How to Send Cold Emails

What if someone told you that your biggest networking opportunity might be right at your fingertips and that it could be all done in the comfort of your own home?

In the most basic sense, a cold email is an email that is sent to a receiver without prior contact or connection.

While it may sound intimidating, it can serve as a useful tool to expand your network, seek advice, connect with job recruiters, or even build friendships!

Here is Cold Emailing 101!

The more you read up about the recipient, the easier it will be for you to personalize a message perfectly tailored to them. This helps avoid awkward mishaps.

Generic templates are a big NO, as they seem unappreciative and insincere on the side of the recipient.

When doing your research on the recipient, try to think about who they are, how they think, what interests them, and most importantly, what they need (or want).

However, keep in mind that a cold email should only be around 2-5 sentences. Determine which information would be relevant and filter out the rest.

Did you like something that they did?

A simple sentence mentioning their work and what you enjoyed is enough to make the recipient feel more inclined to reply. Plus, it leaves a good impression.

Make sure to highlight why you are emailing them as opposed to anyone else.

And double-check if your request can’t be fulfilled by a simple Google search. Even better if you could mention what you’ve done to gain answers. You wouldn't want to destroy all your efforts so far.

Establish credibility, especially if it is relevant to the recipient or your request. Remember, they know nothing about you.

Rather than just mentioning your name and company, go beyond by citing publications you’ve been featured in or important research you took part in.

However, if you haven’t found validation yet in the “real world,” go for the personal route instead. Establish a commonality by mentioning mutual friends or perhaps expressing your passion for the industry (or the recipient).

But be careful to avoid coming across as too confident.

Why should they care about your email? What’s in it for them to make time to respond to your favor? 

Just because it’s a cold email, it doesn’t mean you have to be cold. Make the recipient feel that you understand what they do and the problems they face.

If you found some challenges, try to offer a solution. If you can't, try providing anything of value, preferably only something you can give. Even things as "small" as constructive feedback could be given your own twist to make it stand out.

Otherwise, there’s nothing to set yours apart from their sea of emails.

Express your “Call to Action" to state what you want the recipient to do.

Don’t try to beat around the bush. Keep the CTA short, straight to the point, and actionable.

The key to this is for you to do as much work as you can for them to lessen the energy required on their part. So, attach files or links that they may need to accomplish the request.

However, like everything else, your delivery matters a lot. Don’t try to demand things from them. And another tip: Tell them that it’s fine for them to not respond if they’re busy. As paradoxical as it sounds, it works.

• Edit your subject line so that it could hook in their attention or pique their interest.

• Be appreciative. Show your gratitude by saying something as simple as “Thank you so much” instead of “Thanks.” 

  

• Read it out loud. Does it sound unnatural? Is it longer than a minute? If yes, then edit it.

• Get their names right. There is nothing like misspelling or mixing up their name that guarantees to leave a bad impression.

• Set the Gmail recall time to 30 seconds. This gives you a chance to do a last-minute proofread of your email.

Before pressing SEND, ask yourself these questions: