4 Steps to Effective Email “Cold Calling”

If you carefully follow the new cold calling mindset within your email, you’ll discover once again that your prospects (readers) will respond much more favorably.

So let’s review some important things to remember about making cold calls the new way, then we’ll look at applying this new mindset within your emails.

The first thing to remember is that the initial focus needs to be on the other person and their world, not on you and what you have to offer. So you don’t begin with a “pitch,” but with a question – an invitation for assistance.

Also, in the new mindset you’re approaching the conversation with the idea that you’re a problem-solver. You’re taking time to identify a problem they’re having. And your focus is on exploring whether or not you can help them solve it.

And remember to remain as natural and relaxed as possible throughout the cold calling process, without expectations, assumptions, and hype.

So now let’s take this mindset, and apply it to emails. Here are 4 important steps to creating the kind of emails that are effective as well as non-intrusive:

1. Start with a question, not a presentation

If you make the mistake of starting your email with a presentation about yourself and your company, it’ll probably feel like spam to the reader. It’s a barrage of information about your product or service. This reads like an advertisement, and usually gets a pretty negative response.

So instead, in the same way you begin cold calls over the phone, you can start out with a question that asks for help. It can go something like this:  “Dear Roger, I’m not sure if you can help me, but I thought you could possibly point me in the right direction.”

2. Focus on a specific problem that exists in the reader’s world

You can continue your email by addressing their world. Rather than writing about the benefits and features of your product, it’s a good idea to focus on very real issues that your prospect faces in everyday business life.

For example, you might write, “Would you happen to know who in your organization would be responsible for diagnosing and solving productivity issues related to outdated paper-based filing systems?”

3. Identify yourself only after you’ve identified a problem they’re having

After you’ve focused on them and their issues, now you can speak about yourself. It’s best to do this in a way that reinforces your being a problem-solver. For instance, you might write: “I'm with XYZ company, and we specifically help companies solve these types of issues.” 

When put this way, you’re not trying to “sell” something, but just pointing out that your company solves the type of problem you’ve identified.

4. Close with warmth and graciousness

It’s important that your closing be warm and personal. This humanizes a written process which otherwise can seem pretty impersonal. Here’s a good way to end your email: “Any help you could provide would be very graciously appreciated. Warmest regards, Susan Johnson, Productivity Consultant, XYZ Software

So if you follow the rhythm of the new cold calling mindset within your emails, they’ll be regarded as communications rather than intrusions. Try it, and I think you’ll be surprised at how much more favorably prospects will respond.