13 subject lines for your cold emails when you don't have any reason to reach out other than "they look like the last 5 customers I closed"
Not-adapted-for-Search-Engines guide to writing compelling subject lines when you don't have a specific trigger you can use like "Just raised our Series A" or "Saw you're attending ABC Virtual Event" or even "I talked to your CEO and they asked me to tell you to stop everything you're doing and talk to me A-freaking-SAP".
Ground-setting principles based on our data before anything:
- Keep things extremely short.
- Write as if you'd write to a colleague who had just started. The right balance between "I don't know you so I'll be polite but we have something in common, I'm not a threat".
- Ban these: "integrated", "synergies", "omnichannel", "maximize", "AI-powered", "10x your...".
- Don't try to outsmart anyone. Especially not a Receptionist.
- Don't use slang or insider's language.
- If you're going to use emojis, write your copy, drink your favorite beverage, go outside, sleep on it, call a long-forgotten friend, complete one of these "only one color and similar shapes" puzzle and go back to your copy. Do you still want to use them? Go for it.
- Don't mention your company name. It's in your signature, more than enough.
- Don't be deceptive. No one likes to be tricked.
- Using humor? Is it funny? Is it short? Not too tacky? Tacky enough though? Go for it.
- A/B your stuff. Allow at least 150 of anything before "Yay" or "Nay".
Here they go, in no particular order:
- Intro {{Where you found them}}
- Intro {{First Name}} & {{Your First Name}}
- Reaching out
- Help with {{Objective}}
- {{Objective}} process
- {{Competitor's}} process
- Tips for {{Objective}}
- Update - {{Problem}}
- Idea for {{Problem}}
- Thoughts on {{Future state}}?
- New take on {{Status quo}}
- One thing on {{Status quo}}
- Know this about {{Objective}}?
How to read these:
{{Objective}}: it should be at the core of your prospect's day to day but should be phrased in a detailed enough way that they understand that you understand their pain.
{{Problem}}: People react more to problems than to anything they might potentially gain. Phrase the issue by presenting a specific angle instead of being too broad. Telling a Sales Director that they need help booking more meetings is weak. But telling them SDRs need to be able to go off-script (if not you wouldn't pay them $50k+$15k commissions) but when they do it's sometimes a disaster makes them understand that you know their pain, and they can feel it.
{{Status quo}}: the situation they're in right now, what kind of works for them but could obviously be improved
{{Future state}}: where you want to take them, the implications of your offer on their business.
