Does Email Cold Calling Work?

When I scanned through my inbox, I saw a name I didn't recognize. Like most people, I'm hesitant to open emails from strangers. The subject line, however, gave no indication that it was spam. In fact, it actually caught my attention because it dealt with a topic near-and-dear to my heart.

Subject: Prospecting Technique | Cold Emailing vs Cold Calling

So I opened it. In the preview box was a simple, straightforward message:

I learned about your consulting practice in an article I read on a sales website. I'm doing some research and would like to ask you two quick questions:

1. As a sales consultant, have you ever heard of cold emailing as a prospecting technique?
2. After you read (link to article), do you think this is a good prospecting technique?

He immediately caught my attention. It seemed legitimate. His full contact info was included in the email. Plus it was a topic of high interest to me - an emerging account entry strategy. I was glad to be able to learn more on my own. I clicked through to the article and read it. I liked what I saw.

My return email was short: "Interesting. Tell me more."

Mind you, I didn't want to encourage a hungry salesperson. I dreaded the thought of having to extricate myself from the clutches of a product-pushing peddler who wouldn't stop talking. My guard was up. I was prepared to throw out an objection the minute that happened.

He got back to me quickly with a one-paragraph note that answered my question. He also sent a link to another information resource on his website he thought I'd find valuable. I clicked through, downloaded the white paper and read it.

Clearly his company understood the challenges my clients were facing. And, more importantly, it looked like they could address them. When he contacted me a week later, I was ready to engage in a serious business discussion.

So does e-mail cold calling work? Yes. If done correctly it can be a highly effective tool in today's market. Here are some guidelines to follow to do it right:

1. Personalize every message.
Decisions makers must know immediately that the e-mail was written just for them. Mention your research. Highlight a triggering event. Reference a referral.

2. Tie your message to their business needs.
Don't talk about your company, products, services or solutions. Nada! Not one word about this. Instead, focus on their issues, concerns, problems and challenges.

3. Keep it short and sweet.
You have less than 20 seconds to capture the decision-maker's attention. After the first couple sentences, they decide if they'll delete it, forward it or respond.

4. Make it readable from the preview window.
Most people do a quick scan of their messages in the preview window before opening them. If your message is longer than this, make it shorter.

5. Start a conversation.
Your goal is to engage decision makers in an online discussion. In order to do this, they have to give them something they can respond to. Ask a question, invite them to a webinar, see if they'd be interested in an information resource on your website. Focus on creating the dialogue.

Still not convinced that emails can work? Let me show you how you might leverage email to crack into corporate accounts.

Several months ago when I was reading our local Business Journal, I came across an article about a local high tech company who'd just hired a new Vice President of Sales. He clearly articulated his mission for the upcoming year: to get into bigger companies with bigger contracts. This new initiative was going to be tough. His firm's channel partners weren't comfortable selling to larger corporations and lacked the requisite knowledge and skills.

So I knew the guy's name (which means I could have made some educated guesses re: his email address) and I knew the challenge he was facing. More importantly, I knew that what I did could help him achieve his goals.

It would have been entirely appropriate for me to send him an email such as this:

Subject: Helping your channel partners land bigger clients

Steve,

I noticed in yesterday's Business Journal that your goal in the upcoming year is to help your channel partners get bigger customers.

It's a tough challenge – especially with people who are good technically, but lack sales savvy. It's even harder today because corporate decision makers roll all incoming calls to voicemail and never call sellers back.

I have some ideas on how you can help your channel partners crack into corporate accounts. If you're interested, I can send you a link to some articles that you might find helpful.

Let me know,

Jill Konrath
(sig file)

Notice how the email immediately shows knowledge of what's happening in the recipient's world and reflects his issues. It's only 90 words long and totally readable from the preview screen. Finally, it's not pushy at all. Rather than selling, its goal is to engage the VP of Sales in a conversation by offering valuable information and ideas.

When I talk about email cold calling, I'm not talking about huge email blasts to everyone on your mailing list. I'm talking about targeted, focused and totally personalized emails. That's what captures the attention of prospective clients.

Because it's virtually impossible to connect with decision makers on the phone, you need to immediately start thinking about how you can include e-mail in your account entry campaigns.

But be smart about it. Just because it's so easy to dash off an e-mail message, doesn't mean you should do it that way. Instead, think long and hard about any message you send. That's how you'll become more effective.

Comments

[Bob Van L]

Wow Jill!
Thanks for this very timely and specific example of what we(and YOU)have been espousing for months. This is very good and succinct stuff. It is an indicative and actual example of what works and what I need to do on my very next email!

Thanks Jill ! You’re the best!
Bob

[Fred Barnes]

Great advice Jill. I've been pretty good at personalizing the opening of my cold call emails (your guideline #1), but then I’ve been jumping into my "solution" way too soon. The hardest part for me is going to be your guideline #2 about not mentioning a single word about my company’s services – but I will definetly try it! Thank you for teaching this old dog new tricks. Fred

[Chris]

Great point. In regard to cold calling, there is an interesting company in Boston that offers sales outsourcing & lead development services for software companies. LeadBridge Partners LLC

www.leadbridgepartners.com

They are on the forefront of a trend to keep sales activity high, but costs low.

[Carson Coots]

The question & article link was an excellent hook. He only gave you a quick paragraph and a link for your enticing "tell me more". After 2nd no-pitch/no solution email, I bet you were feeling like, hey, don't you want my business? You were looking for the pitch, and you had an itchy trigger finger to shoot-em-down. But he played snob. Thats what I was talking about in my comment on the bull in the china shop syndrome! haha. Keep on trucking, I love the blog and cant wait to read your book.

[Self Help]

Excellent post Jill, thank you for sharing.

[Alexey Linkov]

nice templates, but it looks like your example lacks a call for action, like a link.

[Matt Davis]

Great advice!I am looking to start email marketing campain soon. We do cold call b2b executive level appointment setting. We are paid on a pay per appointment basis.http://www.telehammers.com

[Grant]

Great article! We're an offshore outsourcing company that does lead generation, telemarketing, etc and personalization is definitely a great advantage over templates when it comes to emails.

Looking forward to more articles.

We're actually looking to team up w/ a contact center or marketing company in N. America. If any companies are interested, email convocare@gmail.com

[Jerry Larson]

I work at a software company that uses a company called DiscoverOrg -www.discoverorg.com -for their email and phone database that targets IT decision makers at midsize companies. We have been able to generate tons of activity using email techniques described here by Jill to connect with the decision makers provided by DiscoverOrg.

[Judy Hall]

Hi I think this is great. I use a telemarketing ocmpany now www.superiortelemarkeitng.com they are doing great, im going to use some of the ideas myself. Thanks!

[cold calling]

STOP WASTING TIME COLD CALLING!! iBuzzPro voice blasting and broadcasting software is the most effective way to generate fresh, responsive, hot leads that call you! prospect

[Offshore Outsourcing]

Thanks for sharing this informative post.