How to Write a Cold Email That Works
One of the biggest questions every business owner faces is “how do I get clients?!” There’s loads of advice out there, and you may have seen tips about sending cold emails and messages to get new leads.
Here’s the thing: cold emails aren’t all bad. But most of them come in the form of a sales pitch. As a business owner, you probably also get dozens of “spam” emails every day. So how can you reach out to people authentically? How can you send an email that actually gets eyes on your business?
My friend Emma Rodger of Saltd Studio and I dug deep into this topic to identify what specifically makes a cold email “cold” and off-putting, versus what helps build relationships and grow your business.
First, we looked into the history of cold emails: The exact background is a bit hazy, but it’s clear that cold emailing stems from general cold sales practices. Before the internet, business owners went door-to-door and used cold calling to promote their services and products. The first cold call was recorded back in 1873! With the growth of technology, the way business owners reach out and keep in touch has continued to evolve.
In this blog post, Emma chatted with me about her hot takes on cold emailing, why it’s so widely used today, and how to structure a cold email. Let’s dive in!
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Q: Why are cold sales emails annoying?
Emma: These days we’re all living in a world where there’s nonstop noise, and everything feels oversaturated and overstimulating. Think about it—you can google a question and have an answer within moments, figure out what song is playing in a restaurant through your phone, or order food and have it arrive at your house within an hour.
The fact is, in a world where everything is digitalized, people are craving real and authentic conversations! It’s in our nature to make decisions based on trust. So, when a message finds its way to the top of your inbox that feels cold, impersonal, or even with brushed-over details, it’s bound to annoy more than lead to a sale.
Q: Is there a cold email that comes to mind that you found insincere?
Emma: I actually got one recently that particularly bothered me. There were a few details within the email that just sort of irked me:
First, in the subject line, it said, “URGENT.” And, this is something we always talked about when I was a professional ballerina: we used to say that really, at the end of the day, there is no such thing as a “dance emergency.” That has always stuck with me and it’s something I believe to be true in virtually any other industry, as well. Something that is “urgent” means that I need to drop everything and turn my focus to that one need, even if it’s after working hours. Things like injuries or fires are urgent. But if you really think about it, almost anything else can be addressed the next business day, so right off the bat, the email struck a bit of a wrong chord.
When I started reading the email, I noticed the first sentence said they really enjoy my content. Well… you know me… I went right to Saltd’s Instagram and sure enough, they don’t follow me. I also checked my LinkedIn and Pinterest. So at this point, I just feel like I’m “urgently” being lied to (which isn’t very trust-building).
Then it said we have similar audiences, which is also untrue (I research). It might be true for what they’re trying to build on their social media, but at the time of sending me that email, we didn’t have any mutual followers or connections, or even a similar target audience it seemed.
The email’s punctuation was a bit of a mess—that’s a personal pet peeve of mine. I always think it’s worth taking a few extra moments to double-check grammar and punctuation!
The one thing I did like was that there was just a tiny bit of personality in the email, which made me smile for just a moment. However, for this particular email, they could have put those couple of sentences towards the top to make a fun first impression.
Q: Why is this method still used in this day and age if so many people find it off-putting?
Emma: That’s a great question! This got me thinking, so I decided to look up the average response rate of cold emails. The information seemed slightly varied, but overall, the consensus was that the response rate is relatively low (roughly 1-6%).
So, knowing that, and also how frustrated readers get by cold emails (or calls or DMs), I have to wonder what the goal is.
If you think about it, there are so many automation and business tools out there that are able to segment based on actions. So, if the goal was to move a contact along in the pipeline, even if it’s not a sale yet, they might be qualifying people based on actions like engagement (link clicks, replies, etc). I suppose the hope with that sort of goal would be that eventually someone would become a customer.
Overall, I could understand why cold emailing or a similar marketing strategy might seem like a simple or even easy way of getting business. However, in my experience, it creates more confusion and mistrust long-term (especially for small businesses). I’d strongly recommend returning to your brand strategy first (or hiring a professional to help you craft one if you don’t have a brand strategy yet) and if cold emailing aligns, then looking at your budget (both finances and time), business goals, and go from there.
Just like we shouldn’t showcase every single project we’ve done in our portfolio (especially if it doesn’t align with our dream audience), we also shouldn't be trying to advertise and cold email everyone out there. There’s a common phrase in the design industry: “A brand that speaks to everyone speaks to no one,” and this also applies to sales—if you’re trying to turn everyone out there into a client, it won’t be clear who your target audience is and what your expertise is in.
My top suggestion for a business is to build a lead magnet and funnel. In my opinion, that is the absolute best way to build an email list that you already know will be full of potential customers that have a higher chance of converting when you do promote a product, service, or course.
Q: What specifically makes a cold email feel less “cold” and more “connection-oriented”?
Emma: This is a tricky one for me. My go-to answer is that it’s not actually “cold.” Meaning they’ve read my newsletters once or twice, been an active part of my social media community, or purchased a product of mine. But, when I really think about it, here’s what I actually get from those sorts of “non-cold-email” interactions:
Trust: The writer is true to their word, meaning they actually do enjoy my content because they’ve engaged with it.
