Cold emailing for sales can be a great way to reach potential customers, but it’s often seen as intrusive or spammy.
As most people receive dozens of cold emails every day, and many of them are ignored because they’re not personal or relevant.
However, our experiences have shown you are more likely to receive a response when cold emailing best practices and LinkedIn outreach to reach out to specific individuals interested in your offering.
In one Campaign, Brightest Minds helped a SaaS contact center achieve 289 leads in 5 months from almost 3000 emails with close to 5000 Linkedin Invites.
The campaign received an acceptance rate of 33%, well above the industry norm of 20%.
Generating 12 Prospects Per Week
With systems developed internally, we were able to reach prospects on LinkedIn at scale, allowing us to get an acceptance rate of 33%.
Meanwhile, the cold email outreach we conducted resulted in sending over 2800 emails in 5 months.
In total, we sent around 8000 (emails and Linkedin invitations) while generating 289 leads.
Deliverability Issues were Fixed
The results above proved that customized campaigns could be successful, but they can also boost clients’ domain and enhance their deliverability.
Initial deliverability rates were below 45%, which presented a challenge to the client’s domain. This meant that 55% of their emails went to spam.
But at later stages, the campaign’s deliverability improved by:
- 75.4% after 4 weeks.
- After two months, it hit 98.4%!
We also noticed targeting different industries and levels of seniority; the campaign achieved great results with a 31% response rate.
Such outbound prospecting brought the client:
- 12 prospects per week (On average)
- and 59 booked demo calls.
My Learning Hub founder Victor explains in this video how he was able to generate higher conversion rates with Brightest Minds than with Google ads, and save over 10 times as much money.
10 Key Findings from Our Research
1) Our internal analysis of message responsiveness showed subject lines, which had 2-3 words, brought the highest open and response rates.
Example: Retail execution, boosting sales, driving ROI, etc.
2) Another option for bringing good results is including value-based statements such as:
- Slow Engineering Flow?
- More productivity, less payroll,
- Let’s talk about your software development projects.
3) The Latest trend states that cold messages, including those with the best ROI, should be no longer than 70 words (Lavender. ai).
However, our internal investigation found that messages with 100+ words had the highest open and response rates.
4) Additionally, our research indicates that emails with clear descriptions of the personalized strengths of the product get the best response.
This is an important aspect of the proposal because it allows target recipients to understand its uniqueness, encouraging them to respond.
5) Some people are afraid of pushback because they are not ready to simplify or “dumb down” their email copy.
Research shows the best email copies are crafted at a 5th to 7th graded reading level.
The concern here is that some people believe it’s improper to email at a 7th-grade level because it’s considered impolite to use buzzwords and jargon.
However, they don’t realize that they sound exactly like everyone else selling that prospect the same solution.
Consider this case study – if you want to sell a product that sounds high-end or sophisticated.
To email decision-makers such as the CTO, a client of Lavender believed he needed to sound smart (i.e., college-educated).
However, when he changed his cadences to a 4th-grade level, he almost immediately made half a million dollars!
6) Similarly, studies have shown that it is crucial to tailor the message to address specific pain points in order to capture a reader’s attention.
7) According to the evaluation of the campaigns’ effectiveness, statements with the question structure take the top spot with regards to significance:
For example: Can we have a quick chat?
It is concise, provoking, and immediately actionable.
8) Award-winning sales leader Todd Caponi explained a few critical messaging tips, claiming the first 10 words of a message are crucial.
Depending on the first 10 words of a message, a person may decide whether to read further or delete it.
Rather than starting with “I” or “We,” messages should focus on the recipient, displaying his problem.
9) Here’s what sales coach Allan Langer shared in his interview in relation to a winning message structure:
- Hey {{First Name}}, after speaking with you on {{Snippet}} – Here you’ve shown that you understand the client’s pain points.
- I understand you, and I work with other companies, so – In this case, you provide social proof.
- I’ve struggled with this, and now I can – You explain how you can help in this situation..
The most important thing is not to confuse the client, because if the client is unclear – you lose.
Your sales message should position the purchase of a product as an investment for your client.
10) Finally (before a proof read), it is essential to consider the overall tone of the message. The tone should be friendly and conversational, not pushy or sales-y.
Also Read: Guide To Generating Quality Leads Using Lead Quizzes
In conclusion, an effective sales message should be:
– Short and to the point
– Focused on the recipient
– Tailored to address specific pain points
– Credible and backed by data
– Immediate and actionable
– Clear on the value that the recipient will receive
– Friendly and conversational in tone
So, are you ready to implement these results into your own sales development strategy?
If you’re not sure where to start, our team can help. We would be happy to share more information with you about how we can improve your sales development process.