We’ve all seen them in our inbox, and we all know what a bad cold email looks like – however, that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier for most of us to craft a powerful email that actually works.

So, what can you do?

Plenty of gurus will give you their killer writing tips – but one thing they won’t tell you is that sometimes, keeping it simple, well-researched, and focused on the person you’re writing to is the best way to leverage email.

After all, marketing is all about building relationships; email is one of the very best ways to approach people and kickstart that relationship with an impressive introduction that feels built around them.

Don’t know how to do that? No problem – read on to discover how you can write cold emails that get your leads hot under collar (with just a little bit of effort)!

Remember Who You’re Writing Your Email To

If you’ve done your market research, you already know your ideal customer inside-out, possibly right down to their favorite childhood candy flavor.

Knowing your customer and being able to speak in their language – their words, problems, fears, and desires is one of the most powerful tools you have.

Before you even write the email down, understand what your leads want – and find the right leads. For example, if you’re in Business to Business (B2B) marketing, you’ll want to find the right point of contact in a company.

Is this a lot of extra research? Yes – but the results you get from this kind of deep dish analysis and careful targeting can make all the difference to your campaign’s final results before you even start writing!

Leave the Marketing Hype At Home

How many times have you gone into your inbox, glanced over the subject line and that little snippet of the first line and then moved on?

If you’re like most people, you likely do this every day. These two elements – the email subject line and the first line – are vital for getting people to open it. So why is your inbox overflowing with evidence that an overwhelming number of businesses and marketers make such a poor effort?

You might think that you need to have a bombastic, attention-grabbing subject line, but the reality is that generic works too.

  • “Hi from Emma”
  • “Quick question…”

Are these going to set the world on fire? No – but they will elicit interest, and most importantly, they won’t turn anyone off.

TIP: Don’t try to pitch your entire sales pitch in that subject line, because nobody’s likes being sold to (which means you’re going straight in the trash).

Personalize The First Line of Your Email to Get Attention

What about the first line? Again, a simple and friendly introduction works well here, especially if it is combined with something specific about them, their business, or their life.

This adds an element of personalization to your email while adding extra interest for the reader – you’re talking about them, and that is one conversational subject that people just love!

For example, you might look at their website and comment on the great design, or congratulate them on a recent achievement. The more specific you can be, the better.

Together with your email subject header, you’ve got an email that’s already streets ahead of bad spam, and your open rates will shoot up.

Flattery Works – But Don’t Overdo It If You Want Responses

Now that you’ve got the attention of your lead and they’re reading your email, how do you keep that attention – and keep them reading?

“They” might say that flattery will get you nowhere, but in small doses, it can help you to cover a lot of ground while showing your lead that you’ve done your research and you’re interested in them.

It’s the start of a beautiful new relationship! The best way to leverage flattery is to mention something that they already know to be true (whether it is or not), and do so as an expert who has a solution.

For example, you might want to request their opinion on something – a powerful question if you already have a solution to a problem that’s vexing them.

The more you can sound like a regular person, the better your chances are of getting a response and building a cold email into a warm relationship (or even a red-hot lead). This is not the time to channel your inner Billy Mays.

Wrap Up Your Email With A Call to Action

Now that you’ve got the main body of your email fixed with something that’s warm, engaging, and shows genuine interest in your lead, it’s time to tell them what to do.

After all, it wouldn’t quite be marketing without a Call To Action (CTA) in it!

There are many ways to wrap this up, and you don’t need to get fancy. Tell them to confirm if they would like to see your offer. Ask them to give you a call, or schedule an appointment.

What you write here isn’t as important as making it easy to understand and act on.

TIP: Try to end your CTA with a question mark. Questions need answers, and this is a subtle signal you can use to encourage a response that little bit more.

Conclusion: Yes, You Can Write Perfect Emails – It Just Requires Time and Research

Email marketing is often seen as the poor relative of video marketing and social media marketing, and it’s easy to see why. After all, it’s old, distinctly lacks the glossy glamor of more modern marketing, and the specter of spam is all that never far away from everyone’s minds.

Email makes up for what it misses in glamor by being effective when you carefully craft your cold emails and send them to the right people with a friendly message that focuses on them.

Follow these tips, and you’ll see your open rates and responses skyrocket, helping your business to thrive and grow. It really is that easy!