There’s been plenty written about cold email strategies, so we’ll keep this one short. Below are three tweets that pretty much captures the best practice on cold emailing anyone.
A few things to note before you start cold emailing people:
- It’s completely okay if you don’t hear back. Don’t take anything personally.
- Be intentional. Have a clear desired outcome.
- Try to “not pick their brain.” Time is the most valuable asset people have.
- Minimize filler words in your email.
- Optimize for no-scroll on mobile. Keep it short and sweet.
The inbox is crowded. People don’t respond to cold emails because they’re long, come off as vague and without a clear ask, and require cognitive download.
Maximize your chances of hearing back by following @david_perell’s advice below. If you’re not actively writing, then you can point them to your LinkedIn, Twitter, GitHub or whatever medium is relevant.
On reaching out to investors
It used to be difficult connecting with strategic investors. It often required a warm introduction from a trusted source. Today, people are building great products and services all across the globe. Once you’re ready to speak to angels or institutional investors, all you have to do is send a short note using the template @paulbz is suggesting below.
Cold emailing for sales demo
Most sales reps send dozens of emails daily with hopes of hearing back. Since hope isn’t a strategy, you have to think through ways of generating demand, standout in the inbox and create excitement for your product. Most sales cycles can be dragged and long regardless of product price point. If you want to increase conversion rates and minimize friction in the sales cycle, then poke at the core challenge/problem early on.
I wrote a short thread on Twitter about how reps can stand out.
Now, go and email interesting people you want to connect with.