This article talks about what is a Cold Email, its types, along with techniques, examples, and Cold Email Template for a job, internship, sales, etc:
Cold email, along with ads and memes, is part of the most important ways for promotions, crowd engagements, or even open requests.
The technique is now used by millions worldwide. Almost every big business is using Cold emails as a way to promote their products, generate an audience, provide content or serve potential customers.
Cold emails are also being used in individual sales, job-pitches, or even in generating leads. Learning about Cold emails is an essential part of the Digital Marketing curriculum and anyone who wishes to connect to companies or customers should learn this.
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Table of Contents:
What Is Cold-Emailing
Cold emails are messages sent through your mail application but w/o prior permission or consent from the receiver. They are ads in a literary form.
The difference between visual ads and cold emails is that the receiver or the audience has to watch the advertisement (on TV or other platforms) but the recipient doesn’t necessarily have to open the email.
In other words, visual advertisements forcefully invade your attention whereas a cold email gives your recipient the choice for consent.
Types Of Cold Emails
There are various reasons for sending cold emails. Some of them are enlisted below:
#1) For Sales
Cold emails for sales have contributed to large profits. Smaller businesses have reached major heights through sales by cold emails, and so are the multiple freelancers or sole proprietors who have transformed into small businesses.
These are the most common form of email marketing. The simple idea is to grab the attention of your potential customer by sending them emails regarding your product and explain why it’ll benefit the recipient.
#2) For Promotion
Promotions are directed towards sales, but not all promotions have a ‘call-for-action’ concerning ‘buying an idea’.
Cold emails sent for promotions tell the recipient about an ongoing sale, or a change in website/design, or maybe a new course or new content on the website which the recipient might find interesting, or they might simply inform the recipient about how experienced the sender is regarding an enterprise.
#3) For Jobs and Internships
As the name suggests, these are the emails sent to join an institution as an employee or an intern. They contain the sender’s resume and cover letter. It may also contain some specific information about the talent or experience of the sender relevant to the position.
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Cold Emails Templates
There are no official templates for sending these emails, but the mail we send can adopt a certain format for better effectiveness and communication. The general sense to follow while emailing depends upon the idea you want to convey, and this format is known as a cold email template.
Some cold email example templates are explained below:
#1) The before and after scenario
Tell the recipient about the scenario before and after using their product or their intellectual property. The before and after scenario leaves the recipient contemplating about the flaw in their product and how your idea will affect the branding or any other value.
For Example:
Hi (name),
We see that your site is missing (specific) content related to the (specific) product. So, the traffic directed towards your website doesn’t stay for long.
Our content writing services can provide you with readable content related to specific keywords surrounding your product, leading to an increase in the time spent on your website.
If you give us 15-20 minutes of your time, we can explain to you the details.
(generic salutations).
How To Cold Mail For A Job
If you are looking for employment, then the cold email template for an internship or a job can go as:
Hi (name),
(tell them about the specific area where your presence might bring positive changes, do not criticize negatively)
(tell them about the specific changes that you might bring upon based upon skills)
(your contact and general salutations).
#2) Agitate the problem
Sometimes making people feel a lot about the specific problem which can be solved by your product is a good idea to convert a potential customer into a real customer. Agitation is a great technique that can be generally used for almost anything. All the NGO ads use this, and even Hollywood movies exploit agitation to pierce their audience’s hearts.
This technique can make your recipient feel a lot about the flaw which you can cure and maybe you’ll pierce some hearts too.
For Example:
Hi (name),
We see that your site is missing a (specific) user interface related to the (specific) product. So, the traffic directed towards your website does not get to engage with your product.
This is leading to a waste of promotional activities that you do on social media, as the potential customers are not converted to real customers.
We, as Web developers, can provide you with a friendly user interface related to specific details surrounding your product, leading to an increase in the time spent on your website.
If you give us 15-20 minutes of your time, we can explain to you the details.
(generic salutations).
Now, let us see below how to use this template for employment and how to write a cold email for a job.
Hi (name),
(Mention a specific area where you would like to work and if you have any experience in that area)
(Talk about how you are passionate about that particular area and how your creativity and expertise can benefit the recipient’s venture)
(contact and salutations)
In short, turn the template into a more positive approach and agitate your skills instead.
#3) Less is more
Sometimes, all you need is a conversation starter. This approach works when your customer requires the product you provide. A busy recipient might shut-off your email as soon as it sees ‘too much of the talking’. Some people do not care for cuddly literature, nor do they believe in buttering. It is necessary to judge your recipient correctly and write a related email.
