A cold call is a call made without preparing the recipient or first getting a referral. It is a sales strategy that involves reaching out to someone you have never interacted with before, in order to make a proposition or a pitch to that person. Cold calls can be made through phone calls, emails and now DMs and inbox messages.
Usually, the people you cold call may have never heard of you, your products or services. So, it is your responsibility to tell they who you are, what you have to offer and how your offer can be mutually beneficial to both of you. This, therefore, means that you have to carefully plan your cold call emails or messages, before you reach out to your prospects. Also remember that you only get one chance to make a good first Impression.
So, here are tips on how to write cold call emails.
Research the Prospect
Before you reach out to any prospects, do some research to find out who those prospects are, and what they like. Social media is a good place to start. What industry is your prospect operating in? What are their values? What do they like or dislike? Knowing your prospects helps you know how best to approach them, and what language to use. It also helps you relate better with them. When you speak to people in a way they understand and you relate to them appropriately, they are more likely to receive your pitch more favourably.
Customize your Message
One benefit of thorough research is that besides helping you understand your prospects better, it also helps you customize your cold call messages to suit each prospect. With the information you get from your research, you can craft your message to suit each person or organization you are writing to. This is as opposed to sending a generic message to everyone. In cold calling, generic messages are unacceptable.
A customized email will show that your message is specific for the particular prospect you are writing to, and not to just any random person or organization. A well-tailored message shows that you are interested in that prospect, and this makes prospects feel valued. It also boosts your credibility and makes you a more appealing possible collaborator and partner.
Begin with an Introduction
As mentioned earlier, recipients of cold calls may have never heard about you, your services and your products. So, it behooves you to introduce yourself. Begin your message by telling the prospect who you are, what your organization does and what shared interests you may have with the prospect. Let the prospect know your personal values or company values (depending on if you are writing as an individual or as a company’s representative).
Tell the Prospects Why you Are Interested in them
Next, tell the prospects what it is about them that caught your interest. You can mention their core values and how they align with yours. You can also pinpoint their charity works and how impactful they have been in specific places.
Specifics and details are very important here. This is one part of your cold call email where your research will come to play a lot. So, use details. However, do not reel out verbatim all the information on your prospects’ homepage or social media profiles back to them. They created the web pages or profiles, so they are familiar with their contents.
Use only relevant details in the right amounts. Trust us when we tell you that the companies or prospects know their specifics better than you do. Also ensure that your facts are accurate and verifiable. This is not the time for fluffs and half truths.
Pitch your Proposition
Now it is time to pitch your proposition. It is time to get to the gist or the reason for your cold call. Having introduced yourself and told the prospects what you like about them, you should tell them what you want from them. State why you saw the need to reach out and what ideas or projects you believe that you can both work on.
Say what you are bringing to the table and what you think they can contribute, to achieve a cause that you will both find worthwhile and mutually beneficial. Do not forget to mention what the benefits of your proposed joint project will be to you both and your community. List other benefits that can come from the joint project, such as a certain profit or increased visibility.
End your Cold Call Email
After pitching, it is time to end your cold call email. Thank the prospect for taking out time to read your message. Drop your contact information and inform them that you are readily available, if they would like to have a discussion or make inquiries. Sign out and wait for their response.
Cold calls are made to an audience that does not know you. So, there are specific guidelines for writing cold call emails and DMs or making cold phone calls. Following these steps laid out in this article will hopefully help you make better cold calls and turn prospects into customers or partners.
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