Hi Jack,
I’m John Doe from Awesome Company and we provide smart social media solutions to growing companies.
And there goes another mail into the trash can.
We all get cold emails, but how many of us read these emails and how many actually respond ? Emails that are more likely to get a response from us actually don’t seem “cold”. So what’s the magic ingredient? We believe it all boils down to two key factors:
- Personalization
- Value proposition (It’s not about you, but about them)
Let’s face it – “People are self-centered and they are inquisitive about their own things”. Emails are read by the receiver in an individual capacity and what triggers the reader to continue reading (at the expense of his/her time) is all about what you can do for them. It doesn’t matter whether you are sending 200 or 2000 mails, all the recipients will read it independently and their expectation will be unique.
In this post, we have compiled a list of “Opening lines”, which can hook your prospect into reading the rest of the email.
1) “I have been working with [Common Connection] on [Project]”
Start off by mentioning someone whom both of you know and the type of project you have completed. Tell them how you delivered value in that particular project and then go on to explain them how similar approach can be applied to solve the issue your prospect is facing.
2) “Saw your [Presentation] at [Event/Conference] and I really appreciate your solution for [problem]”
Everyone loves to know that people are actually consuming the things presented, written or said by them. It can an be interview or a conference in which your lead addressed some pain points and shared insights. Find out something which is relevant to your business offering and mention that specifically to establish the fact that you have done your home work. Connect the solution offered by you to the issue that your lead mentioned.
3) “Came to know that you’re facing challenges in [problem] and we could help you out with this by [solution]”
Directly talk about the “problem” of your prospect and use the elevator pitch to talk about the solution. Visual elements showing images or statistics can go a long way to keep them engaged and add proof to the viability of your offering.
4) “Recently found out your work at [company name] and I’m impressed by the kind of effort you have put in solving [problem]”
Find out some of the exemplary work done by your lead for his or her company Tell them how you can help them perform better in their job and drive growth for their company.
5) “Congratulation on [achievement]”
Keep track of any recognition or award given to your lead and seize this opportunity to build a strong relationship.
6) “If you would like to [benefit of the solution], then this email will exactly tell you how to achieve this.”
This is a typical “If..then..” statement in which you grab the attention by talking about the benefits of what you are offering.
Example:
If you would like to bring down your social media spending by 50% and still get same engagement, then…
As per Ryan McGrath, this method works, because it makes a promise that by reading this mail the reader will be solve the problems.
7) “Came across your article while searching for [industry trend] and it had some great insights!”
Mention the article or blog post written by your lead and pick the insights or problem statements given by them. Show them that you truly appreciate the content and link that to what you’re offering.
8) “What if told you [statistics]”
Find out a statistic that is not known to many but very important to what your lead deals with in the professional field. Definitely a great way to show your industry expertise and your solution.
9) “I’ve been following your blog and social media updates for sometime and there is something I’d like to discuss with you.”
This is more of a door opener when you are starting to build relationship. It establishes the lead as a subject matter expert and grabs the attention as the sender is actually interested in learning more about a specific thing that the lead had already shared. Gives an opportunity to really understand the pain points and provide the solution accordingly.
10) “You and I belong to an exclusive group of [common element].”
This type of sentence helps you build rapport with the reader. Start off with something which is common to both of you. People like to connect with those with whom their frequency matches.
Example: You are a selling ad spaces in a magazine
“You and I belong a group of people who are successful because of the deep-understanding of our customers. And by knowing where to reach our customers we make high-impact communication.”
11) “Saw the news about your company which talks about [latest event]. At a similar stage your peer faced [challenge] and I just wanted to point out that we can solve these kind of issues with [solution].”
Track the latest happenings pertaining to your leads and whenever something significant happens, reach out to them to explain your solution.
Example:
If you are from a research agency which deals with pilot studies of new products, tell your lead about how you helped a similar company to bring in some crucial tweaks to their new product by deriving actionable insights from the research.
12) “I know you must be getting bombarded with emails every day. So I’ll get straight to the point – [the benefit you can deliver to the prospect]”
Here you get straight to the point and convey the benefit of your offering. The key point here is to provide quantifiable value proposition or a razor sharp solution to a specific problem.
13) “I’ve been reading your posts for a long time, and just wondering what would be your take on [latest industry news]?”
Grab the crucial and latest development in your industry and ask the lead what would be his or her opinion on this. This is a great way to establish that the lead is a thought leader and get some brownie points in return. Again, this kind of approach will open the door to get into a conversation and give you an opportunity to convey why your solution is all the more important now (in the changing business scenario).
14) “I have a solution to [problem statement]”
Open up by stating the specific problem you are addressing and immediately start the detailed explanation.
15) “I have helped [peer company name] to achieve [outcome].”
Here you are starting with an analogy – you have already found success with another similar company and are capable of repeating the same with the lead’s company.
16) “What if I tell you, I can help you achieve [benefit]?”
Here you directly talk about the result or the outcome of using your solution.
17) “I don’t know how you feel about [benefits], but to me, …”
Here is example:
“I don’t know how you feel about turning each of the customer into a brand ambassador, but to me, it has been the reason behind my company’s success.”
This style is a master piece by Mike McCormick and as per Ryan McGrath, it is doesn’t impose anything on the reader while honestly conveying the feelings of the sender. As the sender can’t figure out the state of mind of the reader while reading the mail, in this approach the reader is not pressurized or assumed to feel about something (benefits) in a specific way. It also crafts an imagery of the benefits in the mind of the reader and gives an assurance (in an implicit way) that the reader will also experience the same if he or she goes through the email.
18) “Here is a research report on [topic] that I think will help you out.”
This one is another door opener. Here you are creating value, directly by sending a research material or an article that will be of great help to the lead.
19) “[Reference] suggested I get in touch with you.”
There is nothing better than a solid referral. Although you are reaching out to the sender for the first time, you are mentioning someone who can vouch for your work. And this definitely adds credibility to your mail.
20) “Is [problem statement] halting your company’s growth?”
Begin by posing a question that essentially tells about a major hindrance to the growth of the company. Then go on to explain what you are offering.
21) “How would you feel if I told that we specialize in solving [specific problem]?”
Well we feel relieved whenever our problems are solved. Here, you are inducing the same feeling/emotion by asking a question that conveys your expertise in solving a specific type of problem.
Don’t forget to check out these 80 amazing email subject line formulas to get higher open rate.
