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As communication channels increase, asking whether an email is past its prime is only logical. Or will it go the way of the telegram anytime soon? The answer is quite surprising. 4 billion people use email daily, and over 306 billion emails are sent and received daily. And if that doesn't convince you, Statista estimates that email marketing revenue will touch 11 billion by the end of 2023.
With brands increasing their email budgets and the upward trends in email usage statistics, emailing is here to stay. That brings us to the focus of this piece, the good-old cold emailing, which is a significant part of the above picture.
How can email marketers and salespeople continue to send cold emails that grab the attention of their prospects from the increasing clutter in their inboxes? This article dives into the matter and presents 20 different B2B cold email templates you can use for your business needs.
What is a cold email?
The term cold emailing is no different from the term cold calling- it's a communication attempt made at a recipient with whom there was no prior contact. Unlike cold calls, cold emails are far less intrusive and more effective because of their subtlety.
Cold emails must be crafted cleverly to gain the prospect's attention and keep it long enough for them to go through the rest of the content and take action in the best-case scenario. You must keep the cold email short, cut to the chase sooner, and not bore the recipient.
However, to do this effectively requires plenty of experience in snap communication. Or you can do it right using existing templates, saving you time.
Cold email vs. spam
Going by the description of a cold email, it seems similar to spam. Both share the component of familiarity and cast a wide net to pull as many leads as possible into the funnel. However, following are some of the differences between the two:
1. Qualification of recipients
Cold emails from sales teams are sent to qualified cold leads who match their ideal customer profile. In this case, the sales teams have well-researched the prospect before sending them a cold email.
On the other hand, spam is unsolicited emails that people who receive aren't interested in. Spam often contains unwanted newsletters, sketchy products, hoax emails, chain forwards, phishing scams, etc. There is no qualification of leads, and the mail is sent as a blast.
2. Personalization
Cold emails have the dimension of intentionality, i.e., a valid business reason to make intentional contact with the prospect. They are also crafted with a degree of personalization with a clear specific value proposition.
Spam, conversely, is a generic advertisement that lacks personalized intent and doesn't connect with the recipient. To effectively personalize cold emails and enhance their impact, many businesses rely on cold email software. These tools provide advanced features and automation capabilities to streamline the cold email outreach process.
3. Relevancy
Cold emails intended for recipients have relevant messages to the person and their needs. It offers solutions or some value that is relevant to the person.
In contrast, spam focuses on the product regardless of the recipient's wants and needs. The buyer-centric and product-centric differences are stark in comparison.
4. Honesty of purpose
Cold emails are clear about their intent and leave little for the recipient to guess. They aim to build trust to turn the prospect into a client, making their emails transparent with clear contacts and addresses.
Spam has a high degree of ambiguity and comes with flashy subject lines that are deceptive and clickbaity. That's why spam emails often promote themselves as the ultimate solution with suspicious links, flashy words and gimmicks. They also don't reveal intent or how they got your contact.
5. Source
The key difference between the two is how the contact was sourced. Senders of cold email, search on legitimate sites such as LinkedIn, social media and other email-finding tools for qualified prospects.
Spammers generally buy the mail lists or use bots to crawl the internet to create lists.
How to use the AIDA framework in writing cold emails?
The AIDA is a clever framework used in advertising, marketing, and copywriting to generate leads and nudge them toward conversion. It stands for the Attention-Interest-Desire-Action model that identifies prospects' stages before becoming clients. These techniques can also be used to write effective sales emails. It goes as follows:
1. Use personalization to grab the prospect's attention
Well-performing cold emails always have the highest degree of personalization possible to capture the prospects' interest and build trust immediately. The best opportunity to grab a prospect's attention is with the subject line and the opening line by mentioning their name and correctly recognizing their needs or challenges.
To go offbeat and creative, you could use a personal reference, humor, or even offer to buy them coffee.
2. Show how you can solve their challenge to build interest
Once you have their attention, it's time to build interest. Writing anything generic, unrelated to solving the problem, or not focused on the prospect has a high risk of falling through.
Instead, keep it personal and show precisely how your offer is viable. To build interest, you can also cite your success, reference a competitor's success or present personalized details.
