B2B Cold Email 101: How to Get Your Email Opened and Read

The right kind of email can get you meetings, sales, and even venture capital. 

‍

In fact, cold emails have an ROI as high as 3800%. That means for every $1 spent on a campaign, you could expect $38 back.

‍

However, there's a catch. 

Many cold emails go unopened, and even more get immediately deleted. So how do you make your email stand out in a sea of ever-increasing digital noise?

‍

In this guide, you’ll discover B2B cold email templates and learn how to write an effective cold email to get you the results you're looking for.

‍

What are the best practices for cold emails in B2B?

‍

Cold email marketing can be a great way to connect with customers and promote your business if you do it right. 

‍

Keep these tips in mind next time you sit down to write an email campaign, you'll be well on your way to success!

‍

Write catchy subject lines

‍

You need to tailor your subject line so that your recipient is enticed to open it as soon as they see it. 

‍

Avoid subject lines that just say "follow up" or "check this out." They are vague and don't explain why you are reaching out. 

‍

Instead, be specific and include something to pique their interest.

‍

Keep your email short

Source: Smartwriter.ai

‍

Alt text - Types of cold email subject lines

‍

The body of your email should be short and to the point. 

‍

Recipients are likely to skim emails, so make sure they get the gist of what you're trying to say without reading it in detail.

‍

Research your recipients

‍

You shouldn't just mass email people without doing your research first. This will result in unsubscribes and wasted time. 

‍

Instead, learn about your potential customers and what they seek before starting an email. To find out more about them, you can:

‍

• Visit their website,
• Read their blog
• Look up their social media accounts

‍

Personalize each message

‍

Make every email stand out by adding the recipient's name or referencing something you talked about on their website. 

‍

Don't just send out generic emails. Instead, make them personal. 

‍

It doesn't matter how small the personalization is.. It can make a huge difference in whether or not someone reads your entire message.

‍

Use short paragraphs and actionable words

‍

No one wants to read an email that contains huge walls of text. Keep your paragraphs short and sweet, and get straight to the point. 

‍

Also, make sure you're using persuasive language throughout your message. This way,recipients feel compelled to take action.

‍

Include a CTA

‍

Always conclude your email with a call-to-action (CTA). For example, you can:

‍

• Ask for feedback on your product
• Set up a meeting
• Invite the recipient to join your mailing list 

‍

A CTA gives the recipient something to do after reading your email rather than just hitting delete. 

‍

Experiment with GIFs and emojis

‍

‍

Alt text - Adding emojis in the email

‍

Emojis can help you stand out in your customers' inboxes more effectively than words alone. They allow you to express feelings and emotions that would otherwise be difficult to explain. 

‍

You can also use GIFs and emojis to make your message more visually appealing and add some personality.

‍

Internalize the follow-up

‍

Most people who receive a cold email will not respond to it. That's why it's crucial to have a follow-up plan for those who do not reply. 

‍

If you follow up with your recipients, you’re more likely to get a response and continue the dialogue.

‍

Proofread your copy

‍

Typos and grammatical errors will make you look unprofessional and can cost you the opportunity to build a relationship with your prospect. 

‍

Check for any mistakes before sending your cold email. Proofreading also helps ensure your message is clear and concise, making it more effective.

‍

What are common use cases for B2B cold emails?

‍

In B2B, cold emails can be used for several purposes.

‍

For example, you can reach out to potential customers who have expressed interest in your  company's products or services but haven't yet made a purchase. 

‍

They can also be used as a lead generation method.  For instance, you might reach out to individuals who might be interested in doing business with you.

‍

Here are some of the main types of cold emails sent between businesses:

‍

Link-building cold email

‍

Link-building cold email campaigns involve contacting potential link partners and asking them to link to your website. You can do this by sending out personal messages or using automated tools. 

‍

The goal is to get links from high-quality websites relevant to your niche.

‍

Link building is an important part of SEO (search engine optimization). The more high-quality links you have pointing to your website, the higher it will rank in search results. This can lead to more traffic and conversions for your business.

‍

Done correctly, link-building cold emails can be a great way to build relationships with other businesses and web admins while improving your website's SEO. 

‍

However, it's important to research potential link partners before contacting them and make sure you're using personalized templates that focus on value.

‍

For example, if you run a website that reviews different types of products, you could contact companies in your niche and offer to write a review of their latest product. In return, they would link back to your website from theirs.

‍

Content promotion cold email

‍

Content promotion cold emailing involves sending emails to promote your content to people who may be interested in it.

‍

For example, if you have a blog post about tips for starting a business, you could send an email to people who have recently started a business or are interested in starting one. The goal is to drive traffic to your blog post and increase the number of readers and subscribers.

‍

Content promotion cold emailing can be an effective way to grow your blog or website, but it is important to make sure you send emails to people interested in what you have to say. 

‍

Sending too many emails or emails that are not relevant can result in people unsubscribing from your list or marking your messages as spam.

‍

Collaboration cold email

‍

Collaboration cold emails allow you to easily and quickly connect with other professionals in your industry. They’re perfect for:

‍

• Networking
• Building relationships
• Finding potential collaborators 

‍

When you use collaboration cold emails, you won't have to waste time searching through social media sites, contacting friends, or asking strangers for assistance.

