We have all gotten them. The bad cold email that makes you feel better about yourself 🙂

Here’s a fun interview I did with a buddy of mine from Proposify about the WORST and the BEST email he has ever received when it comes to lead generation.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• Mistakes to avoid making in your cold sales emails.
• How to write an amazing cold email.
• 4 Tips to crafting an effective cold email.

Today’s guest is Kyle Racki co-founder of Provposify, a SaaS product for helping agencies streamline proposal writing, get approvals faster and close deals quickly. He tells us how to improve the effectiveness of cold emails in order to keep the conversation alive.

Mistakes to Avoid in Cold Sales Emails

We’ve all been on the receiving end of some pretty terrible sales emails, right? Whether in your inbox, LinkedIn mail, or similar space they tend put us off. Here’s one from Julie, which Kyle shared as a typical bad sales example…

This is one of the WORST cold emails because:

• It’s too vague. The email says they were referred by a digital agency but doesn’t mention which one. It says it’s from a tech company but doesn’t mention which one. It also says doing business together could “…create a significant revenue stream…” but what’s the measure of “significant”? This email contains too much generic information with no regard to the intended recipient.
• It’s irrelevant. Kyle received this email and he runs a SaaS company for agencies, yet the email mentions the company’s positioning with attorneys and schools. This information is immaterial and has no bearing on the sales decision.
• It’s too presumptuous. The closing in this email assumes the recipient has learned enough and is interested in a phone call. It’s a giant leap to go from introduction to a phone meeting in one email. The purpose of a cold email is to see if there’s a fit, not close a deal. Making assumptions like that can be a real turn off.

How to Write an Amazing Cold Email

Here’s another example Kyle shared in comparison. This one has all the attributes of a great cold sales email….

This is one of the BEST cold emails because:

• It’s direct. There’s no guesswork – you know exactly who sent the email and what they want you to do. The next steps are clear and there’s a specific call-to-action. (It’s the opposite of vague!)
• It’s personalized. The sender did their research and . The email is not only targeted but Notice the thumbnail of the video? That’s Proposify’s site embedded into the customized video.
• It’s short and to the point. Just four sentences is all FullStory needed. This email says in just 30 words what the other one takes 102 words to say.

4 Tips to Crafting an Effective Cold Emails

1. Know who you’re targeting. Be narrow and specific instead of broad and generic. You’ll get more traction by sending custom emails to 10 solid leads rather than form letters to 100 cold leads.
   

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2. Do your homework to pull data and research on your target. You can use tools such as Rapportive to determine a business’ size, revenue, etc. and then import it into your CRM.
   

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3. Create an intriguing email or lead magnet provides unique or innovative information. What clients really want is for you to bring something new to the table. So, create a custom report or branded email. (Hint: you can use Proposify templates to do this!
   

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4. Use your CRM to monitor your leads’ engagement with your email. Then circle back to follow-up based on their level of interest and/or to handle objections.

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If you have more questions about how you can improve your agency, I have covered topics including how to start an agency from scratch to reasons you should sell your agency.

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