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How to Use E-Mail "Cold Calls"
Featured Author:
Ari Galper
Ari Galper is the creator of Unlock The Game™, a new sales mindset that overturns the notion of selling as we know it today.
With a Masters Degree in Instructional Design and over a decade of experience creating breakthrough sales strategies for global companies such as UPS and QUALCOMM, Ari discovered the missing link that people who sell have been seeking for years.
His profound discovery of shifting one’s mindset to a place of complete integrity, based on new words and phrases grounded in sincerity, has earned him distinction as the world’s leading authority on how to build trust in the world of selling.
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Ari Galper
“I always hear people talking about how e-mail is today’s ‘killer app,’” my coaching client Janice told me when we were discussing ways of making contact with prospects.
“But I’m afraid that people will think I’m spamming them if I try to e-mail them when we haven’t met yet. I know I hate spam with a vengeance!”
“You’re not the only one,” I told her.
“Spammers have just about destroyed e-mail as a legitimate selling tool, but there are still ways you can use it to open communication rather than shutting it down right off the bat. E-mail is still a totally appropriate way of communicating with someone — as long as you use language that doesn’t trigger the “salesperson” stereotype."
First, we’ll take a close look at one example of a “cold introduction” e-mail that uses the traditional sales mindset.
Then we’ll apply the Unlock The Game™ mindset so you can get an idea of how to create e-mails that won’t trigger the negative “salesperson,” or even “spamming salesperson,” stereotype.
This e-mail is a real example that one of my coaching clients sent to me for comments and suggestions:
Dear John, My name is Michael Johnson and I am with XYZ company. We are the leading provider in back-office operations software with many clients such as XXX, YYY, ZZZ. I’m writing you to see if you or your company would be interested in a demonstration of our software. It would be a brief 15- to 30-minute demonstration that we could do at your convenience. Our website, dogandponyshow.com, lists many testimonials from customers that describe how we have improved their productivity, as well as complete details about our products and services. I’ll give you a call later in the week to see if we can set up a time for the demonstration. Sincerely, Michael Johnson Productivity Consultant XYZ SoftwareDoes this “cold e-mail” sound familiar?
On the surface, it looks innocent enough, but take a moment and ask yourself what your instant reaction would be if it arrived in your e-mail box.
The problem is that this message violates the core principles of the Unlock The Game™ mindset by creating the impression that the sender’s only concern is making a sale. How?
Evangeline
about 1 month ago
2 comments
Hey Ari!!
I'm new to sales and its been just a few months now. Thanks a lot for this article it really does work :)
stewjason
4 months ago
2 comments
If an email "cold call" is followed up with a phone call, you might have a shot. Some of the most successful strategies I have used include: finding at least three new companies a week from prospecting, doing homework on the correct decision makers, get the appointment or ok to call back in three months depending on their needs. Offer a reason to trust you for industry updates, new products that can save them time or money, ask advice on a problem, etc. As sales people it's easy to forget it's not all about you! Turn the tables for a few months and welcome the opportunities that come in the door. Good luck. If you are in the BioPharma industry and would like a free Microbiology PDF download, go to www.biotestusa.com/micro or send me a msg. with sales HQ in the subject line (so I'll open it instead of hitting the delete button..lol) Good selling! stew.jason@biotestusa.com
abayomi
4 months ago
2 comments
It's a great one but i think a brief company introduction/business proposal would be better as a cold call email.It can be copied and pasted to an email page as a clod call email and sent to client.Thanks
bradieno
4 months ago
4 comments
Sounds like it would be more like a business card than a cold call. Like slipping a business card under the door or flyers. The question I ask is how do you want to be perceived?
HarrietAlison
4 months ago
470 comments
re-read article. Still like it. Great advice.
Subject line~~~~~~~~~ why are you emailing?? for assistance in finding the right person to talk to.
Soooo I would think something like:
Within (business, Name) could you please help me find the right person to talk with?
is that too long???
RobertWade
4 months ago
84 comments
Very nice suggestions. Good information. Good question tiff721, How should the subject line read?
tiff721
5 months ago
12 comments
I think this is a great suggestion! But what about the subject line? I have current clients email go to the SPAM folder because of content. WHAT SHOULD THE SUBJECT LINE BE?
rich34232
6 months ago
888 comments
This is great information with all emails that we write not only with cold calling
ntpjulio8
6 months ago
8 comments
Great Article!!
dgarlock
7 months ago
2 comments
It seems obvious that "Cold Calling" is called "Cold Calling" because there is no basis for a relationship with anyone within the business organization. Sales trainer Stephan Schiffman states in the introduction to his book Asking Questions-Winning Sales, "The best introduction is a brief one". The remainder of the book is dedicated to showing that building long-term alliances rather than short-term sales is the most rewarding attitude to take.
With that in mind, an effective "Cold Call" e-mail would simply be a brief introduction stating the resources and capabilities offered along with an easy way to contact you. In essence you are becoming visible and making a first impression. You want it to be a positive one that shows respect for their time, intellegince and ability to trash as SPAM or respond sooner or later if in their best interest. "
moneymaker
10 months ago
2 comments
Excellent rewrite, BUT what do you use as a subject for the e-mail???? Don't you first have to write something that is going to make them comfortable with OPENING it??
HarrietAlison
11 months ago
470 comments
I like the rewrite. It sounds more friendly and personal. Not just after their money and the sale but asking if you may be of service to them. Asking if they need help and offering , not assuming they need help.
xpepcman
11 months ago
16 comments
I found this article informative. My branch is going to start an email campaign on a newly acquired customer base. With this information I can up with a different introduction letter and hopefully get a few more responses.
JohnKapcia
11 months ago
150 comments
Spam use to always come to my mind. I may think different now?
bconlin
11 months ago
2 comments
This was an excellent article, if more sales personnel wrote and spoke from a sincere viewpoint, the sales profession would have a much higher reputation than it currently enjoys in society!