‍

For example, let's say you're a web designer and want to find someone to help you with your next project. You can simply send out a collaboration cold email request, specifying what type of help you're looking for and ending with your contact information.

‍

Business development cold email

Source: Twitter

‍

Alt text - Importance of cold email

‍

Business development cold emailing is where you contact potential customers or partners who have not yet expressed interest in your company to generate new business. 

‍

You can do this by sending out mass emails to an extensive list of recipients (known as a "blast") or by targeting specific individuals with personalized messages.

‍

The success of business development cold emailing depends on many factors, including:

‍

• The quality of your list
• The subject line and content of your email
• How well you follow up with recipients who show interest 

‍

Even if just a small percentage of people respond favorably to your initial contact, you can still achieve substantial new business opportunities.

‍

Influencer outreach cold email

‍

An influencer outreach cold email is an email sent to an influencer to establish a relationship. This could be for:

‍

• Collaboration
• Product promotion
• Building rapport

‍

For example, if you’re selling task management software, you may want to reach out to an influencer who regularly writes about productivity.

‍

You might mention how much you admire their work and explain why you think they would be perfect for promoting your product.

‍

If they are interested, they may agree to promote your product on their social media channels or blog in exchange for compensation. This compensation might be a:

‍

• Flat fee
• Percentage of sales
• Free product

‍

Product promotion outreach cold email

‍

Product promotion outreach cold emails involve promoting a product or service to potential customers through cold emailing. 

‍

This process can be used to reach out to new potential customers or follow up with existing ones who may have expressed interest in the past.

‍

By using this method, businesses can increase their chances of making a sale and expanding their customer base. Additionally, it can be cost-effective to reach potential customers, as there is no need to pay for advertising space.

‍

Call request cold email

‍

A call request cold email is an email sent to a potential customer or client to request a meeting or phone call.

‍

It allows businesses to establish contact with potential customers and clients and build relationships. A meeting or call request cold email aims to get the recipient to agree to meet with you or at least respond to your email.

‍

Podcast outreach cold email

‍

Podcast outreach cold emails involve contacting potential interviewees for a podcast to secure guests for the show. Send an email to people or companies you think would make good guests on your program.

‍

This type of outreach is two-fold: first, it allows you to build relationships with people who may be valuable contacts in the future.

‍

Second, it helps generate interest in your podcast among potential listeners. 

‍

By securing high-profile guests, you can attract new listeners and improve the overall quality of your show.

‍

Webinar cold email

‍

Webinar and virtual event cold emailing involve sending emails to potential attendees to get them to register for your upcoming event. 

‍

It's important to personalize and showcase value in the email. You can use an enticing subject line to achieve this.

‍

You don't need to spend money on tools, and you can see immediate results. It also allows you to directly interact with your potential attendees or customers and get feedback from them.

‍

B2B Cold Email Templates

‍

Cold email templates for connecting with the main person in a company

‍

Template 1

‍

Hey, [name]!

‍

I'm writing to you because I'm in a tight spot with this product launch I'm working on. It's a new feature that we're adding to the [product name] platform, and I need someone who has worked with them before to give me some advice. Do you know anyone who could help? 

‍

If so, please let me know their name and contact information. I'll contact them directly if they're available.

‍

If not, no worries! Maybe you can point me in the direction of someone else who might be able to help me out?

‍

Thanks so much for your time!

‍

Template 2

‍

Hi [Name],

‍

I'm contacting you because I've heard great things about [Company Name] and wondered if you would be able to connect me with the person in charge of the [area of focus].

‍

I work for [Company Name 2], and we're on a mission to solve [problem]. We are looking for partners who can help us achieve our goal, and I believe that your company is well-positioned to do just that.

‍

Please let me know if you're interested in learning more about what we're doing! If so, please let me know how best to get in touch—my email address is [email address].

‍

Thanks for your time!

‍

Template 3

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I hope you're having a great day! My name is [your name], and I'm a recent college grad.

‍

I'm working on an application for [industry] that will make it easier for [solution]. We've been testing our product with a few different companies in the Bay Area, and we've had excellent feedback so far.

‍

I'd love to learn more about what features you think would be most beneficial for your clients—and how they could improve the [process]. 

‍

It would be great to set up a call with the main person at your company. If any of this sounds like something that interests you, please let me know!

‍

Cold email templates for when your prospect takes a valuable action

‍

Template 4

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I'm so excited to see that you've taken the time to check out my website. I just wanted to reach out and let you know that I think it's great that you're thinking about [product].

‍

I know that it can be hard to decide where to spend your money, so if there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to reach out.

‍

Template 5

‍

Dear [name],

‍

I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to engage with my content. I'm a big believer in the idea that everyone deserves to be heard, and it's such a pleasure to see someone as accomplished as yourself engaging with my content.

‍

It's been my experience that people who care about quality work tend to share similar values—and that's why I feel like we'd be an excellent fit for each other. Are you interested in learning more about how we could work together?

