Writing a cold email and sending it to a prospect - hoping you will get a reply, but you don’t. Ever happened? You are not alone! We all have gone through it at some point in our professional lives.

You may have mailed an employer - seeking a job or a prospective customer - hoping to sell your product or service. No matter the goal - a cold email is how you contact a person in the hope of initiating a conversation and gradually driving them toward a specific outcome. The challenge? Why would the person (the recipient) be interested in me? That ultimately boils down to - how to write a cold email that gets more open rates and replies. This is what I’ll be covering today.

By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of:

• How to write a cold email (with tips to increase open rates and replies rates)
• Mistakes to avoid when writing a cold email

So, let’s just jump into the art of writing cold emails.

How to write a cold email in 9 simple steps?

1. Start By Defining Your Goals

When you plan to launch a cold email outreach campaign, you must have a goal in mind. The goals can, of course, vary as per individual requirements, however, some primary goals include:

• Introducing your product/service
• Seeking collaboration
• Establishing a connection

Defining clear goals will help you measure the success of your cold email campaign. When setting goals, focus on narrowing down the objectives. For example, your ultimate goal could be to make the prospect buy your product or service. However, you must not start your cold email with this goal in mind - instead, start by first setting a rapport with the prospect. Smaller steps will ultimately lead you to your big goal.

2. Know Your Audience

Even if you send the most compelling cold email - it will not get any response if you send it to the wrong person.

Hence, researching thoroughly about your audience, aka your prospects, is critical to the success of your cold email campaign.

The more you know about your prospect - the better you can frame your cold email.

You might be thinking - but isn't it time-consuming? It is, but eventually, the ROI of customer research is better response rates - which can do wonders for your business.

Focus on creating specific personas for your audience. Just think of what problem you can solve for one prospect - and group together people who fall into that category.

3. Personalize Your Email

When you intensely focus on the first two steps - the third step of personalizing your emails will become easier.

You know your audience - their likes and preferences and their challenges.

You can create an email addressing these challenges and position your brand or service as the solution. If you fail to personalize your email and regurgitate whatever little you know about your prospects - it will not strike a chord with them. You will be marked as another salesperson.

Hence, to avoid that, keep your emails friendly and conversational, showing that you've tailored the message for them specifically.

4. Come Up With a Compelling Subject line

Whether you get a response to your cold email - depends on whether it is opened. One thing that determines whether your cold email will be opened and read is the subject line.

A compelling subject line should immediately spark your prospects’ curiosity. It will briefly answer ‘What’s in it for me?’. A well-crafted subject line increases the chances of your email being noticed in a crowded inbox.

For instance, if you're offering a solution, mention it in a way that piques interest. Avoid generic phrases and aim for a balance between clarity and intrigue.

5. Write a Hook-Worthy Introduction

The first sentence of your email will decide whether the prospect will read it to the end. Hence, give it your best.

Think of how you can grab the attention of the prospect. A few ways to do that is by highlighting their achievements or something you adore them for. But don’t just mention something too basic like, ‘I watched your last video - it was amazing.’ Instead, make it specific so it seems you watched the video and loved something about it. For example, ‘I liked how you highlighted the importance of real-time collaboration in your recent video about project management.’

There is a difference between genuine praise and fluff. Focus on sounding genuine.

Avoid generic greetings and get straight to the point with a compelling statement that aligns with your overall message.

6. Start Writing Your Main Message

Now, you have written a compelling subject line and a solid introduction.

Let’s move on to the central message of your email - where you must focus on two things - highlighting the challenge (pain point of the prospect) and the solution (value proposition of your product/service).

Introduce your product or service as the answer to their problem, emphasizing its unique value proposition. Explain how your offering addresses their specific pain points and improves their situation.

However, keep the section concise without boring the prospect. Please include something visual - it might give you better results.

7. Include Credibility

When cold emailing, always assume that the prospect knows nothing about your brand, even if you are famous.

Instead, present the credibility of your brand using customer testimonials, ratings, case studies, etc.

Briefly highlight essential credentials, certifications, or industry recognition to showcase your legitimacy.

Again, keep this section concise, focusing on only the most impactful aspects of your credibility.

8. Include a Strong CTA

You started to write a cold email with an end in mind. Your call-to-action (CTA) is the means to that end.

Directly communicate the next steps you want the recipient to take. Whether scheduling a call, visiting your website, or trying a demo, make the action straightforward and compelling.

Keep your CTA concise and aligned with the overall goal of your email.

9. Include a Solid Closing Statement

Your email’s closing statement is as important as the opening one.

Express gratitude for the recipient's time and consideration. Reinforce your enthusiasm for the potential collaboration or connection. Keep it simple and positive, creating a lasting impression.

