6 simple steps to getting started with cold sales emails
One of the biggest challenges in B2B sales is reaching the right person, the person who can (a) understand the value your software can provide for their company
and (b) make a buying decision.
Salespeople and lead generation teams generally waste too much time on this task. Your company can create a lot more high-quality leads in less time by using cold sales emails based on Aaron Ross’ predictable revenue model.
When we talk to many B2B SaaS startup founders, they get it. They recognize that cold emailing could make their outbound prospecting more effective. But they don’t know how to get started in implementing it into their sales process.
Let's look at these six simple steps to getting started with cold emails (if you're interested in improving your email outreach, check out our powerful cold email generator)!
Download your free copy of Cold Email Hacks here to learn how to send emails that turns prospects into customers.
1. Write your subject line
It’s just one line, but it’s the line that matters most. If people don't open the email, nothing else matters. There are many things you can do to increase open rates, but one easy best practice is using their name in the subject line.
2. Write your email copy
Be brief. Give context. End with a clear and specific call to action. Every sentence is sealing the value proposition of giving you a bit more of their time and reading the next sentence you wrote. (Remember: most email clients display not just the subject line in the inbox, but also the beginning of the email copy).
Did you know that you can write and send emails with just a few clicks in Close? Learn more about our email features here.
You can create cold email pitch templates and use bulk emails or automated email sequences to automate the busywork, and instead focus on those steps of the sales process where real human interaction is most impactful.
3. Get feedback
Show your outbound cold emails to different people, especially current clients of yours with whom you have a good relationship. Ask them: "Would you reply to this? What's unclear? What would you change?" If you have investors, ask them the same questions. Get feedback. Edit/Iterate/Test.
4. Send 25–50 emails a day
Don’t blast out hundreds (or even thousands) of emails when you’re just getting started. Your goal here is to find out what works, while at the same time having enough resources to follow up properly with those prospects who respond.
Close makes it easy to create and send out email templates to your leads. Sign up for a free 14-day trial of Close to test out this feature for yourself.
5. On the following day, look at the two most important metrics
a. Open rates benchmark: 15–30%
b. Response rates benchmark: 10–30%
The open rates allow you to track the effectiveness of your subject lines while the response rates indicates how effective your email copy is.
Get response rate data in real-time with Sequence Reporting in Close:
Learn how to improve your open and response rates by downloading your free copy of Cold Email Hacks.
6. Iterate
Try different subject lines and email bodies. Experiment and measure results.
If your response rates are below 5%, you're doing something really wrong. In the 10% range, you're on the right track. Anywhere between 10%–30% you're doing really, really well.
Want to really dig into cold emails? Get our free course: Prospecting and Lead Management 101. Learn how to start your first cold outreach system and make it work:
Check out this webinar recording we did about Sales Email Tactics if you want to dive even deeper into the strategies you need to succeed with cold email lead generation:
