If your cold email outreach campaigns aren’t getting a rip-roaring response rate, it might be that you aren’t using enough personalization in your messages, or maybe your prospecting list isn’t super defined. 

This article will discuss how to get more replies from your cold email campaigns by using personalization in your copywriting and we will also share 20 of our best cold emails for inspiration. 

(Be sure to check out our Cold Email Masterclass that will teach you how to get more than 20% reply rates and our podcast for all things outbound.)

Tips for creating cold emails that sell

1. Build an ultra-refined prospecting list

Successful b2b sales lead generation depends a lot on whether you have a super-refined list of prospects or not. Some companies build very basic prospecting lists, and this more often than not leads to failure. 

Reaching out to people who don’t need your product/service or who don’t have the purchasing power or money to buy from you won’t work.

This is why it’s imperative to OBSESS about list building. At Salesbread it takes 1 week to build a prospect list that’s 99% accurate. 

Building your list based on current buyer data is what’s going to get you positive results. So have a look at WHO has purchased from you within the last 6 months and analyze what your buyers have in common. 

For example:

• Are they all based in the same location? USA? 100 miles from Texas?
• Are they all in the same industry? Saas? Health and wellness?
• Do they use a specific CRM tool?
• How big is the company? More than 100 employees or less than 10?
• Have they recently been funded?
• Do they all use advertising on certain social media platforms, like Instagram or Linkedin?
• Who is the decision maker that’s buying from you? The Ceo? Manager? HR?

If you can find patterns based on data, it’s easier to build an email list of look-alike prospects. 

The video below is an example of how we would build a list of prospects based on current buyers’ data.

But, here’s a quick example:

Let’s say that your company sells a service that speeds up WordPress websites.

You would need to ask yourself who would need your service:

• Companies that have slow WordPress websites (You could run the companies through a speed checker like Lighthouse.)

• Who can afford your service – This might be companies investing in SEO, or companies running ads on their sites. You would then need to find a team member at these companies that are responsible for SEO.

• Go after a specific vertical – Not all industries. Why? Because this will help you personalize your messaging for that specific industry. In this example, we can go after finance companies that collect payments online. Or all Crypto companies whose speed is slower than 4 seconds.

• You could also go after specific companies that are a certain “age”. 

• Also, have a look at companies that have a specific amount of traffic – Like 20 000 visitors per month with low speed. 

Notice how these lists are not just “basic” lists.

They go into detail – this will get you results.

This article: How to Build a Sales Prospecting List in Any Industry goes into detail on how you should build a list for your outreach campaigns. 

2.  Keep email subject lines simple

Subject lines should be simple and to the point. You can get creative, but one thing to keep in mind is that your subject line is a “promise” of what’s in the email. You should match your subject lines to your email.

Here are some cold email subject line examples:

• Help with {{pain point}}?
• Interested in lead generation services?
• Get 50% off our webinar software this week
• Catching up at {{event}}
• Can we talk about lead generation for {{company? name}}?
• Interested in improving social proof for {{company. name}}?
• Invite to {{event}}
• Website speed?
• Quick question?

3. Use personalized messaging, mention pain points and have a clear CTA

Personalization will help capture your potential client’s attention. 

If your emails are a generic copy-paste for each prospect, they are going to view your messages as spam. 

Personalization increases open rates and increases the chances of developing a good sender reputation and having your mails sent to the prospect’s inbox. 

If your emails keep being sent to the spam folder, then it doesn’t matter whether you have written the perfect cold email, your target audience won’t see your mail. 

At Salesbread we research each prospect, by either checking out their Linkedin profile or Googling them; and then find something specific about the prospect to use in an intro sentence.

An example would be if they were featured on a podcast, or wrote a killer article; Mention that in your email. 

Our CCQ method helps with this approach. CCQ mentions compliments, commonalities and questions. 

Personalized emails should also be short and to the point. Don’t send an essay for an email, people don’t have the time to read through long messages. The shorter your email the better.