3. Use proof to build desire
By the time the prospect gets to this stage, you should have swayed their mind in your favor so you can build their desire to take up your offer or show interest in learning about it at a minimum. To nudge them further, offer compelling social proof relevant to your prospect's case.
Instead of writing a generic story about how many companies use your product, talk about a specific company, preferably a competitor, who solved the same problem with your product.
4. Use scarcity and urgency to spur action
The last step is where you reel them in by giving a final nudge that spurs them to take action. An effective way to drive immediate action is to create a sense of urgency or scarcity. Not using the power of urgency might make your prospect resist postponing the action and ultimately forget about it.
The CTA should be simple and manageable. Avoid offering lengthy demos or presentations; instead, stick to something that's "super quick" and doesn't consume their time and effort.
20 Best cold email templates that generate more leads
Here are 20 email templates that utilize the above methodology to craft well-performing cold emails.
1. Cold email template for cold calls
Cold-calling email templates inform your prospect that you will call them on a specific day/time. It can also be used to schedule a call or inform that they missed your call earlier.
Subject: [First Name] let's get on a quick call!
Hi, [First Name]
How have you been? I was going through your company [Their Company's Name] products and my research yielded results on [pain point/challenge] that you may already be experiencing. We often encounter challenges of this type in your industry, and our [name of product/service] is designed precisely to deal with it.
Over the last 12 months, we have assisted companies like yours in troubleshooting [Pain point] and achieving results [Stats] after 2 months of implementation.
I will call you today to discuss this further, as your company can greatly benefit from our [Product/service].
Do you have a preferred time for this call?
Best,
[Your Name]
2. Cold email template for sales
Sending generic emails is a surefire way to kill your prospect's interest in your product. Personalization is critical in sales, and every feature of your cold mail should include some degree of personalization and speak about the precise problem you're solving for them.
Subject Line: Are you also dealing with [email marketing challenge]?
Hi, [First name]
Are you facing the same challenges with [email marketing issue example]? Trust me; you're not the only one. We've dealt with this issue repeatedly and have become good at dealing with it over the years.
If you'd like to know how to fix this issue and make progress, email me and I'll start with a few ideas—looking forward to your response!
Best,
[Your Name]
3. Cold email template for invitation to an event
Personalized invitation to your private events is a great way to build connections and bag high-profile clients by showcasing your products through demo and social proof
Subject Line: Would you like to join [Guest] in our conference?
Hi [First Name]
I reviewed your LinkedIn profile recently and saw you greatly admire [Guest]. As someone who also looks up to him, we have [Guest] as a keynote speaker around the [Topic] at next month's conference. We have more amazing pioneers in the field lined up for an exciting day of discussions and insight. This conference can greatly boost [Job Position] as [Reason].
I would love to meet you at the event and discuss things. Hence I'm sending you this personal invitation to join the event.
Attached are all the details you'll need
Let me know
Best
[Your name]
4. Cold email template for referral-type activity
Gaining familiarity always works in your favor when cold approaching prospects as it generates higher response rates. This email template is meant to get to know your client such that you already have an introduction from someone within. This allows you to find the decision maker and bag a chance for a sales pitch.
Subject line: Seeking a Referral
Hi, [First Name]
I'm [Your Name] from [Your Company] and I handle the [Your Role].
A quick question: Who handles your organization's [Department Name]?
We offer [Product/services] which is being used by numerous organizations, including [Competitors' Name] that had led to [Increase in profits 12x/ doubling revenue/improved productivity by 50%], and I don't want [Prospect's company] to miss out on the opportunity.
However, I need to find the right person to talk with within your company. If you're that person, can we schedule a call on a free slot one morning this week?
If not, I'd appreciate it if you could direct me to the right person.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best
[Your Name]
5. Cold email template for lead generation
Cold emails have been the mainstay for lead generation for a long time now. However, the number of emails flooding people's mailboxes daily helps refine your approach to increase the probability of prospects opening it.
Subject Line: How would you like to use 10 extra hours each week?
Hi [First Name]
Yes, you read that right! Our clients have saved 10 or more hours weekly by integrating our software into their tech stack. We understand that [Pain Point] bleeds time by default. The best way to see gains in productivity is to automate [Task] using [Your Product] and cutting through the process.
