u2019re busy. We are an early-stage tech startup, and we are trying to build our blog. We\u2019ve been working hard on the articles to make it awesome for fellow entrepreneurs and people who love productivity.<\/em><\/p>\n In the article, \u201c10 crucial guest blogging tips: our story\u2026,\u201d we referenced your company. Without such a great service, our advice to our readers would not be as useful as it is. I was more than happy to endorse it in my article, and I also recommend it to anyone I know looking for such a solution!<\/em><\/p>\n My request:<\/em><\/strong> tweet our article to your community. It would make a world of difference to use if you helped us get off the ground.<\/em><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a quick tweet link, ready to go: <\/em>http:\/\/ctt.ed\/eeRX_<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather not, I understand. I appreciate you reading this far.<\/em><\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p>\n …than this email:<\/p>\n Read it:<\/p>\n Hey there,<\/em><\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t guessed yet, I happen to be one of those people that loves a good cold email. Am I just that sick? Maybe\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Do you know why?<\/em><\/p>\n Scroll Down to the Bottom Now to Find Out.<\/em><\/p>\n Or if you\u2019ve had enough, please don\u2019t let me both you anymore and unsubscribe: please click here.<\/em><\/p>\n Yes, I know they can be annoying. They are not for everyone, but I\u2019ve found more customers from cold email in less time than any other method I\u2019ve tried.<\/em><\/p>\n Here\u2019s 3 reasons cold email is superior to other forms of marketing:<\/em><\/p>\n Here are some statistics from this current campaign<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019ve done cold calling, sales funnels, and drip marketing for months and haven\u2019t had the responses that I\u2019ve had with cold email.<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019d love to show you how I do it. I can customize your marketing efforts to fit your company\u2019s message and reach the prospects you are looking for in no time at all.<\/em><\/p>\n Let\u2019s set up a time to talk via Skype and I\u2019ll tell you more. The worse that happens is I tell you my strategy and you use it yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n For more information about me visit my LinkedIn profile. Link below.<\/em><\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p>\n The message in the first cold email funnels down to one request, it\u2019s easy to follow. The second, however, is a meandering mess filled with multiple links and requests.<\/p>\n Excessive links, attachments, and CTAs increase the chances of your email being marked as spam.<\/p>\n More importantly, they make it harder for your lead to choose what action to take and make it look like the email is more about the sender than the recipient.<\/p>\n To encourage prospects to take action, narrow your message to one main request or call to action<\/a>.<\/p>\n Imagine that you\u2019re browsing for a new vehicle at a car showroom. After a few minutes, you\u2019re approached by two different salesmen, Jack and Adam.<\/p>\n Jack is pushy. He\u2019s poker-faced and he fails to ask what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n Adam, on the other hand, approaches with a smile and asks how you\u2019re doing. He asks you questions about the car you\u2019re after and gives his honest opinion on what you should buy.<\/p>\n You\u2019re most likely to trust and listen to Adam over Jack, right? Simply because he was more likable, relatable, and human<\/a>.<\/p>\n When writing your cold email, you want to be like Adam. Because no matter how logical we assume we are, most of our decisions are heavily influenced by emotion<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019re less likely to buy<\/a> from someone if we don\u2019t like them. And we\u2019re more likely to buy<\/a> from companies that push our emotional buttons.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re sending a cold email to someone you\u2019ve never met, showing personality is hard. There\u2019s no facial expression, body language, or intonation to convey the energy behind the words in your email.<\/p>\n Emojis, images, and gifs are useful tools to fill this \u201cexpressive gap\u201d with emotion. When used correctly, they can warm up cold emails by breathing life to digital words.<\/p>\n For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re finishing a cold email that ends with:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited about working with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Does it sound supportive and likable?<\/p>\n Sure. But, why stop there when you can amplify the sentiment with an expressive gif<\/p>\n As you\u2019ve seen, there\u2019s no magic to writing great cold emails. You simply need to make a genuine connection.<\/p>\n Despite the army of people ready to tell you that there\u2019s no point writing cold emails because \u201cnobody reads opens them anymore,\u201d or that \u201ccold outreach is outdated,\u201d you know the truth.<\/p>\n You know that cold emails have the power to launch startups<\/a> and advance careers<\/a>.<\/p>\n But, the way cold emails work has evolved.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s crowded environment, with thousands of companies competing for your lead\u2019s attention, selfish me-centric emails are ignored or trashed.<\/p>\n To stand out, you need to write personalized cold emails that have the warmth to allow a genuine human connection to be made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Writing cold emails that convert is hard work, and not all cold email tips are up-to-date and aimed at getting you good results. It\u2019s simple in theory: You just have to deliver a message to sell a random stranger on your idea, offer, or product. But, with the average office worker bombarded with over 120 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":4152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Cold-Email-Tips-5-Ways-to-Take-Emails-from-Boring-to-High-Converting-header.jpg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1","yoast_head":"\r\n<\/a>Cold Email Tip #1: Win the Click With Compelling Subject Lines<\/h2>\n
![\"tip:](\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image.jpeg?w=700&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>1. Stick to shorter subject lines<\/h3>\n
<\/a>2. Trigger imagination, tickle curiosity<\/h3>\n
![\"cold](\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image-5.png?resize=624%2C486&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>3. Use a name, or personalize with available data<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Cold Email Tip #2: Use Personalization to Power Persuasion<\/h2>\n
![](\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image-1.jpeg?w=700&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n\n
<\/a>Cold Email Tip #3: Use Short Paragraphs and Sentences to Hold Interest<\/h2>\n
![\"what](\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image-6.png?resize=700%2C388&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>Cold Email Tip #4: Limit Distraction to Increase the Chance of Action<\/h2>\n
![\"tip:](\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image-7.png?resize=614%2C276&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"example](\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image-8.png?resize=683%2C487&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/a>Cold Email Tip #5: Use Gifs, Emojis, and Images to Emotionally Engage<\/h2>\n
![\"tip:](\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/word-image-2.jpeg?w=700&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>Now You: Put These Cold Email Tips to Work<\/h2>\n