What do you do when you get an email, message, or phone call from someone you don’t know?
You probably ignore a lot of them.
We’re inundated with emails, Slack messages, and phone calls every day. So, when a random message hits your inbox, it’s easy to ignore.
Does this mean cold calling and cold emailing are dead? To some, it feels like an outdated approach, a sales tactic best left in the past.
But here’s the thing—it’s not the act of cold calling or cold emailing that’s the problem. It’s the way people are doing it.
Cold emailing and calling are still an effective sales strategy when done properly. It’s just a matter of revising your approach to align with the modern business market.
The Case for Cold Emailing and Calling in 2022
Research and experience show that cold emailing and cold calling are still effective sales strategies. RAIN Group Center for Sales Research collected data from nearly 500 B2B buyers and sellers in their sales prospecting report. They discovered the following:
- 82% of buyers accept meetings from sellers who reach out to them
- 77% of buyers responded favorably to a new provider in the last year
- 66% of buyers accepted cold calls from a new seller in the last year
- 57% of C-level and VP buyers prefer to be contacted by phone
If buyers are accepting and responding favorably to sellers they don’t know, it tells you one important thing—all those cold emails and calls aren’t going to waste.
A recent article by Close compiled cold email tips from a number of sales leaders on LinkedIn. This both provides helpful advice for how to write cold emails, but also backs our position that cold outreach can be effective. These sales leaders wouldn’t continue to do so if it didn’t yield results.
Dos and Don’ts for Effective Cold Emailing or Calling
Cold emailing and cold calling isn’t dead, but your success depends on how you approach it. Here are the dos and don’ts of cold outreach.
DO act like a human
Template emails with zero personalization won’t cut it in 2022. Taking a couple of minutes to do some research will make all the difference. Your cold outreach should show that you’re a real person (not an AI bot) and you’ve done some homework on the company.
Connect on a personal level, show that you know who they are, and speak with genuine warmth. Cut out jargon and use simple, natural language.
Pro tip: Take some time to polish up your LinkedIn profile when reaching out. Most prospects will want to check you out and learn more about who you are before responding.
DON’T talk the whole time
Cold calls work best when you listen actively. Instead of a minutes-long sales pitch, ask open-ended questions to learn more about what the prospective customer is looking for. Understand their problems, hear their frustrations and then offer solutions.
Fun fact: Data shows that top sales performers only talked for an average of 12 seconds at a time, allowing the customer to do more of the talking
DO be brief
Be concise.
Get to the point.
Remember that you’re showing up uninvited, so you need to respect their time by being brief and to-the-point.
DON’T forget the CTA
Any cold call or email should have a clear and simple CTA (call to action) at the end. Make sure it’s low friction—no one wants to watch a 30-minute video. Make your CTA relevant to who you’re reaching out to.
For example, try:
- “Get started on your free trial”—appeals to those who may directly use your project
- “Let’s chat about the subscription that meets your needs”—attractive for financial decision-makers
- “Here’s a 2-minute video that explains our product”—best for high-level people with little time spare
DO problem-solve
A cold email or call is successful when you provide the answer to their specific problem. If you don’t have a relevant solution to offer, it’s a waste of time.
Every part of your cold outreach should be framed in a way that speaks to the needs and wants of the prospect. Use timely, relevant information to frame your outreach. Some topics to touch on include:
- Hiring and retention challenges
- Industry trends from a recent report
- Online discussion of current events and topics
DON’T write in text blocks
Cold emails should be skimmable and easy to read. Text blocks are a big no-no. Make use of bullet points and short sentences to break up the text.
We love a good use of bold or italics to make your point stand out, too. You can check out our full list of tips to un-cringe your outbox for more email best practices.
Pro tip: Videos, GIFs, images, and other types of content are all welcome additions. Sometimes humor is a great way to break the ice and pique their interest.
DO use social proof
Testimonials and reviews from past customers are effective in cold emails and cold calls. It verifies that you have something worthwhile to offer.
Case studies are effective social proof, too. Show your prospective customer how you’ve helped past customers in the same industry—and back it up with hard data.
DON’T break trust with gimmicks
Some cold email fans will advocate for click-bait subject lines like “Updates for our meeting tomorrow” or “Phone call follow-up” to try and get the person to open.
But this plants distrust right from the start. The receiver feels like they’ve been tricked because, of course, they have been—there is no meeting or phone call. Always be straightforward and honest about what you’re emailing about.
Recent data indicates that cold calling and emailing are still viable marketing strategies in 2022. But because everyone is so inundated with messages every day, they’re due for an update. Cold emailing and cold calling work when done right.
And, of course, it’s not the only way to get new sales or business lead. Instead, it can be part of your overall strategy alongside digital efforts like PPC or SEO and in-person networking. If you’re looking for a workspace and a professional community that supports networking and potential business leads, book a tour of The Post and come see what we have to offer.