Pop quiz: how many unread emails do you think you've got in your inbox? A lot, probably. 

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The average person gets over 121 emails per day. Your average enterprise buyer has far, far more than that. 

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Everybody is drowning in email and that makes it harder than ever to break through and win the attention of the buyers you're trying to reach. But when you know how to craft an irresistible cold email, suddenly you can break through the noise – unlocking a world of potential leads, opportunities and customers.

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In this article, we're going to crank up the efficacy of your outreach strategy. We'll share 8 powerful tactics to craft cold emails that don't just get a glance, but a response.

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We’ll cover:

-Understand Your Prospects

-Craft A Compelling Subject Line

-Make It About Your Reader

-Build Credibility

-Create a Call to Conversation

-Use the P.S. Strategically

-Follow Up Effectively

-Optimize for Mobile

-Closing Thoughts

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Ready to start getting more responses to your cold emails? Let's dive in.

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1. Understand Your Prospects

If your cold emails feel like you're throwing spaghetti against the wall, you probably haven't taken time to get to know your prospects. When you know your audience like you know yourself, you can craft personalized messages that resonate and build trust.

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How do you really get familiar with your prospects? It's all about research. Use online research, social media monitoring, historic interactions and direct conversations to gather insights on their needs and interests. The more you know, the better you can tailor your emails.

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Showing your prospects you get them makes your emails pop in a crowded inbox. It's not about kicking off your emails with "Hey, {first name}" – it's about addressing their pain points and showing what you can deliver to help solve them.

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To effectively personalize your outreach, consider these approaches:

• Prospect-Centric Approach: Customize your message to the individual, their role, and their unique challenges. Present your solution as the answer to their problems. You can use Regie.ai Chrome extension to pull all of this prospect research into one view. 
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• Pain-Centric Approach: Highlight your prospect's pain points. Position your product or service as the solution.
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• Value-Centric Approach: Answer the question "What's in it for me?" Showcase the value your product or service brings in relation to their unique situation.
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• Company-Centric Approach: When personal details are scarce, focus on the prospect's company or industry. Use recent news or language from their website to show your understanding of their business context.

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2. Craft A Compelling Subject Line

The subject line is the make-or-break ingredient in your email. If it's compelling and irresistible, it'll pull them into the rest of your message. If it isn't, they'll move on.

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So, how do you craft a subject line that piques interest and prompts an open?

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Keep it short and sweet. Subject lines of seven words perform best, according to the data in our latest Sales Email Benchmark Report. That way, you can be specific about the content of your email without getting your subject line cut off on mobile devices, where a significant portion of emails are read. Don’t just say “SEO idea” – say “new idea for improving your SEO performance.”

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Make it descriptive. Your subject line should give a clear preview of your email. Instead of a vague, generic phrase like "wanted to connect," focus your subject line on the value or information you're providing – for example, "[company]'s email strategy."

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Don't be salesy. Words like "improve," "accelerate," and phrases like "15 minutes?" can trigger a prospect's mental spam filter – as well as their email's actual spam filter. Opt for neutral, factual words that set the right expectations without sounding overhyped or promotional.

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Steer clear of questions, emojis, numbers, and punctuation. These elements can lower your open rate significantly as they can make your email appear less professional or serious.

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Experiment. What works for one audience might not work for another. Use A/B testing to find the most effective subject lines for your prospects.

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3. Make It About Your Reader

In the world of sales, there's one golden rule: make it about them.

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Your prospects don't care about your product's features. Or your company's stellar reviews. Or how you just got certified as a B Corp.

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They care about themselves.

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Your job is to show them how you can help.

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Every email you write should keep the prospect at the center. Start with an observation about them, then transition into their needs and how your solution can help.

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For example:

"Noticed your LinkedIn post about your new manufacturing facility in Scranton. Curious if you're looking to optimize production efficiency? 

Companies in the manufacturing sector with 150+ employees have been partnering with us to implement cutting-edge automation solutions, significantly reducing downtime and increasing output. 

Worth a conversation? 

Either way, wishing you a terrific week!"

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Remember, you're not trying to close the deal in one email – you're trying to start a conversation. Keep your prospect at the center of your outreach, and you'll be one step closer to a successful close.

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4. Build Credibility

Your prospects get tons of outreach from companies promising to solve their problems. So how can you be the one who actually closes the deal? The answer is simple: prove what you can do.

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Social proof is a powerful tool in your arsenal. It's the psychological phenomenon where people assume that if others are doing it, it must be good.

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Social proof isn't just a nice-to-have in your cold outreach. It's a need-to-have.

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When you randomly pop into someone's inbox, they've likely never heard of you – and even if they have, you're reaching out to them, not the other way around. If you don’t prove you can deliver, your prospect is highly unlikely to hit reply.

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Here's how to do it:

Mention similar clients you've worked with. Share work you've done with companies in the same niche or industry to show that you understand their specific context and challenges. For example, "We've helped companies like X, Y, and Z streamline their content marketing efforts..." If you are targeting an SMB account, wowing them that Salesforce is a client of yours won’t resonate with them. 

