A Sales Pro Shares His Most Successful Cold-Emailing Strategy

When it comes to cold emails, the right subject line will get you in the door. But how do you stay in the room? 

Grabbing a prospective customer’s attention is an essential first step for salespeople — one that’s made all the more challenging by the hundreds of other emails landing in a prospect’s inbox every day. But if a company’s product or service will genuinely be of value to the representative on the receiving end of a cold email, this initial outreach will hopefully only be the beginning of the relationship.

“Emailing the right company and the right contact with intent will increase your cold-email response big time,” says Rich Fong, a senior manager of sales development at Vendavo who’s been at the company for nearly eight years. 

Once that has been achieved, he says, the best way to make an impression is by understanding and addressing their business needs. They should understand how they will benefit — not just what’s being sold to them.

Of course, this kind of individualized approach doesn’t come from hitting “send” on dozens of identical emails. Tailoring the message to the prospect may take more time investment upfront, but it also demonstrates a commitment to working toward their goals as much as yours.

Read on for Fong’s winning formula for cold emails that convert.

Rich Fong

Senior Manager Sales Development • Vendavo

Vendavo provides pricing and sales solutions for B2B enterprises.

Tell us about one of the most successful cold emails you've sent. What was the subject line? What was the response?

One of the most successful cold emails I've sent had a subject line that read, “Quick question about your business goals in 2023.”

The response rate was higher than usual, with several recipients responding within hours. I personalized the email to each recipient and briefly mentioned our product, but the focus was on their goals. I explained how our product could help them achieve those goals and asked for a brief call to discuss further. The key to success was getting straight to the point and focusing on the recipient's needs rather than our own.

My audience was large manufacturers and distributors that sell B2B. These folks are looking for ways to spend their money on improvements, primarily driven by trends, public initiatives, recommendations and executive decisions. While the core recipe for a cold email will be similar, your mileage may vary based on specific subject lines and content.
 

Be clear and concise, and make it easy for the recipient to respond. Don’t be the email that reads like an essay.”

What is your strategy for writing cold emails? What kind of research do you do leading up to the send?

My strategy for writing cold emails starts with research. I spend time researching the recipient's company, their role and any recent news or events that may be relevant to them. This helps me personalize the email and make it more relevant to their needs. 

I preach to my team that each email should include four key elements: industry, company, person and intent. We need to show how we work in their industry, how we can help their company, how we can help them professionally, and how we can address any recent intent that their organization or that individual may have had as it relates to our products or services.

I also try to keep the email short and to the point, highlighting the key benefits of our product or service and how it can solve a specific pain point for the recipient. Additionally, I include a clear call to action and make it easy for the recipient to respond. I follow up with a personalized email or phone call to ensure that they received the message and to answer any questions they may have.

I will call out that targeting the right person is key. You’ll want a savvy sales or marketing operations team to give you good tools.

Success often only comes after trying and failing. What are some rookie mistakes you’ve made — or that you see other people making — in cold emails? How can people avoid these mistakes?

One common rookie mistake in cold emails is sending a generic message to a large list of recipients. This not only lowers the response rate — it can also damage your email and brand reputation. 

Firstly, your email is one of many your prospect will receive, and it needs to stand out. We test video messaging, LinkedIn voice memos and anything new.

Secondly, getting your email to the person is only half the battle; blasting emails hurts this.  A good admin will keep you on the rails. What you can do as a sales development manager to avoid this mistake is take the time to research each recipient and tailor the message accordingly.

Another common error is focusing too much on the product or service rather than the value it can provide to the recipient. Instead, focus on their pain points and how your product or service can solve them. 

It’s also important to avoid overcomplicating the email or making it difficult to reply. Be clear and concise, and make it easy for the recipient to respond. Don’t be the email that reads like an essay. 

Finally, follow up with a personalized email or phone call to show that you’re interested in their needs and value their time.