Cold Email Intro - Steal My Framework For Hard-to-Ignore Cold Emails
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I've sent 1500+ cold email intros since May 2020.
Without them, I wouldn't have gotten my freelance writing business off the ground.
Are you getting started with cold emails? Or want to write the emails in a way that gets more replies?
Here’s what we’ll cover in this edition:
📈 Why cold email intros are the most logical way to grow your business in the first 1-2 years
👨💻 2022 cold email statistics (so you know what to expect)
🧠 How email outreach helped me break through mental barriers
📧 The five steps to send a hard-to-ignore cold email
📈 Why cold email intros are the most logical way to grow your business in the first 1-2 years
In two words?
Immediate access.
Tell me a faster, more personal option to be able to contact your target audience. I can’t think of one that beats cold email.
It’s still crazy to me that anyone can find out the email address of a CEO of a 7, 8, or 9-figure company and reach out to them within minutes if they wish to do so.
This privilege may not always exist. So if you want to grow your business ASAP, you may as well make the most of it while it’s a viable option.
As Sahil Lavingia, CEO of Gumroad, put so well:
At this stage, over two years on from starting my freelance writing business, I send very few cold emails.
I’m fortunate that inbound leads and referrals do most of the work for me. But did I go all in on cold email at the beginning?
You bet’cha!
Not only is it good copywriting practice (trying to earn attention in a short amount of time), you can test so many different components:
Types of businesses to contact - startups, global brands, e-commerce, etc
Types of people to contact - Founders, Heads of Marketing, HR, etc
Subject lines
Email length
CTAs
Test, test, test — it’s marketing 101.
Not only does cold email provide a gateway to pick up paying clients, but it also develops your marketing nous like almost nothing else.
👨💻 2022 cold email statistics (so you know what to expect)
If you played a board game 10 times but never won, would you keep playing it?
You wouldn’t be too keen.
Cold email can feel a bit like this. As if you’re fighting an uphill battle.
Somebody reply, PLEASE.
All freelancers have been there. It’s tempting to give up after you send 100 emails and hear crickets.
Email strategy plays a big part. Nonetheless, the reality is you will be rejected more than you'll be replied to.
To help you keep the faith, here are a few enticing statistics from QuickMail’s piece called, “Cold Email Statistics: Findings from 65 Million Emails Analyzed.”
First up, average open rates:
Even though the likes of CEOs and Founders receive tens or even hundreds of cold emails each week, the open rates remain favorable.
Now, what about reply rates?
(Which are more important than opens)
Follow-ups are also key for getting more replies.
QuickMail found that over half (55%) of replies came from a follow-up, rather than from the first email.
2-3 follow-ups are usually recommended, spread over a few weeks. Beyond that, you’re being a nuisance and increase the chance of being blocked or reported as spam.
The final statistic to mention?
Sending days and times.
In the analysis, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays were found to be the best days of the week to send cold emails. Whereas, the time of day didn’t make much difference.
🧠 How email outreach helped me break through mental barriers
I was a shy kid in school (like, the shyest). To the point that I was given the nickname “mute.”
I’ve grown in confidence since then but still, I knew that when I decided to build my freelance copywriting business, I’d be forced to break through barriers to put myself out there.
That dreaded word: “self-promotion.”
None of us want to pitch ourselves. Not really.
But I soon learned that for fellow introverts, or those who aren’t sure if their copywriting is up to scratch, cold email is the best route to go down.
You’re not rushed.
You can choose who to contact.
And you’re not going to be publicly humiliated!
After 1500+ cold emails, the worst replies I’ve received have been those saying “not interested, remove me.” I can take that.
At first, I started emailing small businesses in the health sector.
As time went on, though, I took bigger risks with the people I sent emails to.
Most don’t reply, of course. Such is the nature of the game.
Yet, I’ve received some surprising replies over the years from people I’d NEVER expect to hear back from (even if it was a no).
