Cold Email Templates To Get 3x Response Rates

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Cold emailing is harder because of two reasons: for one, you don’t have a prior relationship with the prospect; two you can’t modify your approach in real-time. Just consider these statistics: the average response rate for cold emails is 1%, which means only one in every 100 emails you’re sending gets through to a prospective customer. And the rest? Are probably annoyed!

Though there are claims that email, as is a powerful channel, if you don’t deliver the type of experience prospects, expect from you, you’ll hear nothing but crickets.

Why most cold emails don’t work? 

• Lack of Clarity – Although your business may have a fantastic product, highlighting too many value propositions in the email will confuse your readers.
• Wrong Audience – No matter how well-researched and curated your emails are, if not targeted at the right audience, they will end in the trash
• Multiple CTA’s –  It only overwhelms the customer with choices, resulting in zero response.
• Gimmicky Email Subject Lines – While an email clickbait gimmick will entice prospects, if you don’t deliver in the email body what you promised in your subject line, you’re going to get high open rates, but no responses. E.g., I’m disappointed {name}, Re:[A title of previous mail]
  (Learn how to draft cold Emails for a quick response here)

 In this post, we’re going to share a few cold email templates that will help break the ice between you and your prospect.Let’s look at a few cold templates and analyze which one works and which one doesn’t.

Cold Email Template No. 1: Sales Prospecting Template

Your first email to a prospect, remember, you’re just one in a sea of giants hoping to grab their attention. The idea here is not to annoy your prospect, but to be genuinely interested in solving a pain point you’ve identified they currently have.

A Good Template

Why does it work?

1. Hints at having ideas to help improve specific areas of the prospects’ company.

2. Provides customer testimony

3. To the point with no generic rambling about the product/service

4. Shares useful resources based on the prospects pain point

5. It leaves the choice with the prospect to connect further.

A Bad Template

Why it won’t work?

1. Who is the common friend? Don’t leave your prospect guessing. Mentioning the name will add credibility to your email.
2. It clearly shows the emailer is more interested in showing what they’re working on rather than addressing the pain point of the prospect.
3. It has too many value propositions to a prospect you’re contacting for the first time.
4. There’s a lot of ‘I,’ ‘My’ and ‘We.’ It’s all about them and their business.
5. It’s not personal and screams TEMPLATE.
6. Using statements like ‘I’d love to’ is not good practice, instead use ‘would you be interested in/to?’

Cold Email Template No. 2: ‘Referral Email’ Template

A referral email will give you an opening for your next email with the decision-maker, which will be something like this: “{Name} in {department} mentioned I should reach out to you to discuss (pain point).” It will add credibility and increase your chances of getting a response. 

Did you know?

84% of B2B decision-makers start the buying process with a referral.

A Good Template

Why does it work?

1. It clearly explains the reason why you’re reaching out to the customer.
2. It has a friendly approach and focuses on your customer’s success.
3. People generally have a soft corner to help others; politely asking them will give you great results.
4. It is not sales-y, and it is to the point.
5. It has a clear CTA.

Pro Tip: Once you get directed to the appropriate person, do thank your referral.

A Bad Template

Why it won’t work?

1. Don’t presume the reference person liked your product/services. Always use words like ‘I hope you were happy..” when asking for a reference.
2. It does not address to ask your reference source to introduce you to your prospect [in this case, the VP of sales] either through a phone call or an email. Be specific about your CTA.
3. It’s not a friendly email. Never treat just a single person as the only source of connecting with a decision-maker, but aim to build a strong relationship with the referral.

Cold Email Template No. 3: ‘Schedule A Call Email’ Template

Scheduling a call with a defined time slot gives the impression to the recipient that it will be a short and concise introduction about the product/service and how they’ll benefit from it. No one has the time to listen to you rambling about your product, right?

A Good Template

Why does it work?

1. It provides a short introduction about you and your connection with them (talked to a colleague, saw your company online, etc.)
2. It gives only the key benefits of your product, keeping in mind the prospects’ pain points.

A Bad Template

Why it won’t work?

1. Don’t force the prospect with more information – the idea is to get on a short call. Studies have shown that customers either get hooked or leave your email in the first 7 seconds of opening your email. Always keep it concise and easy-to-read.
2. Help; don’t sell – Grab the attention of the prospect by addressing their lows instead of your highs. Explain your credentials and achievements n detail at a later stage.
3. When aiming to set a call with your prospect, provide a date and time for the proposed call at the end of your email. It will increase your chances of getting a response.

Cold Email Template No. 4: ‘Follow-Up Email’ Template

You most likely won’t get a reply on your first attempt. When you don’t get a response from your first email, wait for 48 hours and reach out again, this time repositioning the value you’re offering. 

Start with a quick reminder that you had reached out earlier, and you have checked out their ebook / recent blog, and have few suggestions for helping them better achieve their goals. End with another open invitation to connect.

Pro Tip: Follow-up with a video email to capture the attention of prospects.

Did you know?

80% of prospects say ‘no’ four times before they ultimately say ‘yes.’ So don’t be shy. Just go for it!

A Good Template

Why does it work?

1. Gets right to the point without wasting the prospects’ time.
2. You’re leaving the choice to the decision-maker for further interactions, if any.
3. It gives the link to a valuable resource addressing their pain point. What better way than this to land a deal in your kitty?

A Bad Template

Why it won’t work?

1. The prospect knows you’re following on your previous email – telling them that they didn’t reply to your email isn’t the best way to start a relationship with the prospect.
2. There is no added value to this email – other than annoy the prospect.
3. It clearly shows you’re desperate to get their attention – it will only send your email to the trash.

Cold Email Template No. 5: ‘Following Up On A Lost Opportunity’ Template

A lead came through, and discussions were underway. But after back and forth emails, the prospect felt your products/services at that time didn’t match their pain point(s). That does not mean your interaction with them has come to a dead end. We suggest you build a follow-up system to track the current and the lost leads. Understanding why your prospect said ‘No’ helps create a more valuable offer for the prospect and win their interest back if timed correctly

A Good Template

Why does it work?

1. The tone of this template is very conversational and makes it easy for the prospect to respond because there is no pressure on them.
2. You referred to previous conversations, addressing a pain point, thus showing them the reason you sent this follow-up and why you would like to re-connect.

A Bad Template

Why it won’t work?

1. The tone of this email is very formal and sounds like you’re accusing the prospect of not responding to your previous emails.
2. The CTA at the end of the email, “Looking forward to hearing from you,” will not prompt the recipient for further action. It’s not personalized and sounds like a template.
3. It does not give any reliable reference to the previous conversations with the prospect.
4. Always double check your content for spellings and grammatical errors as it will shed a bad light on your image.

Conclusion:

So here you go! By using these templates and email tactics we’ve reviewed above, you’ll be able to get them into the pipeline better. 

Sending the right email at the right time is the key to a powerful conversion tactic. It might be the right to push a prospect that needs to convert into a lifetime customer. That is why perfecting cold emails is critical to open doors for you in your business. 

While you’re at it, include personalized videos in your cold emails as it will engage with your prospects, thus creating a person-to-person connection with them. 

P.S: Ask For Feedback And Fix What Didn’t Work. In case you’re not getting the desired results from the prospect, call them! Ask them why the cold email didn’t work and what you could have done differently to get their attention. Remember, even the smallest bit of feedback will change your cold email game.

Start prospecting and re-connecting with all the people you’ve tried to contact in the past.