For instance, you might say, "Thank you for your time, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this further," or "I appreciate your consideration and am eager to hear your thoughts."

Also Read: Cold Emailing Vs Email Marketing: The Ultimate Guide

How to get high email open and reply rates

Sending a cold email is the first step toward a successful email outreach campaign.

A good measurement of the success of cold email is the open rate - how many people opened your email. As per Campaign Monitor, a generally accepted open rate for the success of an email campaign is 15-25%. In contrast, the average response rate is between 1% and 5%.

But how do you ensure your cold emails get high open and reply rates? Apart from the steps we shared above, there are a few more things you should consider to achieve success.

1. A/B Test Your Emails

One of the best things about cold emails is that you can A/B test them to understand what works or does not work for your prospects.

Experiment with different elements in your email to get a higher open rate. You can A/B test the following things:

• Subject lines
• Intro lines
• Call-to-actions
• More vs. less follow-up emails
• Personalized images vs. personalized text
• Dynamic landing pages vs. generic product pages
• One-channel vs. multi-channel approach

You can modify your cold emails and the overall approach based on the test result.

2. Check Your Domain’s Health

Your domain’s health is critical in ensuring the success of your cold email. If you are sending out cold emails from a blacklisted domain or a domain with poor sender reputation, your emails will not even land in your prospects’ inboxes.

How can you keep your domain healthy?

If you have a new domain, you must first focus on sending warm-up emails. This helps establish a positive and authentic image of your domain.

You can also keep your domain healthy by maintaining a clean email list, promptly addressing bounce-backs, and following email marketing best practices. Remember, a healthy domain increases the chances of your emails reaching the intended inbox.

3. Avoid Paid Lists

When you start cold emailing prospects, you must have a lead list. Many people make the mistake of purchasing lead lists - which is not a good practice.

While it might seem like a shortcut, sending emails to purchased lists can harm your reputation and result in low engagement rates.

Instead, focus on building your organic list of contacts who have opted in to receive your communications. This ensures that your emails are reaching people genuinely interested in your content.

4. Be Aware Of Spam Filters

Spam filters are your arch-enemies. Stay vigilant about the words and phrases that can trigger spam filters.

Naturally, craft your emails and avoid common spammy language. Personalize your content and ensure it provides real value to the recipient.

Being mindful of spam filters increases the likelihood that your emails will make it to the inbox and not get lost in the spam folder.

Also Read: 101+ Cold Email Templates to Nail Outreach

Mistakes to avoid when creating a cold email

1. Not Researching Your Audience

Failing to understand your audience leads to generic and ineffective emails. Take the time to research and comprehend your recipient's background, interests, and needs.

Tailor your message accordingly to show that you value their time and are genuinely interested in connecting with them.

Researching your audience sets the foundation for a more meaningful and targeted cold email.

2. Not Re-Validating Email Addresses

Neglecting to validate email addresses regularly can result in bounced emails and damage your sender reputation. Keep your contact list up-to-date by periodically re-validating email addresses.

This ensures your emails reach the intended recipients and helps maintain a clean and effective email marketing strategy.

3. Not Using Automation

While personalization is crucial, avoiding automation can be a mistake. Use automation wisely to streamline your outreach process.

Set up personalized email sequences, schedule follow-ups, and track engagement.

Automation helps you stay organized and ensures no potential leads slip through the cracks. However, strike a balance to avoid sounding overly robotic.

4. Not Personalizing

Lack of personalization makes your cold email appear generic and less likely to grab attention.

Address recipients by name, refer to specific details about them or their business and tailor your content to their needs.

Personalization demonstrates a genuine interest in the individual, making your cold email more compelling and increasing the chances of a positive response.

Looking to craft compelling email sequences that drive results? Check out our latest blog post to discover 5 winning cold email sequence examples boost your open rate.

5. Not Following-up

Skipping the follow-up is a missed opportunity to nurture leads. Many recipients may not have responded to the initial email, but a well-timed and polite follow-up can reignite their interest.

Craft concise and friendly follow-up messages, reminding them of your previous communication and reiterating the value you offer.

Following up demonstrates persistence and can lead to increased response rates.

How can Smartlead help you send cold emails more effectively?

Sending cold emails is a great way to pump up your outreach efforts. However, you might face challenges if you do cold emailing manually.

At Smartlead, we help elevate the effectiveness of your cold email outreach with automated email warmups and unlimited mailboxes. Furthermore, support for a multi-channel infrastructure enables you to reach prospects through various communication channels, expanding your touchpoints and increasing the likelihood of engagement. For more information, you can visit this comprehensive demo.

You can start by creating an account on Smartlead and trying the platform for free.