Write B2B cold emails

1. Write a succinct and engaging subject line of around 41 characters.

What this looks like will vary depending on your business, but keep it short and to the point. You can phrase it as a question to engage readers, for example, Want to 10x [COMPANY NAME]’s sales? If you know what your customers care about, or what they want to avoid, you might be able to use that to craft a targeted subject line, for example, Avoid New-Year Sales Slow-Down.

2. Put your best benefit up front and get right to the point.

Tell them the main benefit your product or service will provide them, for example, QuickSales software can save your sales department up to $150k/year.

3. Keep a professional style, but don't be stiff.

Avoiding contractions like I’m, it’s, and they’re, gives a rigid, cold, and inhuman quality to the writing, so don’t be afraid to speak in your voice. However, don’t go too far; emojis, text speak, and personal opinions may work against you.

4. Make clear that you don't need much of their time.

If you’re aiming to book a meeting, let them know how short it will be, for example, I’d love to have a quick 10-minute call and show you what we can do to boost [COMPANY NAME]’s sales. If you need a signup or something else entirely, the advice stands, show them how little effort it will take them to reap the reward your product or service is offering.

5. Keep it as short as possible.

Longer emails can work once you have your reader’s trust, until that point, it needs to be as easy as possible for your readers to understand your product. Make a final pass before sending to ensure the writing is direct.

6. End with a call to action.

Ensure that your email finished with directions on the next step you want them to take, for example, If you’d like to know more, book a ten-minute slot in my schedule here: [LINK].

7. If you have proof of concept in the form of results for other companies, always include it

This can help to remove the sense of risk for your customers. For example, [COMPETITOR NAME] was able to save $167k last year using QuickSales.