Did you know that people only spend 10 seconds reading brand emails?

 

 

But that’s even if you get them to open your message at all. Chances are, they just scrolled past your cold email. 

 

 

So, how do you make your cold emails stand out enough to get clicked?

 

 

It’s pretty challenging, because you only have a few lines (and seconds) to capture their attention and get them to keep reading. Then, you need to follow up with timely and equally-persuasive reminders to nurture your cold leads into paying clients. 

 

 

Whether your goal is to convert your leads into a sale or educate them about your product/service, there are some general rules you can follow which apply to any campaign. We’re going to quickly walk you through all the different things you need to consider when crafting a sequence that will bring leads smoothly through your sales funnel.

 

 

Let’s start with the elements that need to be included in any template sequence first. 

 

 

5 Elements of a Cold Email That You Need To Consider

 

Sending lengthy emails is the quickest way to scare away readers, but you need to pack a lot of punch into a short space. 

 

 

Here are 5 elements you should include in every message within your email template sequence:

 

1. Capture Your Audience With a Strong Hook

 

Writing emails to generate leads can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s a sort-of-simple science to it, and if you follow it, the whole process becomes a lot less daunting.

 

 

Crafting a B2B cold email starts with writing a strong hook to capture your audience’s attention.

 

 

 

Whether it’s a funny anecdote or an inspiring quote, use something that will grab the reader’s attention, so they want to click on your email and – most importantly – carry on reading. 

 

 

You can also start by addressing their pain points or stating statistics about the industry. 

 

 

You’re trying to stand out from the other emails in their inbox to get the reader to click. 

 

 

Here are some examples, to give you an idea:

 

• Losing a business is just as painful as a divorce. How do you make sure that you stay committed to your business’ success?
• “To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.”
• According to research, the optimal number of follow-ups is 3 emails to get a response. How can you maximize these efforts without being too annoying?

 

 

2. Make Them Feel Special: Personalize!

 

The key to success in writing a perfect cold email template sequence is personalization. You have to make your leads feel special and respected; anything else will just blend into the background. 

 

 

Humanize your approach and craft messages that show off your company’s unique voice, helping you stand out among competitors and increase those all-important conversions. 

 

 

Everyone likes seeing things in their inbox that are useful and tailored to them, but we all hate bulk spam messages with zero personal relevance!

 

 

3. Relevant Value Proposition 

 

Focus on delivering a relevant value proposition that resonates with your audience. 

 

 

I’m talking about key benefits that can deliver a strong message about what you offer and why it’s important for them. 

 

 

Craft an approachable and clear message that offers opportunities for mutually beneficial communication through timely, tailored, and specific content. A solid value proposition demonstrates to the recipient that you appreciate their time and understand their needs, increasing your chances of success.

 

 

4. Let Them Know What’s Going On with a Quick Case Study

 

If you’re looking to make a lasting impression on your leads, it’s time to bring out the big guns. Nothing makes more of an impact than demonstrating how your product can take customer success stories from zero to hero like a powerful case study. 

 

 

A good case study captures a customer’s story marking the journey they took with your product and how their results skyrocketed thereafter. Highlight memorable moments and back up your points with hard facts and statistics. 

 

 

Don’t forget that you only have a few seconds to hold their attention. Stick to 1-2 lines, not huge narratives. 

 

 

When done right, a quick case study can be a powerful tool for getting your prospects interested in learning more about what you have to offer.

 

 

An example would be: 

 

Company A had 5,000 Instagram followers. After our rebranding and campaign strategy, they gained 20,000 new followers and built a community that helped improve social sharing by 50%. 

 

 

5. Arguably the Most Important Element: Call-to-Action

 

The Call-to-Action is where you let your leads know what action to take next, and it’s the key that opens up the door from initial contact to warm interactions down the line. 

 

 

Show your prospects you mean business so they can respond accordingly – that’s when you know you’ve crafted a compelling CTA!

 

 

Here are some examples that you can use:

 

• Are you interested in our service? If so, would you be free for a quick call this week so we can talk about it further?
• If you’re the right person to talk to about this, would you be free for a call tomorrow? If not, I’d really appreciate it if you direct me to the right person.
• Sign up for a free trial to see how we can help you skyrocket your business. 

 

 

Cold Email Template Sequence

 

Now that we’ve tackled the key elements you need to include in each email, let’s look at some different templates you can use for each stage of your cold email sequence. From first contact to close, you can use these to craft a persuasive, engaging conversation to nurture your prospects into customers.

