The Best Cold Emails Ever [9 Examples with Templates]

'Cold email' is an ugly term. No one wants to send them, no one wants to receive them. But, when used correctly, cold emailing can be a powerful lead generation tool for your business. In this post, I break down the best cold emails I've ever seen, the reasons why they work so well, and my top tips for writing and sending your own effective cold emails.

Do cold emails even work?

According to some tests by a company called Yesware, their cold emails received a 30-50% response rate. On the other end of the spectrum, Casey Stanton from DigitalMarketer sent almost 12,000 test emails and received 125 replies, which is a 1% response rate.

Suffice to say, results may vary. This got me wondering what makes for the best cold email - one that captures a prospect's attention and evokes a response, and what goes into a terrible email - one that gets stuck in your spam folder or left unread every day.

What makes a bad cold email?

1. Too vague and self-indulgent

• "I heard about your company through a digital agency" ... Who? If we have a common interest, it will add more credibility to the email.
• "Technology company in the payment space." This could be pretty much any company.
• "One of the largest providers of software for payments to attorney firms in the US and K-12 schools." This isn't relevant to me or my business.
• "Create a significant revenue stream for you" Talk is cheap. Everyone says they'll create revenue for you or grow your business; without a specific value proposition, "growth" and "revenue" mean nothing in a cold email.

2. Assumes too much

Using the subject line "Business deal from Julie __" implies that I'm already interested in doing business with Julie and we're at the deal stage. This is like walking up to someone you just met and talking marriage with them. Let's get to know each other first, OK?

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The best cold emails ever [9 examples with templates]

1. 30-second demo offer

Why this email is great

As soon as this email came into my inbox, the first thing I noticed was an animated image of our website, the Proposify home page. That was like holding a bag of gummy worms over a toddler's head and saying, "Want this?"

Template based on the example

Subject line: Magic [analog tool most closely related to your solution]

{Name}, I wanted to give you a quick shout to introduce you to [Your Company], a new tool that helps companies [outcome].

The easiest way to get a feel for [Your Company] is to check out the 30 second demo of me interacting with your site

[insert custom video]

Want the full experience? You can take it for a two week free trial or shoot me a message if you have any questions.

Happy watching!

2. Free trial offer

Why this email is great

We always love seeing cold emails that don't pitch a call.

Template based on the example

Subject: Quick question

Hey {Name},

My name is [Your Name] and I'm the [Your Title] of [Your Company] - [quick description of your company]

I'll keep it really short - if we could get more of [desired outcome] without [pain point to avoid] would that benefit your [type of work]?

If so, I think [Your Company] would be really helpful for you. And you can trial it, for free, for a month.

No credit card required.

No commitment.

No risk.

To find out more, you can click here.

And if you have any questions, just let me know.

Best,

[Signature]

3. Call request

Why this email is great

This cold email does a number of things right. The content is clear and well formatted, making it easy for the reader to skim and decide if the request is relevant to them.

Template based on the example

Subject: {Company Name}: Free to chat?

Hi there,

Everyone needs [your offer type], right?

I think I can help {Company Name} [achieve result] with [your solution]. Would there be a best number to connect?

Some highlights included with our solution:

[Bullet point list of features]

Interested in an upgraded phone service to slash up to [percent savings] like a number of other {Company Location] businesses?

Send me a reply with an ideal contact number. We'll quickly give you a call to cover some simple details to get you on your way to seamless money back on your balance sheet.

Thanks,

[Signature]

4. Follow up with free advice

5. The breakup follow-up email

6. Congrats on new role email

7. Career page trigger example from Yesware

8. Request for subcontracted work

9. Quick fix suggestion

How to write an effective cold email

1. Pick a narrow target

2. Find leads

3. Create a lead magnet

4. Keep your cold email short and simple

5. Be light-hearted or humorous

6. Track opens/clicks and have your follow-up email ready

Conclusion

Cold emails don't need to make you feel like a cold fish. Cold outreach can lead to lucrative opportunities, provided you can reach the right person and capture your prospect's attention.