If you'd like to know how you can benefit from it, I'd love to schedule a call with you!
Looking forward to hearing from you
Best
[Your Name]
6. Cold email template with a direct approach
Quite often, the straight-forward route is the best approach to a prospect, and it can cut short a lot of time beating around the bush and wearing their patience thin.
Subject line: How would you like to improve your [Department's Name] efficiency by 3x?
Hi [First Name]
I saw the news of your promotion to the role while browsing through [Prospect's Company] on LinkedIn.
Congratulations on your promotion to [Prospect's position]! We're cheering for you to make quality decisions for [Department Name]. One such crucial decision is to increase your department's operational efficiency, which can directly influence your revenue.
At [Your Company Name], we have the right solution to boost efficiency by 3x and over! If you want to learn more, let's set up a call [designated day and time] for a quick talk.
If that doesn't work, let up know about your schedule, and we can plan accordingly.
Best,
[Your Name]
7. Cold email template for follow-up
Getting your prospect's attention immediately is more challenging than it sounds, and it will take one or two follow-ups to finally get most people to respond. The key here is to communicate light and add value.
Subject Line: Hi [First name], I'm Still Waiting!
Hi [First name]
I emailed you about 4 days about [type email purpose here]. I understand you are busy.
Can I interest you with a [14-day free trial] without hassle or commitments?
The link to our product is [Here] if you wish to try it out. We take the safety of our clients very seriously, and this product embodies our commitment.
Let me know how it goes—looking forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
[Your name]
8. Cold email template to build rapport
Building rapport, especially when your point of contact at the other organization changes, can go a long way in setting the tone of the future relationship. The key to doing it right is to focus on relatable aspects in the conversation and familiarize them with the rest of your team.
Subject Line: Congratulations on the new role!
Hi, [First name]
I'm leaving this message to say Hi on behalf of our team! I got a mail from your predecessor [Name of the Predecessor] this morning about the role change. We've worked with him and the person before him and look forward to working with you.
Firstly, congratulations on your new role! We're sure you have much going on, so we'll keep this brief. I work as the [Your Role in the Area], and you will interact with me often as we go forward. How has the first week been so far?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best
[Your Name]
9. Cold email template for pitching product
While there are as many ways to pitch a product as there are products worldwide, establishing some background can go a long way in making a pitch successful. If you're going in the cold on your product, here's an example you could follow.
Subject Line: We have an opportunity to work together!
Hi [First Name]
I'm [Your Name] from [Your Company Name]
I recently read your blog post on [Topic] and thought it was an excellent piece. I could strongly relate to the [Specific part of the post that relates to your service].
Working with some of the top contenders in the game, we know how much time can be saved by automating [Specific part of your service]. Check out these stats on how [link to competitor stats who have made gains with your services] benefited from our services.
If you have time tomorrow, let us get on a quick call to explain how you can stay ahead of the game.
I'd be delighted to hear from you
Thanks,
[Your Name]
10. Cold email template for last push lead
There may be various reasons why a prospect might not want to move ahead in a funnel. Instead of wasting time on these leads, you can give it a last push and let them know that your offer is expiring. It can work in one of two ways- the urgency might prompt them to close or to turn their decision and proceed.
Subject Line: Is it time to part ways?
Hi, [First name]
I'm writing to follow up on my last few emails. Are you still interested in our product?
If you are, what steps would you recommend next? If not, I can contact you again in a few months.
Let me know what you think.
Regards,
[Your Name]
11. Cold email template to pitch a partnership
Partnerships can mutually benefit both parties, especially when they have complementary products or services. A good partnership can be in corporate alliances, business development, content collaboration, or even working with social media influencers to promote products/services. Here's a pitch for a content partnership:
Subject Line: We can supercharge your blog!
Hi [First Name]
I'm [Your Name] from [Your Company Name]. I work as a [Position], and I've been following your blogs for a while now. My team and I are quite impressed with your work, particularly [Mention topics related to your offer].
The [Topic] falls well within our area of interest, and I asked you if you would be willing to collaborate with us for a mutually beneficial partnership.