For Example:
Hi (name),
My name is (not slim shady, but your name) and I have 5 years of experience in providing digital marketing services.
If you want to know more, you can revert me or contact me at: (your contact).
(generic salutations)
For a cold email regarding a job/internship, we can modify this template as:
Hi (name),
My name is (your name) and I have 5 years of experience in providing digital marketing services.
I would like to join your enterprise as an employee.
(contact and salutations)
#4) Praising and pushing
Another fine way to convert is to praise the efforts (generously) done by the recipient towards an enterprise and offer them a solution to make their enterprise better. Unlike the above example, some people like cuddly literature and buttering. A happy person would like happy emails. Provide them with good adjectives and good value and they’ll be yours (do not put a ring on them).
For Example:
Hi (name),
Congratulations, we see that you did a great job on the UI/UX of your website. It is perfect for the kind of product you’re providing.
However, it could be better if the aesthetics and colour patterns were more refined. It’ll lead to a longer stay-period (and a greater ‘aww’) of potential customers on your website.
If you give us 15 minutes of your time, we can explain to you the details.
(generic salutations).
If you are trying for a job or an internship, the template can be modified as:
Hi(name),
(generously praise the particular area of the recipient’s company where you want to give your services)
(tell them specifically how you can bring more positive changes to that area, or what you expect to learn from it)
(contact and salutations)
#5) When you know someone has visited your website
When someone organically, or even through ads, visits your website, they become your lead. To convert them into a customer, you need to follow up.
Here’s how you can do that:
Hi (name),
We saw that you visited our website, if, in case, you need to know more about event management you can visit this link: (the link to a specific content piece).
If you need to know more about our services, you can follow this link: (the link)
For more details on our service, can we give you a call at (time) or (time)?
(generic salutations).
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Good Cold Email Subject Lines
Let us see some good subject lines for Cold Emails in this section.
Subject lines constitute the most important part of any email and especially if it’s a cold email. Subject lines are what the recipient reads at a glance and decides whether to read the whole email or not. Now, a good subject line in itself is a subjective concept.
There can be any number of good subject lines to be used. However, there are certain norms that you should follow to get a ‘read’ for your cold emails. These norms are nothing but the old wisdom of an experienced party.
First, keep in mind these questions while writing a subject line:
- Why am I writing this email? (to make sales, for promotion, or a job?)
- Why would the recipient read this? (what are you offering as facts, studies, or experience?)
- How can I make this shorter? (brevity is the key)
- Do I need to be personal (is it an individual that you are messaging, then include the name, or is it an enterprise?)
- How high is the urgency? (is the recipient urgently in need of the product or an employee?)
Now, after you’ve thought about these, you need to write the subject lines. Usually, a good subject line would take up to 10 words not more than that and would look something like as mentioned below.
Examples of some ‘catchy’ subject lines that demand attention:
- “Let’s talk about (subject/topic)!”
- “Hey (name), check this out !”
- “Free to talk at (date)?”
- “Where do I even start?”
- “(name) I need your advice!”
- “Request to connect”
- “You missed it”
- “I am the Walrus”
Examples of some topic-related subject lines are:
- “Are you ready to face the (challenge related to the demand)?”
- “You’ll love this article (name to a specific content piece)
- “Have you solved your (problem name) yet?”
- “Quick question regarding the (topic)”
- “A better way to reach a (specific goal)”
- “Essential resources to help with (challenge)”
Examples of some formal subject lines:
- (company name) + (company date) + invitation for (goal)
- Meeting Invite (company name) + for (goal)
- “Can you spare some time to talk about (goal)?”
All-in-all, there can be many subject lines that you might try. It just depends on the recipient. Customers can be dealt with funny lines or informal lines, but with large companies and businesses, we need to engage in a formal conversation.
Do Cold Emails Get Responses
In one word- TOUGH!!
It is tough to get responses from people who don’t know you personally. Now, responses can be both positive and negative.
Personally speaking, both types make one happy because at least someone took the time to read and respond, that’s progress. However, when you’re only getting negatives, that means there’s a serious problem.
This part, like the others, is also subjective and there is no particular mathematical equation to get responses. Everything depends on the recipients and their mood. If your recipient is in a good mood, they might try your idea, who knows. It’s very similar to shopping; when you’re in a good mood every new item makes you excited.
For job-related emails, the mood factor plays a very small role. The major role is played by your qualifications, experience, the urgency of hiring, and the personalization of the email.
