5 Tips for Sending Cold Emails that Receive a Response

I’m no expert in email marketing, but having been a blogger for so long – it has taught me some invaluable lessons and skills, especially when it comes to working with people closely, asking them for favors, and in general – trying to be a good associate; no matter how large or small the extent is.

I exchange hundreds of emails every week, and not just those that are all about business and opportunities to make some money. If anything, many of the emails I exchange are about connecting with people, and their way of thinking. You probably saw that I accept guest posts to this blog. It’s incredible, the amount of responses you get once you put up a page like that.

On daily basis, I will get anywhere from 5 to 10 guest posting offers, out of which – most of the time – barely one is worth taking a look at. It’s sad to see webmasters, bloggers, even developers, to fail so miserably at such a simple thing like cold emailing. I’ve got some tips and ideas to share with you today, I think they’ll make a huge difference in the amount of responses you get.

Keep it Short & Sweet

Long, fishy, and non-naturally flowing emails are the worst thing ever. Well, except for those emails – that contain some weird special characters that simply destroy any chances for the other guy to get a positive response, so sorry. All I want from you, is to have you read the next sentence.

Right, so, I got you to read this sentence after having you read the first three sentences. It’s a very easy thing to do (to get someone to read the whole email, rather than just the first few words), but make sure that you aren’t fueling the devil’s nest by sending out emails that look like crap!

Keep it Personal & Friendly

I’m trying to tell you that the usage of pre-built templates, email formats, or any other long-form email example is simply not going to work. You want to make cold emails personal, and as friendly as possible. You won’t be able to do that if all you’re doing in your email is trying to get the other person to do something for you. It sounds cheap, and not that it isn’t.

Tips for maximum success:

• Mention their latest blog post, give them credit where it’s due.
• Share an insight that you learned from the recipients content.
• Talk about their specific niche and/or product. Sound unique!
• Keep it real!

I can’t suggest something that I haven’t tried myself, so these are the few tips that are really making it work for me, and the cold emails that I’m sending out. By the time the end of the day arrives, I don’t feel so cold about those emails no more!

Pitch Your Idea as a Benefit

You should re-read your cold emails at least a couple of times before sending out, and not just to remember about the extra coating that you can add, but also to make sure that you yourself would open this email, read it, and then act upon it. I rarely ask people for favors, so usually they’ll do whatever they feel is the best thing to do.

The idea is that whatever you’re cold emailing about, has something to do with the values of the person you’re sending it to. In the usual case scenario, you’ll have given a mention or credit to the person you’re sending the cold email to. What’s the point of troubling someone, if you’re not going to get an end result?

Remember, You’re Emailing a Human

You’ve got so much freedom when it comes to personalizing your cold emails. But, never forget that the person receiving your message is also a human being, and in some cases – probably with more experience than you, given that you need to reach out to the person, not vice versa. Remember, the people you send cold emails to, they’re also humans – make them feel respected.

Read: Top 10 Vendors of Live Chat Software for Websites

Nowadays, emails allow for the inclusion of images, videos, animated content. Do you really think that everyone is sitting at their desk, happily working their day away? Not really! Inspire yourself, and those who you get in touch with – crack a joke, share a meme, do something to spark a mellow conversation, a conversation that somehow unfolds itself!

Money’s In The Follow-Up, Act Accordingly

You got a follow-up response? That’s great, you did something right! I can recall a couple of emails on the top of my head, that are yet to be answered by their busy owners. I don’t feel like I need to persuade them, after all – they’re busy persons, and if I can keep up the same level of respect: I’ll probably become a busy person too!

Here are some reasons for people not replying to your emails:

• Your email looked generic, the other person discarded it.
• The person is too busy to answer, will do so in a few months. (true story)
• The email got read, but the person forgot to answer. (feel free to follow-up)
• The person is simply not interested, doesn’t bother with marketing.

I’m sure there are a few more, please add your own suggestions in the comment section.

So, yes, if you did manage to snag a follow-up from someone, you better make sure to take full advantage of of it. First of all, you got the full attention of the recipient, second – you got past the stage of pitching something, you’re now in the position of discussing business, rather than just thinking about it. And third – the person probably is interested in hearing more!

Sending Cold Emails that Receive a Response

I’ve been a cold emailer for a little while now, but I’ve learned so much. Every person is different, some people want only to say thanks, while others are willing to go the whole way – to help you, to give you advice, even give you free stuff. It’s all possible with a little bit of integrity, and independence!

Listen, if you don’t get a better response rate to your cold emails by implementing some of the tips in this post, then I’m not sure anything ever will. Get over your ego, get over your self-defense mechanism. Go out there, and be bald. Be courageous, and you’ll notice how much more work you’re able to get that way.

I don’t like to use the word money, I love what I do.