Here are a few:
Craig Clemens: co-founded three 8-figure businesses in the last 5 years, including Golden Hippo
Ali Abdaal: Doctor turned content creator, 3.2 million subscribers on YouTube
Nathaniel Drew: YouTuber with 1.6 million subscribers
Ultimately, hearing back from busy, well-known people like those above gave me a huge confidence boost.
None of them had any prior contact with me before these cold emails.
Yet, they thought my outreach effort was good enough to be worth responding to.
You never know who might reply, who might give you a shot, and make your freelance career take off.
📧 The five steps to send a juicy, hard-to-ignore cold email intro
Although I’ve written “essay-style” cold emails that have turned into paid sales letter gigs, Jason Fried (CEO of Basecamp) explains what you should keep in mind when you’re doing outreach:
So, how can you write a killer cold email intro that takes no longer than 30 seconds to read?
Here are the five gates you should aim to unlock in the mind of your prospect:
Gate 1 - 🔑 "This might be for me..."
Unlock in the subject line
First up, you have to earn their attention in a crowded inbox.
The best way to kick things off?
An innocuous subject line.
One that doesn't scream "marketing pitch" (which they'll run a mile from.)
Examples:
the deadline
here I am
Name's problem
Time to read: 1-2 seconds
Gate 2 - 🔑 "This definitely is for me..."
Unlock in the first line
Your first sentence has to be personal to them.
It could be a compliment about how you respect their X or Y piece of work.
Or it could be a comment on a recent social post or blog.
Short but specific. So that they know, without a doubt, this email is for them to read and no one else.
Time to read: 3-5 seconds
Gate 3 - 🔑 "They seem to understand me..."
Unlock in the first paragraph (1-3 lines)
Give them emotional validation.
They don't know you. You're still annoying them and taking up their time at this point.
Example:
"I'm going out on a limb here. But my guess is that you want to {do/get/feel} {more/less} X in order to Y..."
Diagnose the desire.
If you can read their mind, so to speak, they'll get a sense that you understand where they are at in their business.
It's the best bet you have to establish trust as quickly as possible.
Time to read: 5-10 seconds
Gate 4 - 🔑 "They may actually be able to help me..."
Unlock in the second paragraph (1-3 lines)
Here's your main pitch. Outline a specific problem you've noticed their business is facing and hint at how you can solve it.
Examples:
Infrequent blog posting
Bland email marketing
Outdated website design
Extra points if you can provide:
Names of brands you've worked with before in the same/similar sector to theirs
A summary of impressive data they can immediately see value in (e.g. "this brought an increase of X and Y")
You have one paragraph for the pitch.
Don't waste it.
Time to read: 5-10 seconds
Gate 5: 🔑 "I can't say no to that..."
Unlock in the final paragraph (1-2 lines)
Give them an extra push to respond right here, right now.
Chances are, if they don't, they'll forget about you.
Example:
"Respecting your time here, so don't expect 18 follow-up emails from me. Not my style. If you wouldn't be against me walking you through how to achieve X in the next Y [days/weeks/months}, drop me a quick line when you see this."
Notice how the language is "wouldn't be against..." rather than "do you want?"
This language switch-up alone can improve reply rates.
It's a big commitment for them to say, yes, they do want what you're offering.
It's much less of a commitment for them to say they're not against the idea.
Simple psychology.
Time to read: 5 seconds
Total time to read: 30 seconds
This has been the result of a lot of trial and error with outreach strategies.
I didn't want to rely on Upwork or Fiverr, so cold email intros were the way to go.
Two years on I can safely say:
It worked.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to connect on LinkedIn if you feel like it.
Declan Davey — Health Copywriter
P.S. If you’re interested in making more sales, here is the sales call framework that has proven to be effective for me when speaking with new prospects.
P.P.S. Here are a few options you may be interested in...
1. Get my LinkedIn growth course.
2. Grab my free copywriting course.
3. See new content on LinkedIn by tapping the notification bell on my profile. I post at 12.20 pm UK time, Monday to Thursday.