‍

Template 6

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I'm writing to you because I saw that you recently attended [conference/event], and it got me thinking:

‍

Have you ever tried [product name]? It's a [product type], and we think it would fit your business. We offer [features] that can help you [benefits]. Does this sound like something that might be useful for your business? Let me know if I can answer any questions!

‍

Thanks so much,

‍

[Your name]

‍

Cold email templates to encourage someone to book a meeting

‍

Template 7

‍

Hey [name],

‍

I've been following your work for a little while and was wondering if you had any availability to chat about [topic]? If so, how does next Tuesday at 3 pm sound?

‍

I'd love to learn more about what you're working on. If this is a good time for us to connect, please let me know! Otherwise, I'll keep an eye out for another opportunity.

‍

Thanks so much!

‍

Template 8

‍

Hey [name],

‍

I hope this email finds you well. I've been working on a project for [company name] and would love to talk about it with you. We're making [product/service] more accessible and easy to use, which means we need to hear from people already using it—like you!

‍

I'm interested in learning more about your experience with the product and any suggestions for how we can improve it. If you have any time in the next week, I'd love to chat about this over coffee or lunch. Just let me know what works best!

‍

Template 9

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I hope this email finds you well. I'm an [position] at [company name], and I'm reaching out to see if you have time for a quick call.

‍

We're looking for someone to help us with our [project/task/idea]. We've been trying to do it on our own, but we've hit a roadblock, and we think we could benefit from some outside perspective.

‍

Would you be open to chatting about it for about 30 minutes? We'd love the chance to pick your brain on how you would approach this project!

‍

Cold email templates for free trial feedback

‍

Template 10

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I'm writing to you because I was part of the team who worked on [product name]. I wanted to reach out because I noticed that you used [product name] recently. We're always looking for ways to improve our product and make it more useful for our customers, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on how we can do that!

‍

Could you please send me an email with your feedback if you have a few minutes?

‍

Template 11

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I'm reaching out to you because I'm interested in learning more about your experience with [product name]. I saw that you signed up for a free trial, and I wanted to make sure you got all the information you needed.

‍

If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out!

‍

Template 12

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I wanted to check in with you to see how your experience with [product name] went.

‍

Did you find it helpful? Did you find it easy to use? Is there anything we can do better? How did it go with your team?

‍

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm excited to hear what you have to say!

‍

Cold email templates for referencing an event

‍

Template 13

‍

Dear [name],

‍

I recently discovered your work, and I'm looking to connect with a few people at your organization!

‍

I run a fanatical enterprise software startup based in the Boston area. We have a product that can help your company scale. My CEO [insert some more detail] has been invited to speak at [insert event here: big annual marketing conference, etc.]. We'd love to send a couple of representatives if we can get the right attendees onboard.

‍

If you're interested in learning more about how [product] can be effective for your company, please let me know. It would be great to chat. Here's my contact info: [include appropriate street address, link to a public social profile with a lot of followers (e.g., GitHub), and email].

‍

Let me know if any of this is appealing; my email is [add email].

‍

Template 14

‍

Dear [name],

‍

I saw that you were recently in the news for [event]. I wanted to reach out and see if you were interested in my company, [company name], which makes software that helps companies like yours manage their [topic].

‍

I think you'd be interested in [product name] because of how it can make your company's work more efficient and productive. We've repeatedly seen that our customers have been able to save hours per month by using our software, and I know your team would be able to do the same.

‍

If you’re interested in learning more about how we could help your business run more smoothly and efficiently, please let me know!

‍

Cold email templates for the problem-focused approach

‍

Template 15

‍

Hi [name],

‍

I saw that you were looking for a new [product/service]. You probably don't know me, but I think I can help.

‍

I'm a [your job title] at [company name]. We specialize in [product/service]. We've been doing this for a long time, and our clients love us because of the quality work.

‍

We'd love to talk about how we could help you improve your business with our products and services. We are available any time over email or phone.

‍

Thanks!

‍

Template 16

‍

Hi [name]!

‍

I noticed you've been looking for a new [product name], and I'm reaching out to see if you'd be interested in learning more about [product name]. 

‍

We've been researching what other companies are using and have found that most people who do this are using [product name], but they are having trouble with the [issue]. This is typical because of [reason].

‍

If this sounds like something that might be helpful, let me know, and I can email you some information about our company and our product.

‍

Conclusion

‍

B2B cold emails can be used for various purposes, including:

‍

• Lead generation
• Appointment setting
• Prospecting for new customers
• Promoting events or products

‍

They can also help you keep in touch with previous clients and networking contacts. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, developing a well-crafted email that speaks to the needs of your specific target audience can help increase the chances of success.

‍

If you are looking for an easy and quick way to generate high-quality, personalized cold emails, check out Copy.ai.

‍

Our AI-powered copywriter can help you craft an email that resonates with your customers and makes them want to hit reply.

‍

This article is part of a series on how to write. Below are other articles on how to write that are designed to give you the tools you need to become a better writer.

‍

How to Write a Research Proposal

How To Write a Screenplay

How to Write a Blog Outline

Tips To Write a Comparison Blog Post

How to Write a Blog Post About an Event

How To Write a Resume

‍