At end of the day, the recipient should find your mail interesting, and THAT’S IT.
Here are some tips to get responses (whether positive or negative):
#1) Make it personal
For jobs especially, if you’re Cold-emailing, you need to get personal. Explain to them your interests as you’ve lived them. Explain to them why you’ll do good at the job. Explain to them why you must get the job.
In short, the more ego you caress, the closer you get to get a response.
#2) Make it funnier
Sometimes, we can make it out whether our recipient will like good humor or not (the tip is to check their websites if it’s ‘chill’ then you can try a bit of humor in your mails). Cold email is just another literary item, and to make one read it; you need to make it interesting.
Now, what’s better than a bit of humor to make things interesting. Try it.
#3) Offer them a genuine solution
For a sales pitch, you need to show that you’ve analyzed the recipient’s problems in detail, i.e. mention fine details in their content, website, or pages and tell them how you’ll make it better.
The recipient will surely like the idea that someone has genuinely or truly gone through what they’ve made.
How To Get Maximum Responses From Your Cold Mails
Now that you’ve made your email all nice and shiny, what else remains? Sometimes everything is not enough and you need to go beyond that ‘everything’. People love whining about how they couldn’t succeed after giving their best, but people hate working more than what was required.
That’s the trick. Everything doesn’t depend on you! The communication is two-way.
Digital Marketing is half marketing and half psychology. You need to understand rhythm, routines, and representation.
#1) Rhythm
Make it a habit to send emails at a specific time. If you do it all day, you might get bored and depressed.
According to Internet data and statistics, there are two time-frames for an email to get ‘read’. First is the early morning slot of 6 am to 7 am, this is the time when people open their smartphones to check all the things which aren’t urgent.
Try to get their attention at this time. Another time slot is 6 pm to 7 pm, the time when everyone goes back after work and looks up for things that don’t require attention urgently.
#2) Routines
Similar to timings, there are days in which Cold emails get more responses. Some statistics say early morning Monday is the best time, while some say that Tuesdays and Wednesdays get more attention.
You can experiment with both the slots and find out for yourself. Different regions have different routines due to different work hours and schedules. Apart from days and timings, you also need to focus on following-up with your recipients. Don’t get disheartened after the first try, follow-up at least 3-4 times.
#3) Representation
Do not write more than 100-150 words in your email. The more you write, the harder it gets to grab attention. Nobody wants to waste time on an unknown email.
If you write large pieces, chances are the recipient won’t read them and even if the recipient finds the first 2-3 lines interesting, the rest of it would be postponed to some other time and that time won’t come.
Ever wondered why have people started writing in lines?
Like this?
That’s because they have to customize their writings for the smartphone screen. Paragraphs of 4-5 lines might look good on your PC screen, but on the screens of your phones, they look heavy and don’t grab attention.
Try to write your emails like explained in this tutorial and notice the change yourself.
And the final tip is- Don’t forget to stay out of the spam folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) How do Cold emails work?
Answer: Pretty simple, it’s like making an offer (ideally, the one they can’t refuse). If you want to sell something or work for someone, simply write a mail with your idea and send it to the concerned recipient.
Q #2) How do you respond to Cold emails?
Answer: Okay, first, feel special that someone’s interested in talking to you. Then read the email. Give it a thought, someone has put their hard work into this. After that, reply as per your needs, but be polite.
Q #3) Is Cold emailing illegal?
Answer: Not unless you identify yourself and provide a simple process to unsubscribe.
Q #4) Is Cold emailing effective?
Answer: Yes, many companies have built fortunes over this, there are even apps that can automate your Cold emails. Almost every marketing process includes Cold emailing.
Q #5) What is a Cold call email?
Answer: It is the same as Cold emails.
Conclusion
Cold emailing is a path-breaking technique if we learn to use it well. How much ever you read about it, the best way is to go out there and try. Especially for job-seekers, your dream job is waiting for you, but it won’t come to you. You have to go to it and Cold emailing is a nice highway.
If you’re a salesperson or even someone who needs to sell products, there is no way you can do it without Cold emailing. Especially after the pandemic, people prefer digital sales/meetings/products to ‘mano-a-mano. This is a good time to launch your product.
For Digital marketers, Cold emailing is a way to reach your audience with a personal touch and even know about them. This is a core technique concerning digital marketing. Even people who have no friends at all get all sorts of sales emails in their inboxes.
At last, Cold email can be a good learning experience as well as a valid professional experience for people of any age or background.