While there are many cold email strategies you can use to your advantage, there’s an important question to answer before you go down this path: could this cause harm to your brand’s reputation?
There used to be a time when cold calling was all the rage. Salespeople would get on the phone, dial one prospect after the next, and fight to establish a relationship.
Cold calling still has a place in today’s day and age, but a growing number of salespeople are turning to cold emails to contact prospects and strike up a conversation.
This has the potential to generate serious leads, but there is no guarantee. Furthermore, you need to be careful with your approach, as you don’t want to hurt your brand along the way.
Below, we’re going to discuss three things you must do to ensure that cold emails don’t hurt your customer service brand:
1. Don’t Mislead the Recipient
While it’s important to do whatever you can to increase your open rate, you don’t want to mislead the recipient in any way, shape, or form. Doing so will make you and your company look unreliable. You may even be considered a “spammer.”
Your subject line should be compelling, yet truthful. The body of your message should fit the same mold, providing the recipient with detailed information about what you offer and what you hope to accomplish.
As long as you are open, honest, and direct, you shouldn’t have any concerns over misleading the person on the other end of the email chain.
2. Use Personalization
Not only does personalization help avoid a situation in which you drag down your brand, but it also goes a long way in increasing the likelihood of a positive response.
There are many ways to personalize a cold email, and you should take advantage of each and every one.
For example, address the person by his or her first and last name. Also, make mention of the person’s company early in the email, as this shows that you have done your research and know who you are speaking with.
It may sound like a great idea to save money by using an email template, but this will actually work against you in the long run. Personalization does not guarantee that your email will be read or that you will receive a response, but it definitely helps.
3. Provide Something of Value
The biggest problem with cold emails is that entirely too many people neglect to provide anything of real value.
They love the idea of sending out emails, as opposed to making phone calls, as it allows them to save time and connect with a larger audience in a more efficient manner. What they don’t love is the idea of adding value to every note they send.
Even if the person doesn’t respond, they should walk away from the email knowing more about your company and what you have to offer.
One of the best ways to provide something of value is to link back to one of your top performing blog posts (something that would be of interest to the recipient).
For instance, maybe the person would enjoy an article on how to maximize their marketing ROI.
Your ultimate goal of sending a cold email is to connect with the person to hopefully move the conversation to the phone or an in-person meeting in the near future. You have a much better chance of making this happen when you focus on providing value, not making a sale.
Conclusion
There are many people out there who shy away from cold emails because they feel it will drag down their customer service brand. This could happen if you take the wrong approach. Of course, it can be easily avoided if you know what you are doing.
By following the three tips above, you never have to worry about taking a wrong step as you launch your cold email strategy. You’ll be in position to connect with prospects via email, all without overstepping your bounds and harming your customer service brand along the way.
Do you use cold emails as a means of connecting with prospects? Have you found this to be one of the better ways to generate business? Share your personal experiences and thoughts on how to avoid mistakes in the comment section below.
