One of the best avenues in working within your industry is the reaching out process, otherwise known as a cold email. The problem is, who wants to write cold emails and not have them ignored or, worse yet, end up in the spam folder? As you can imagine, when the average email response rate sits at 10–15%, achieving over an 80% response rate takes careful planning. In this guide, we will show you how to write cold emails that are eye-catching, personal, and persuasive enough to elicit high response rates.
Write an Engaging Subject Line
Your subject line is the first detail your recipient notices, and it ultimately decides whether your email is opened or discarded. A great subject line is short, direct, and curiosity-inducing. Research reveals that shorter subject lines (less than 50 characters) correlate with higher open rates.
Personalization is enchantable —mentioning the recipient's name, their company name, or a reference to a recent activity can dramatically increase engagement." You may also use verbs (action words) and pose a question to entice and encourage the reader to open the email. Instead of "Quick question," try "Opening this up to you [Name]?" to make the subject line more appealing and relatable. As per OptinMonster, 47% of email recipients based their decision to open an email on its subject line alone.
Example:
Subject: “Quick Thought for [Recipient’s Name]?”Personalize Every Email
Copy-paste emails (the kind you send to everyone) are instantly ignored. People love personalized content, especially when an email appears written for them. Begin by investigating your recipient's information—review their LinkedIn profile, visit the company website, or check recent articles about their business. This approach sets an immediate rapport by mentioning a recent achievement, shared connection, or common interest.
Demonstrating that you understand their business or challenges indicates that you've done your homework. Rather than sending a bulk email, customize your message to address their pain points and how your product or service can solve them. Not only will this increase the likelihood that your email will be read and responded to, but it will also add a personal touch to your message.
Example:
"Hi [Recipient’s Name], I noticed on your recent LinkedIn post that you’re exploring innovative strategies for increasing customer retention at [Company Name]. was thinking that perhaps we might offer you a couple of thoughts about shaping [Company Name]'s future into a favorable scenario."Short and to the Point
It also helps to avoid making your emails long and wordy; those tend to be ignored. The best cold emails are short and straight to the point in the first few sentences. It can be packed into 1-2 small-sized paragraphs or be 3-5 sentences long.
Cut the fluff; only include what drives you towards your goal. Get right to the benefit rather than a lengthy introduction describing who you are or what your company does. For example,
"I noticed that [Company Name] is expanding into [specific area], and I think we can help you make that transition a smoother process." A concise and powerful email will guarantee that your recipient will be engaged!Offer Immediate Value
To grab eyeballs, your email should contain instant value. The first few lines should answer the recipient's question: "Why should I care?" The insight could either be a newly identified data point or a quick win specific to their industry.
For instance, if you email a SaaS company, this could be it:
"I am pleased to say that we helped [Competitor's name] tackle 30% lower churn within less than two months. I'd be thrilled to outline how we did it and how it might be modulated for [Company Name]'s benefit."Use a Conversational Tone
This is NOT a cold email that feels like a sales pitch. Instead, write like you are joking around with a colleague. Do not sound business-like or mechanical, which may sound too formal and generic for even the faces you know.
Using simple, easy-to-read language can make your email more engaging. Also, adding a simple open-ended question at the bottom of your email helps facilitate the response. For example: "Would love to get your thoughts — do you think this would work for your team?" is keeping the dialogue open-ended and welcoming.
“I hope you are well. I read your last article about digital innovation, and I thought we might find some synergies in what we both could discuss. What's your overview of the current trends in our industry?”Put a Clear Call to Action (CTA)
Your email should direct the reader to an action item. Rather than broad, ambiguous requests like "Let me know what you think," give them a clear, liquid, and actionable CTA. A direct ask, like
"Can we hop on a 10-minute call next Tuesday at 2 p.m. or Wednesday at 10 a.m.?" helps make it so that the recipient can easily say yes.
A softer CTA such as "Would you be interested in a brief conversation?" can be more inviting if you are hesitant. The objective is to reduce friction and make responding as easy as possible.
Avoid Spam Triggers
Spam filters prevent many emails from reaching inboxes. Please do not use words like "free," "guaranteed," "limited time," or too much exclamation to ensure your email lands in the recipient's primary inbox.
Note: Always send emails from a personal address rather than a generic one (e.g., sales@company.com), which will help with deliverability. If your email doesn't read like an auto-message and flows naturally, it will have a much higher chance of being opened.
Follow Up (But Don't Overdo It)
Most responses come from follow-ups, so don't lose hope if you don't hear back immediately. Send 2-3 follow-up emails as a guideline over the next few weeks.
Every follow-up should provide value, not just check whether they opened your email. Perhaps share more information, a case study, or a relevant resource. For example, "I found this article on [topic] that I thought you may find useful." This item broadens the dialogue without being intrusive.
Optimize Your Timing
Timing is crucial in cold email detection, and you want to ensure your response rates are as high as possible. Studies have shown that emails on Tuesday-Thursday mornings generally perform better than others because people are more likely to check their inboxes without being buried in Monday's backlog or Friday's wrap-up tasks.
Please don't send an email at some odd hour of the night (or over the weekend) when it will be buried. Try different times and keep track of open rates to determine what works for your audience.
A/B Test Your Emails
The best cold email strategies are based on data, not trial and error. You can A/B test various aspects of your emails, such as subject lines, opening lines, CTAs, timing, etc.
Learn from past outreach with data. Track open, click-through, and response rates. Use this data to identify patterns and enhance your future outreach efforts. Changing a subject line or adjusting your CTA can lead to significant results.
Conclusion
Getting an 80% response rate on cold emails isn't luck — it's strategy. You can increase the likelihood of your message being read by writing enticing subject lines, personalizing each email, keeping your message short and sweet, providing value upfront, and timing your emails correctly.
A consistent conversational tone, clear CTAs, no spammy wording, and strategic follow-ups can all make the difference between cold outreach and warm conversations. Regularly A/B testing your emails will refine your approach to achieve even more excellent results.
The success of cold email is a combination of psychology, data, and tenacity. Following these best practices can cut through inbox clutter and drive response rates that better position you against the competition. Want to write cold emails that get results? Use these tactics now and have your response rates soar!
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Call-to-Action
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