 

 

First Contact Cold Email

 

The very first email you send in a sequence is arguably the most important.

 

 

Here’s a sample that shows the anatomy of a first contact cold email:

 

Email Subject: I agree re: your (social media platform) post on (recipient’s topic)

 

 

Hey (Recipient’s name), 

 

(Sender’s name) here. I came across your post on (social media platform) about (recipient’s pain point). I, too, am part of (recipient’s group or industry) and would love to chat regarding a (product or service of sender’s business that addresses receiver’s pain point). 

 

(Insert 2-3 subpoints the recipient made that the sender most resonated with and how the sender suggests addressing these.) 

 

Let’s work together to scale up your business to greater heights! (insert a call to action, i.e., jump on a Zoom call, exchange mobile numbers, etc.). 

 

(Insert sender’s email signature here)

 

 

As you can see, a good cold email template uses key elements that identify the recipient’s pain points and establish an initial point of connection in the first paragraph. 

 

 

See how it’s personalized to the reader? 

 

 

Then, follow up by introducing a relevant value proposition by letting them know how your product or service can address their problem.

 

 

Now that you’ve got their attention, at the end of the email, provide a call-to-action. The call-to-action lets them know what they need to do after reading. This might be asking them to set up a call or check out your website.

 

 

Now, you sent your first email, but you didn’t get a response. Don’t give up just yet, because the optimal number of follow-up emails is 2-3.

 

 

But when should you send that follow-up email, and how do you write it?

 

 

First Follow-Up

 

You didn’t get a response at first, but you’re persistent. You’re going to follow up, just to be sure.

 

 

This email is crucial, because the first follow-up can increase your response rate up to 40% compared to your initial email. So, after 3 days from your initial email, you now send your first follow-up. 

 

 

These are the important components that you should include:

 

• Remind the recipient about your initial email.
• Acknowledge the pain points that you previously talked about, and add more, for good measure.
• Reiterate how your product or service can help solve their problem.
• Let them know the next steps (i.e., setting up a call or signing up for a free demo/trial).

 

 

Second Follow-Up

 

This second follow-up email will usually go out seven days after your initial email. It will give you the chance to remind them about the value you can bring to the table. These are the points you should tackle in this email:

 

• Acknowledge that the recipient may have been busy and overlooked your previous emails.
• Repeat how your product or service can bring value.
• Ask the recipient if they’re still interested.
• Mention the next steps again, along with a timeline for completion (e.g. “this offer expires April 20th!”)

 

 

Third Follow-Up

 

Four days after your second follow-up, it’s time to send another email to your recipient. For this email, it’s time to keep it short and straight to the point in an attempt to capture their attention again. You reiterate your proposal to the recipient and the next steps this time around.

 

 

Fourth Follow-Up

 

This is your second-to-last chance to get a response from your prospect, and should be sent on the 15th day after your initial email. It’s okay at this point to acknowledge that you’ve been sending follow-up emails to your recipient.

 

• Acknowledge that you’ve been following up.
• Suggest that the recipient may have been swamped.
• Mention your proposal again.
• Include any relevant references that can help them with their decision, like additional case studies or product information.

 

 

The Last Follow-Up

 

It’s been 19 days since your first email and you still haven’t heard anything from your prospect. 

 

 

That means it’s maybe time to let go and move on, because spamming your prospect won’t do any good. You know what they say: “If you love them, set them free. If they come back, it’s meant to be.”

 

 

By the 5th email and onwards, repetitive outreach messages will barely increase your response rate. At this point, the time it takes to write and personalize each email isn’t worth the effort. 

 

 

So how do you kindly let them know that you won’t badger them anymore?

 

• Thank your prospect for their time throughout your interaction.
• Let them know that you won’t reach out anymore, but you’ll always be open if they decide that they’re interested again.
• Leave your contact information and tell them the best way they can reach you in the future.

 

 

Turning Leads From Cold to Warm

 

Overall, a great cold email template sequence should capture your audience with a strong hook, personalize the message to make them feel special, offer relevant value propositions, give them a call-to-action, or share quick case studies – all ultimately encouraging engagement with your business. 

 

 

Your cold email template is what will guide the prospective client’s buying journey. By using the perfect cold email template sequence to warm up your leads in a professional, yet friendly, way, you’re taking yourself one step closer to achieving success in your lead acquisition efforts.

 

 

But, of course, all of this takes time and resources. So contact us today to let us warm up your cold leads for you!