If you get specific on one thing that your prospect is excited about, you are going to do personalization well. It’s the sales teams that are using very generic information that is not going to make an impact. So be specific and keep it simple.

Remember the example about the slow WP websites? 

If you know that the prospect is struggling with speed issues, you could mention how your service solves their pain point, or you could even do it subtly and ask if increasing their speed might be something on their radar. 

You could even add one case study link to show how you helped other companies. 

And when you have a clear call to action it helps the prospect know exactly what you want from them… If you want to hop on a quick 10-minute call next week, mention that. Or if you would like them to check out your podcast, add a link to your email.

Here are some CTA examples:

• Are you available for a chat?
• How is your availability for a 10 min call this week?
• I’d love to share more on why you may need [PRODUCT] and how it can help [BENEFIT]. How’s {{=day}} next week look for a 15-minute call?
• Are you free for a call this Friday to discuss [MAIN BENEFIT]?
• Are you available for a quick call in the next days to see if [MY PRODUCT] aligns with your goals?
• When are you free to connect this week? You can use this link to book directly on my calendar.
• Can we target {{=bday+2}} afternoon to discuss [BENEFIT/PROBLEM]?
• What’s the best way to schedule 5 minutes to talk?
• Would you have some time next {{=day}} to discuss?

4. Send 3 – 5 follow-up emails every 3 days

If a prospect doesn’t reply to your first email, send a follow-up 3 days later. 

Add more personalization and mention just one value proposition. 

You could even ask in the email if the prospect is the appropriate person to chat with, and if not, could they please direct you to the right person? 

If they still don’t respond to your email after 5 follow-ups, you can then send a breakup email. 

Here’s an example below:

Pro Tip: Use a multi Channel approach to sales outreach. If the prospect doesn’t reply to your email, you might want to reach out to them on a different channel, such as Linkedin, SMS or cold calling. Don’t be spammy though, if they seem like an ideal prospect, but still don’t get back to you, wait 3 – 6 months and try to reach out to them again.

5. Make use of a/b testing

A/B testing will help you figure out which b2b cold email has the best response rates. 

Launch 2 mini-campaigns with 2 different segments.

A micro campaign has 1 follow-up, so there are just 2 touches. 

For example, your first cold outreach email and a follow-up email. 

So you are going to write 4 different emails and send these messages to your 2 segments (in other words, your 2 different lists.)

Let your sales reps see which message works best, and which prospect list has the best response. 

This will help you optimize your sales process, ensuring greater conversion rates because you are targeting the right people, and are sending out messages that prospects enjoy reading.

Here’s a basic cold email structure to follow

Subject Line: 

Keep it simple

Short Customized Intro sentence:

{Prospect name} loved the article you wrote for {company name]. Especially the part about influencer marketing. 

Email body

Mention the prospect’s pain point, one value proposition (what’s in it for them) and why you’re reaching out just for context.  

Clear CTA

Tell the prospect what you want them to do, whether it’s book a quick call, or check out your website. 

Use a customized P.S (See example below)

P.S. Does your B2B company need more qualified “Yes, let’s talk” leads?

If so, check out our done-for-you lead generation service here.

You’ll see the strategies we use to turn cold prospects into booked calls using nothing but carefully built prospect lists, effective copywriting, and tons of actual-human-written personalization (e.g. “Just watched your TED talk on blockchain innovation and appreciated your insights on why cryptocurrency may not be the revolution we’re hoping for.).

At the very least, you’ll get some fresh ideas that you’ll want to implement right away.

20 Sales Email Templates & Follow-ups for inspiration

There you have it…

The takeaway is, if you’re looking for cold sales email templates that actually work, you have to build a super refined list and personalize your emails.  

At Salesbread our cold email response rates are between 10 – 20%. 

If you’re interested in learning about our cold email strategy be sure to check out our course here.

Or hop on a free 15-minute consultation call if you would like more sales-qualified leads, or your money back.