Friendly/Tone: They are able to talk to me as if we’re already friends because they understand more of who I am and what my business is about.
Understanding: They know my business goals and values; it only takes a few minutes to read through a website or scroll on Instagram to understand what a business stands for.
If you are someone contemplating sending cold emails, my biggest piece of advice here would be to make sure that the first “cold” email isn’t sales-y. It’s not about you. Are you hoping to get something out of this, like a sale? Oh, for sure! But, ultimately, your business and sales strategy is likely built on solving problems for your customers. So, focus on them first. How do you know if they actually need what you’re selling if you’re not asking them? If I were you, I’d set the goal of building relationships, and if it turns into a sale over time then that’s great! And if not, you’re at least walking away with a connection in the business world that’s built on supporting each other’s goals.
Q: What are some ways cold emailers can add value and actually help those they are reaching out to right within the first or second email?
Emma: I see far too many cold emailers assume that providing value must be in the form of a done-for-you resource. Never assume that a business or person needs what you have. It’s possible that they might actually need help and aren’t aware of it yet. But, I’ve rarely seen long-lasting business partnerships built from one telling the other what they need to do in their own business without any other context. In my opinion, providing value can simply be a great conversation or a new connection in the industry that, as I mentioned earlier, comes from building relationships.
However, the best way to provide value would be to ensure your copy includes the trust, tone, and understanding that I mentioned earlier!
Q: Why should a business be selective about who they cold email?
Emma: Personally, I always encourage my clients to see everything through the perspective lens of their brand strategy. Every business, marketing, hiring, service/product, or operations decision should be made in alignment with the brand strategy.
For example, if a brand is built with the intention of only working with one client at a time to provide personal attention, sending copy-and-pasted cold emails as a marketing strategy is the exact opposite of one of those key brand values.
I am a firm believer that every interaction someone has with a brand should represent their values, brand voice, and whole brand strategy. If my first experience with a brand that claims to give undivided attention to their clients is with a cold email (or DM or call), as a consumer I’m instantly confused and have less trust in the brand.
The other thing to consider is who your target audience is. I know that’s an overused term, but it’s sooo true! First impressions mean a lot, and you want to build a portfolio of clients that will showcase your skills and style. If you are a residential window washing business (just go with me here), you likely don’t want to cold email tons of strangers that might not own a house of their own yet. Target audience is especially important to consider because your clients will likely become champions of your brand and send you referrals. The last thing you want is a whole pipeline of customers that you aren’t passionate about working with!
Q: Have you ever received a cold email that you responded to, and if so, what made you respond?
Emma: Honestly, at this point, there have only been a couple. Typically my answer is something like, “Thank you but I’m not interested.” I’ve only taken more time to respond to cold emails or messages when I have many mutual connections with the sender—and even then my response doesn’t often lead to a sale for them.
The only other types of cold emails I will respond to are from students or interns looking for work experience.
Q: Are there any specific email structures or wording that you would recommend for students or recent grads seeking jobs and internships?
Emma: When reaching out to businesses or individuals, I think it’s best to combine a compliment sandwich with the freebie resource Alyssa and I created. The compliment sandwich goes something like this:
Mention something the business you’re getting in touch with does well or talk about an experience you’ve had with them (something you can directly speak to).
Explain why you’re getting in touch with them—maybe you are interested in a collaboration between your industries, you’re doing research, you have seen them talk about their business goals and share similar ones, etc.
Share a final compliment or support comment. Remember, it’s not about making a sale but about building a relationship.
If you’d like to see an example of all of this in context, take a look at the freebie that Alyssa and I put together and follow the email layout within the resource!
Q: How can people reach out to potential customers without being spammy?
Emma: Of course, we all need to grow our businesses somehow. I believe that reaching out to new individuals or businesses can be done, but it’s best if it’s genuine. I’d encourage someone to do lots of research or interact with the business you’re trying to reach so that your email feels less “cold.” I’ll never recommend copying and pasting emails, and instead only contact someone if it feels that you truly can connect with them in an authentic way.
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Emma and I uncovered a lot about what not to do, but we wanted to make sure we could provide some valuable next steps for business owners, too. That’s why we created a free downloadable resource that includes the formula for crafting authentic cold messages that work.
Lastly, if you’re curious about my hot takes on cold emailing, check out Emma’s interview with me over on her blog!
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Emma and I connected on Instagram and quickly became long-distance business besties. What started as a mutual vent session about the cold emails turned into a shared goal of providing resources and a deeper understanding of how to go about sales as small business owners. Since working together on the “Our Hot Takes on Cold Emailing” series, Emma and Alyssa have become supporters of each other as founders and may have plans to launch more resources in the future. If you want to be the first to know about future collaborations (and recipes we love, real-life biz owner encouragement, and more), sign up for both of our newsletters!: Alyssa’s | Emma’s
Emma Rodger (Raker) is the founder of Saltd Studio, based in Albuquerque, NM. Saltd is a creative studio focused on crafting strategic and intentional brands, websites, and content that reflect the unique essence of a business. Emma believes brands should be powerful, unforgettable, and purpose-driven, and everything Saltd Studio does is both rooted in strategy and built for transformation.
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