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Share success stories. Point to success stories or case studies that are relevant to the prospect's challenges or goals. Specific outcomes, both quantitative and qualitative, give readers tangible proof of the value you can provide.

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Include testimonials. Gather testimonials from happy customers and share them in your email. For example, "As Kyle Coleman, SVP of Marketing at Clari, said..."

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5. Create a Call to Conversation

In sales outreach, the closing line is where you turn the pitch into a conversation – and that's where the concept of a 'call to conversation' comes into play.

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Unlike a traditional call to action, which often prompts a direct sale or signup, a call to conversation aims to continue the dialogue and deepen the relationship. It's all about offering the reader an opportunity to engage, ask questions, and learn more about how your product or service can benefit them.

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So, how do you craft a compelling call to conversation?

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Reduce the friction. Make it easy for your prospect to engage. Instead of asking for a call or meeting, consider lower-friction options like, "Have you seen this 3-minute video?" or "Would this be worth a conversation?"

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Engage, don't sell. Don't ask for time. That's a rookie mistake. Instead, ask a question that engages your prospect – like, "How are you currently addressing the challenge of customer retention?"

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Poke the bear. A great way to engage customers is to ask a question that gets them thinking about their current situation in a new way. Like: "Have you considered adding a video content strategy to boost your revenue?"

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Talk in conditionals. Not every call to conversation has to be a question. If-then statements like, "If improving your team's productivity is a priority for you, let's connect," can also be effective.

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With a call to conversation, you're getting the ball rolling. By inviting your prospect to engage with you, you are setting the stage for a deeper, more meaningful dialogue.

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6. Use the P.S. Strategically

If you're sleeping on the P.S. section, it's time to wake up.

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Only 5% of emails include a P.S. – but those that do get 35% higher reply rates. But there's a catch: adding a P.S. has no impact in a generic, automated template. It's only in personalized outreach that it makes an impact.

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The truth is, we rarely read emails from start to finish – and that's what makes the P.S. so powerful. With almost everything we read online, we're scanning, searching for the most important information to quickly digest and move on with our day.

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This is where the P.S. section shines. If you've added a P.S., it stands out visually – and subconsciously it seems as if it must be important. It's often the first thing people read.

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You can craft an effective P.S. by:

• Sharing a success story from one of your best customers
• Painting a vivid picture of the benefits your product can deliver
• Offering useful information that can make them more successful
• Asking a thought-provoking question that challenges their current approach

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Strategically using the P.S. section in your cold email outreach will dramatically increase your chances of receiving a reply. It's a great way to push interested prospects off the fence.

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7. Follow Up Effectively

Writing a great follow up isn't easy. You want to be persistent, but not pushy. You want to show you want their business without seeming desperate. And you want to keep delivering value without overwhelming your prospect.

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Here are three strategies to help you do just that:

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Make your prospect smarter. By sharing an article, a study, or a piece of news that aligns with their interests or challenges, you can deliver value and show that you're focused on their needs and are in tune with their world.

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Re-emphasize the business value. Remind them of what your solution can do for their business – but do it subtly. For example: "I recall you mentioned that improving your team's productivity was a priority. Would it make sense to continue the conversation and discuss how our solution has helped X customer achieve Y productivity gains?"

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Share an insight. Provide a quick tip, technique, or approach that you've seen work well that can help them in their role.

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Remember, the best follow-ups are those that provide value, show that you care, and move the conversation forward. So, don't "just check in" or, even worse, “circle back”– follow up with purpose.

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8. Optimize for Mobile

You might be writing your emails on desktop – but your prospects are likely reading them on the go.

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In fact, more than 81% of users regularly read their email on mobile devices. And that means if you're not optimizing for mobile, you're killing your reply rates.

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The good news? Writing emails for mobile is fast and easy.

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Here's how to nail it:

Keep it short. Long, dense paragraphs are hard to read on mobile devices. Keep your sentences short and your paragraphs even shorter. Aim for a total message length of 100 words or less, with one to two sentences per paragraph to improve readability.

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Use responsive design. A responsive design automatically adjusts to fit the screen it's being viewed on. This ensures your email looks great whether it's being viewed on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

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Test before you send. Before you hit send, test your email on different devices and email clients to ensure it looks good and functions properly.

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Mobile optimization is all about making things easy for your prospects. When it's fast and easy to read your message, it'll be easy for them to hit you back with a positive response.

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Closing Thoughts

And there you have it - the comprehensive playbook to crafting irresistible cold emails that grab attention, provoke thought, and drive meaningful conversations. 

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As you've seen, it’s more art than science. There's no one silver bullet for winning cold emails. It's a combination of careful research, personalized touches, and a genuine focus on addressing your prospect's needs and challenges.

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The good news? You don’t have to go it alone. With the new Rapid Writer from Regie.ai, you can use the power of AI to personalized cold emails with just one click. 

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Master them, and you'll be well on your way to crafting cold emails that turn potential leads into thriving client relationships.