How do I get responses from cold emails?

@nanatoni asked similar question some time ago. There are very good answers from @DamianThompson, @BenLau214, and others :)

Yes, I got a ton of help from here, went back tweaked my email and booked two calls in less than an hour.
As for your product, I think the timing isn't right, in most countries schools just reopened so I don't see how a school director would offer this to parents.
Maybe you should reach out to parent groups on facebook or a parenting blog.

Hi @geoffchan23

There are so many ways to approach this and tips I could give that I don't know where to start!

No matter what path you choose, cold email ALWAYS requires testing and tweaking, so don't expect to get it right immediately.

My first thought is to drop schools and daycare centers and approach apartment communities.

Pitch it as a solution for renters who want home security but don't want to; 1) Modify their apartments to hang cameras all over the place, and 2) invest in a security system for a temporary residence.

Here is how I would get started:

1. Pay a VA to collect the name and email address of ~50 apartment community managers in a city of your choice.

2. Do some quick research online to find a piece of information that will allow you to personalize the first line of each email (the apartment's Facebook page, for example).

3. Think of a few different subject lines to split test.

4. Create a templated email with a customized first line.

5. Start with just a few emails per day (you'll start going to SPAM if you send too many emails, get too few opens, etc. There's a lot that goes into cold email so I won't describe it all here.

Example first email:

Subject: Quick question about "Apartment Community Name?"

Body:

Hi "Community Manager's Name"

Just saw your Facebook post about the Memorial Day party you threw for your residents - what an awesome way to make "APARTMENT COMMUNITY NAME" feel like home!

I'm reaching out because we've heard from apartment communities in the area that their residents want in-home security, but don't want to invest in a solution for a temporary residence. So, we created a free service that allows anyone to turn an old cell phone or tablet into a security camera.

Mind if I send over some details about how you can delight your residents and help make your community safer for free?

Thanks,

Geoff

Follow-up until they tell you to go away.

Hey @geoffchan23 congratulations on kickstarting your outreach. Here are few things I learnt, that might be useful.

1. Have a 7 email cadence
2. Each email should talk about - a pain point, value, social proof, clear CTA.
3. You can optimize two things by A/B testing - subject line and content
4. If you want to improve the open rates A/B subject lines. Look at open rate for the success of the email.
5. Once you find the right subject line, then A/B test content to optimize for engagement. Look at click rates for the success of the email.

let me know if you have any questions or need help