You’ve deleted enough of cold emails to know that it’s tough to get the attention of a hot prospect via a cold email, but with the right strategy, it is possible to land a meeting. Here are some tips to help you land more meetings with cold emails.
Lead With a Relative and Personal Subject Line
A cold email is only as good as its subject line. Many people will delete an email if the subject line doesn’t interest them. For a cold email, it is extremely important that you have a subject line that peaks interest and is personable if possible. Use their first name, and after all, what’s more personal than their name? Do some social research – if you are looking for listings, use the address of their property. If they write a blog, refer to that. Would you open an email with the subject line of “Robert, re: Your Property at 123 Main Street” or “Robert, re: your blog post?”
The shorter and more concise the subject line, the better. Place yourself in the shoes of the prospect – does the subject line entice you to open the email? If not, then there’s a good chance the prospect won’t want to open the email either. Be clear, personable and informal with your email subject line.
Cold Email Copy: Be Short and Sweet and Demonstrate Value
After you’ve conquered the subject line, it’s time to write the email content. Prospects don’t have a lot of time to spend reading emails, so you need to get your point across in two or three sentences. That’s all that shows in an email preview or on a mobile device. Your goal is to get them to the call-to-action.
Be brief, give context and tie to your subject line with a value proposition. I find the “share” technique works well: “My name is Steve with ABC Commercial Real Estate and I’d love to share with you how we helped other investors like you maximize their investment in commercial property.” Incorporate bullet points to help make a strong argument and make it easier for the prospect to digest the information presented. Be direct and leave out minor details that can be discussed during the phone call.
The point of a cold email is to give the prospect enough information to interest them in contacting you or taking your follow up call, but not enough that you have nothing to discuss during the call.
Bring it Home With a Strong Call to Action
Make it clear what the next step is. Should the prospect email you back or should they give you a call? Let them know how they will benefit if they contact you. The chances of the prospect getting in touch with you increases when you repeat the call to action at the end of the email. Be reasonable in your call to action. Ask for a few minutes of their time for a phone call, rather than an in-person meeting.
Make things easy and simple for the prospect by offering a clear and strong call to action at both the beginning and end of your email. Something as simple as “give me a call at your earliest convenience,” or “What’s the best way to get 15 minutes on your calendar?” will work.
Don’t Forget to Express Appreciation
Always thank the prospect for taking the time to read your email. The prospect may not be interested in pursuing further contact at the present time, but in the future they may contact you. It’s best to always express appreciation to your potential prospects because you never know when they may want to do business with you in the future. Leave a good impression with every cold email.