Read on Twitter
1/ A thread on why your cold emails are getting <1% reply rates and what to do about it.
2/ First things first, what’s the objective of your cold email?
Is it to inform people about your products or services? Is it to create interest in your products? Is it to get an introduction to someone?
In reality, cold emails are about none of the above.
Is it to inform people about your products or services? Is it to create interest in your products? Is it to get an introduction to someone?
In reality, cold emails are about none of the above.
3/ When we’re sitting and drafting emails, what comes to our mind is our objectives – we need more customers, prospects, intros. By default, our brain is in me mode because that’s what jumps to our minds automatically: our goals and wishes.
This bias leads to shitty cold emails
This bias leads to shitty cold emails
4/ For example, see this cold email. It's all about them. They're essentially saying: "drop everything that you are doing and go through our long sign up and onboarding process because we're so good at 'simplifying IT'".
5/ So cold emails tip #1: Bad emails serve your goals, good emails serve recipient’s goals
6/ My blog is called Inverted Passion because I believe that the only way to make other people care about you is to first solve their problems. https://twitter.com/paraschopra/status/974897154253905920
7/ In my article on marketing, I mentioned how your ads are competing with people's Instagram feed https://invertedpassion.com/mer-framework-marketing/
8/ Same advice applies to cold emails. People are busy with their lives, daydreaming about what they’ll eat in lunch or reading about Trump or making plans to avoid going to the dentist.
The last thing they want is an extra email to reply.
The last thing they want is an extra email to reply.
9/ Make emails about the recipient’s goals.
- If you want an intro from someone, think and highlight what goals can the recipient achieve by introducing you in his/her network
- If you want a meeting with someone, research what responsibilities a person what that title/role has
- If you want an intro from someone, think and highlight what goals can the recipient achieve by introducing you in his/her network
- If you want a meeting with someone, research what responsibilities a person what that title/role has
10/ Cold emails tip #2: Good emails require minimal effort from recipient, bad emails overwhelm them
11/ When people come across a product, they have zero previous experience to guide whether all their effort spent reading and exploring is going to be worth it.
In absence of a proof (like a brand or an intro from someone), they default to giving you minimum attention
In absence of a proof (like a brand or an intro from someone), they default to giving you minimum attention
12/ I wrote about this cost vs benefit curve in my very post on Inverted Passion.
Read it, and you'll write better cold emails: https://invertedpassion.com/why-people-jump-red-lights/
Read it, and you'll write better cold emails: https://invertedpassion.com/why-people-jump-red-lights/
13/ You cannot expect your recipients to re-prioritize their lives (say, give you a meeting, or sign up for your product) based on your one email.
Plus, remember: NOBODY LIKES USING TECHNOLOGY https://invertedpassion.com/nobody-likes-using-technology/
Plus, remember: NOBODY LIKES USING TECHNOLOGY https://invertedpassion.com/nobody-likes-using-technology/
14/ Notice what’s wrong with this email that I received
So, some business manager is in the town and I should take out time to meet him (so he can meet his quota)? Even if I wanted a QA service, why can’t I find it myself (Google FTW!)? What’s in there for me to meet this dood
So, some business manager is in the town and I should take out time to meet him (so he can meet his quota)? Even if I wanted a QA service, why can’t I find it myself (Google FTW!)? What’s in there for me to meet this dood
15/ Address my goals, make it easy for me to respond and I’m very highly likely to reply. https://twitter.com/paraschopra/status/976431343721746432
16/ If you want to write emails that get replies, keep them short, specific and ask for minimum effort from recipient. Here’s the one that worked for guest posting.
Notice: a) it’s short; b) it builds trust (that I’ve written previously); c) it asks a specific ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ ques
Notice: a) it’s short; b) it builds trust (that I’ve written previously); c) it asks a specific ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ ques
17/ Cold email tip #3: Not following up on unreplied emails is not doing your job well
18/ Suppose you send me an email, I open it but your email has five large paragraphs and what you want from me isn’t clear. I will prolly spend less than 10 sec to decide whether to reply or hit the back button.
And if I hit the back button, you’ve lost me forever
And if I hit the back button, you’ve lost me forever
19/ Nietzsche on cold emails: "You are an abstraction that recipients can conveniently ignore without any guilt."
20/ Plato on cold emails: "Acknowledge that your email is competing with other emails in the recipient’s inbox".
Aristotle's commentary on Plato: "Follow up if you don’t get a reply. (You are not too proud to follow up, are you?)"
Aristotle's commentary on Plato: "Follow up if you don’t get a reply. (You are not too proud to follow up, are you?)"
21/ Trump on cold emails: "Understand that your job isn’t to send emails, but it’s to get a reply"
22/ Stephan Hawking on cold emails: "1% reply rate and cosmic ignorance by recipients sounds harsh but sorry, but that’s how the world works." https://invertedpassion.com/librarians-make-more-money-than-scientists/
23/ God on cold emails: "I didn't design the whole thing, it is what it is. Play the game or cry like a baby" https://invertedpassion.com/review-of-life/
24/ That's all folks. Full post on my blog: https://invertedpassion.com/cold-emails/
RT this thread if you like your friends in sales and marketing.
RT this thread if you like your friends in sales and marketing.
