Have your cold emails been naughty or nice this year?
Most of the cold emails I see use the same stale and outdated formula: who’s the right person to talk to, and all the stuff their product can do.
The problem with these untargeted emails are that they are too long, too boring and too self-focused. My email critique this week focuses on 2 cold emails that rock. These emails are exciting, unique, and both have a response rate of 6-7%.
Here are 5 tactics taken from Adam Semien’s cold emails for Edgecase that will make your emails get better open and response rates this winter.
Pay attention if you want your emails to make it on my nice list!
Cold Email Takeaway # 1: Write an Eye Catching Subject Line
“ Subject: Help finding a v-neck shift dress ”
Creative subject lines have the best chance of getting your cold emails opened. This is how you set yourself apart from the sea of emails in your prospects’ inbox.
Writing subject lines that ask to connect to the right person or promise to double your prospects’ business are gimmicky and turn readers off.
This subject line got a 38% open rate because it’s interesting but still relevant to the product. Don’t be afraid to do a little social engineering to get your prospects’ attention as long as you can connect it back to a sales conversation in a natural way.
Cold Email Takeaway #2: Focus on Your Prospects’ Biggest Problem
“ When I browse {{company}} site, I can sort through your dresses by an array of filters, but a lot of the criteria listed doesn’t matter to me as a shopper. “
Your prospects don’t care about your product; they only care if your product or service can solve their pains. Do your homework before you start a cold email campaign so you understand each buyer persona’s pain points.
This sentence is amazing because instead of saying something direct like, “{!Company}’s site has a poor user experience that is costing it e-commerce checkouts,” it conveys the buyer’s problem through a quick anecdote. And this is much more powerful and relevant to the prospect. Making your prospect think about their problems is the first step in convincing them that you might be the one to solve them.
Cold Email Takeaway #3: Give Your Prospects A Taste of Their Dream Solution
“ This is where Edgecase can help. Edgecase helps retailers create a simple and engaging product discovery experience that drives CVR and keeps your shoppers coming back.”
Instead of trying to list all the features of their product, Adam starts getting into the solution of how Edgecase can now solve the prospects’ pain points. This sentence could be improved with social proof and specific statistics from client case studies, but it’s still pretty good. It gets the point fast and demonstrates what Edgecase service does and how it will benefit the prospect.
I would potentially change “engaging product discovery experience” to something more tangible and spell out “CVR” as to make everything crystal clear though.
Cold Email Takeaway #4: Have a Conversation With Your Prospects, Not a Monologue!
“ I’m looking for an oversized sofa (at least 4 seats) for my living room, that’s dog and kid friendly, not leather, and has a modern look. “
Bad cold emails throw a bunch of facts at their prospects. Great cold emails start a conversation. I like Adam’s email because it’s engaging, conversational, and highly relevant to most e-commerce companies (the details of this sentence can be changed to fit different industries). I would probably make it a little bit shorter and more condensed, but overall I like the conversational tone.
Using a conversational tone instead of a salesy one makes your emails more human and trustworthy. The more personalization you add to your cold emails, the higher chances you have of getting a response.
Cold Email Takeaway #5: Demonstrate Your Value With Social Proof
“ {!Client X, Y & Z} have bought into Edgecase’s approach of humanized product discovery and after reviewing your site, I’m sure we can help you too. ”
Interacting with a stranger is scary and risky, so you have to build enough credibility to remove their doubts. Even if you can offer them amazing services, how do they know you’re not a crook or weirdo? Case studies and testimonials are great at breaking down your prospects’ skepticism by demonstrating that you can drive results for other companies.
Make it easier for your prospects to say yes to talking to you.
The more tangible the results of your case study are, the better. Including specific numbers or statistics in your case study sentence makes this even more credible. (Remember this sentence should be true, and not falsified or you risk your reputation if caught!)
Thanks again to Adam Semien, the Director of Market Development at Edgecase, for writing this awesome email and sharing it with us! …Happy Holidays!