We could help each other increase reach and boost traffic for [Your Product] and [Their Blog]. It can be a win-win for both!
Let me know what you think.
Best,
[Your Name]
12. Cold email template for building links and contacts
Sometimes it's beneficial to introduce other people to your prospects to solve their challenges in a different domain from yours. In this way, you can build a trusted network that benefits everyone. Here's an example:
Subject Line: [First name] would you like an introduction to [Product/Service]?
Hi [First Name]
I saw your post recently on [Social media/Forum] asking for an introduction to a provider of [Software/Service]. I have a few in my contacts who might fit the bill.
Let's get on a call and discuss the finer details if you'd like an introduction.
I'm awaiting your response
Best
[Your Name]
13. Cold email template for backlinking
Backlinks can offer much value to blogs and sites when the post is novel and informative. If your article is value-packed and matches the content on their site, they will be happy to accept your expert opinion if you can show your credibility.
Subject: Request for backlinks to my posts
Hi [First Name]
While researching the topic, I came across your site, which has a post on [Subject Title]. You've backlinked to a crucial area in your article with outdated/low-quality data on the {Subject]. Since my area of expertise falls into this category, I've offered plenty of updated high-quality research in my post.
Here's a link to my [Article] containing your needed information.
Get in touch with me, and we can discuss this further.
Regards,
{Your Name]
14. Cold email template for meetings
Cold emails for meetings have the same AIDA rules as the rest, whether you're inviting the person for the first time or following up. If it's the first time, pay more attention to the attention part.
Subject: Hi [First Name], we'd be delighted to have you at this quick meeting!
Hi, [First Name]
I'm [Your Name], working for [Your Company's Name] as a [Your Job Title]. We specialize in [Pain point related to prospect] and have helped several clients reach their goals through [Your Solution].
In this meeting, we'd discuss more [Pain Point] and the strategies to deal with the challenge. Please join this session, as we're certain it can add value.
If interested, click the link [Calendar Link] to schedule a meeting.
If you have more questions before that, drop me a message [Your Number]
Best,
[Your name]
15. Cold email template for giving free trial
Most trial users won't become paying clients, therefore, it's essential to maximize your reach so even the small number who do convert can give a significant boost to the revenue. Here's a cold email template to offer a free trial to a qualified prospect.
Subject Line: [First name], how about you give this free trial a shot?
Hi [First Name]
I'm [Your Name] with [Your company name]. Based on my research of the needs of [Prospect's company], you'll find that our [Product] can add much value to your business, especially [Feature Specific to Prospect].
If you're interested, I'd like to give you a quick tour of the product sometime this week. You can start on a free trial later and play around a bit to figure out how it can work with your business.
Let me know when we can get on a call.
Best,
[Your Name]
16. Cold email template for re-engaging prospects who have gone cold
Deals fall through all the time because of various reasons, and prospects go cold subsequently. However, it doesn't mean it's the end, as there's always an opportunity to try again, especially if your offering has significantly improved. Here's an example of reaching out to a prospect who has gone cold.
Subject: Hi [First Name] I last heard from you long ago!
Hey, [First Name]
I hope you are doing well. It's been quite a while since we last spoke.
[Their company name] had started a free trial with [Your product/ for function] the last time. I would love to reconnect with you to determine the challenges and roadblocks your team experienced with the [Function].
Since the last time you used [Product], we've upgraded several things, such as [Mention additions that would benefit them]. Let's get on a quick call this week [First name}.
We would love to walk you through the upgrades in the [Product] and show how you can benefit from it.
Let me know which day works for you.
Best
[Your Name]
17. Cold email template comparing a competitor's product
If you have an offering that's better than your competitor, then it's a chance to pitch your product/service. These emails usually garner responses that can be nurtured into converting customers. Here's an example:
Subject Line: How about you gain higher returns on that design using [Service Feature]?
Hi [First Name]
I was running through your website and observed the great job done on making it smooth and clutter-free. I also noticed that you're using [Competitor's Product]. How do you think it is performing?
I run a [Service] called [You Company Name], and our service has [Key Differentiator] that can improve your design and offer [Advantages].
