How to improve your cold outreach game based on eight years of experience sending cold emails.

Cold outreach is a common avenue for SaaS companies to acquire users. Like link building, it shares some common patterns.

Let's tackle the basics first, i.e. deliverability. You can have the best template in the world, but if it doesn't land in the inbox, it's useless.

So here's a quick-fire checklist:

Make sure your email's technical settings are properly setup:

• ✔️ SPF
• ✔️ DMARC
• ✔️ DKIM

Warm up your email for at least a month before sending out any actual emails.

When sending out your first cold outreach emails, make sure to verify the emails you found. You don't want your emails bouncing around the place. There are a lot of email verification services out there. So try which works best for you.

Now that you have the basics covered, let's move on.

Common know-how:

1. Keep it tight

Your recipient is always pressed for time. Make sure your email is skimmable.

I found that emails that are around 4-5 lines hit the sweet spot.

2. Clear CTA

Specifically ONE CTA.

At the end of the email, you want your prospect to do only one thing: view your product, get a free trial, hop on call, hop on a plane. "Whatever it is."

Only place one CTA.

3. "What's in it for me?"

Your prospect doesn't care about the bells and whistles of your product. They only care for one thing. How your product or service can help them solve their problem.

The majority of the your email copy should be structured around this question.

4. Timing is your friend

It's important to know that sending your email at the right moment is key.

I found that morning emails between 9am to 12pm works. But there are other statistics that say afternoon emails work just as well.

Test what works and double down.

5. Relevance

Make sure you're sending your email to the right decision maker.

A quick glance on Linkedin or their website's team page will help you find which contact is the relevant person to reach.

Added Tips

1. No template is perfect. It's always a game of iteration. Sometimes you might think that your template is the best. But there's always room for improvement. Always A/B test your emails.

2. There are multiple factors you can't control. There might be some instances where your emails aren't getting opened. Maybe the recipient had an urgent task. An emergency. Or wasn't in the mood to open their inbox. Follow-ups are your friend here. 1-2 follow-ups are enough before you get the idea if they're interested in your emails at all.

3. Some conversations are out of the inbox. Some prospects are more active on Linkedin, Reddit, Slack, Product Hunt. Try other mediums of communication to maximize your effectiveness.

4. Don't come in hot. The best emails are conversation starters. Try sending an email like you're talking to a friend. Lastly, always have room for experimentation