Let's get on a quick call and demonstrate to you the efficiency of our [Service].
Let me know when is a good time for you.
Best,
[Your name]
18. Cold email template for adding value
Personalized cold emails that add value work exceptionally well during the prospecting stage. If you notice that the prospect went through your website and downloaded material, you can use that information in your personalization to add value. Here's how such a cold email should go:
Subject Line: I see you're interested in the [Topic]; how would you like to know more?
Hi, [First Name]
I noticed you downloaded our whitepaper on the [Topic] from our website. We presume you found it useful and wondered if you're like to learn deeper. I'd like to know if your colleagues at [Prospect's company] are also interested.
Let's set up a quick session without an expert team on the topic and show you how our [Business Solution] can work to [Improve Topic Stats].
The call is only meant to add value and nothing more.
If it sounds useful, I hope to hear from you soon!
Best,
[Your Name]
19. Cold email template for offering market research insights
Offering market research could be a response to a prospect interacting with your content online or your effort to add value based on your research of the prospect's company.
Subject Line- We think you'd be interested in this market research.
Hi [First Name]
It's evident by your last financial report that you've made significant strides, despite being a newcomer to the game. Companies growing at your pace have a strong need for [Use Case] and we have just the market research you'll need to move forward from here.
Our report can be a crucial yardstick for benchmarking. Let us know if you are interested.
Regards,
[Your Name]
20. Cold email template to elicit an opinion
People love sharing their opinions, especially on matters where they have a certain degree of expertise. So this cold email is about getting a response you would like to feature in one of your posts. Formulate genuine ideas to ask and steer clear of empty questions to get them right.
Subject line: [First Name], we'd like to hear your thoughts on [Topic]
Hi [First Name]
Your [depart/department] forms a significant chunk of your company.
At [Your Company], we surveyed buyers' opinions on [Topic]. A frequently occurring response was that the person they spoke to needed to be more knowledgeable.
Do you believe consumers today know more about the products they need than the salespeople? What do you suggest in terms of training/reskilling of your [Department] can solve this issue of information of asymmetry? Let us know.
Regards,
[Your Name]
Tips for successful cold emails
Getting cold emails right can be tricky if you need help understanding the elements of a successful one that prompts the prospect to take action. If you've observed the samples above, you'll notice that their format can be boiled down to these basic themes:
1. Personalization
Every message sent to a prospect need to be tailored as closely as possible to their needs. It can be difficult when sending to hundreds of people, but it must be done to stand out from the clutter. Personalization is the first step to building familiarity and shows you have done your homework.
2. Validate your business
A cold email recipient would want to know who sent them the email and how they got their contact. When you're the stranger, it's up to you to validate your business, so they know it's credible.
Start by mentioning any references you may have had or mutual friends that can lay the foundation of trust. If you lack connections, you can always use your credibility, authority or social status that is relevant to the person.
If you have none, you can find a commonality that works. Anything from common interests, groups or even unusual hobbies can work to build that connection.
3. Keep it short, actionable & easy to read
While being valuable is one winning ingredient, the other is keeping crisp and delicious. Short emails have higher open rates as people are more willing to glance at them.
A long, highly worded-email is sure to bore your prospect. The trick is to show value and nudge them to take action in the shortest possible words.
4. Understand prospects & pitch accordingly
The only reason your prospect would even want to continue reading your email is if they believe there's something valuable specific to them. Therefore in your research, you must find a painting point or challenge that can be solved with your proposition.
If there's no problem to be solved, offer something they want.
5. Use a compelling CTA
Your efforts boil down to your call to action, which is the make-or-break point. A good CTA balances several aspects, such as assertiveness, urgency, appreciation, and value. To make it more impactful, add a bit of submissiveness to avoid being pushy.
Anything that sounds entitled, such as "let me know how soon I can expect you to get it done", is sure to put prospects off. On the other hand, lines such as "Thank you so much, I would appreciate the opportunity" is compelling but subtly.
Conclusion
Crafting a high-performing cold email can be tricky without understanding the finer details of what makes people click and follow through. In this article, we've discussed how to craft effective cold emails for 20 different applications. While each email can be modified to the sender's style, the essence remains.
