As a web or app developer, you may find yourself fighting for your target's attention in an email inbox full of similar pitches. Not to mention convincing companies that outsourcing is the quickest and most effective way to go.
Vague pain points and long paragraphs aren't the solution.
So, how do you structure a cold email that stands out and leads to more conversions?
Check out how Mathieu Larocque, the Head of Email Marketing at Cactus Marketing, tears down a cold email and improves it for more replies.
Here's a cold email that aims to help digital agencies outsource their web and app development needs👇
Here's what stops prospects from replying to this cold email:
Mistake #1: Generic pain points
If you want to stick out from other generic cold emails, ensure to point out pain points specific to your lead. This shows you did a proper research and your solution is relevant.
Mistake #2: No strong enough CTA
If you want your leads to take a desired action, you have to give them a strong reason with a clear next step. Otherwise, they might get lost in too long explanation and end up doing nothing.
Mistake #3: No relevance
Without letting your prospects know why this email is for them, you aren’t giving them a reason to take action and book a call with you. Instead, mention why your message is relevant specifically for them.
Mistake #4: Too long email length
Instead of long paragraphs, ensure to use 3-7 sentence structure. Because a majority of people scan cold emails, this helps them to see the value right off the bat.
Here’s how Mathieu would rewrite this cold email for higher reply chances:
What tips can you replicate from this email for more replies?
Tip #1: Validate relevance with a question
Use your first cold email to confirm the interest and validate your prospects' relevance by asking a simple question.
Tip #2: Tackles a challenge
When you know your leads’ pain point, make sure to emphasize it to make them aware of their need for your solution.
Tip #3: Add metrics as social proof
Add relevant metrics that are aligned with your leads’ desired outcomes. This helps you boost credibility and trust, and makes them more likely to engage.
Tip #4: Use clear CTA
Use a clear timeline for booking a call with your prospect to remove the friction and make it super easy for them to take the next step.
Hi {{firstName}},
{{companyName}}’s work on the latest {{icebreaker}} project is excellent, I was intrigued to read about it as an outsider with an interest in this topic!
Like many other startups in the {{industry}} space, keeping web & app infrastructure optimized and relevant is an issue that causes opportunity losses. Do you require efficient development support to maximize the profitability of {{companyName}}?
My team at (company) are expert developers in these tech fields - delivering high-quality strategy, design, and execution at a fraction of the cost of a conventional in-house team. In fact, we’ve managed to save our clients an average of $xx every year.
If this resonates, let’s book a non-committal 15-minute call next Wednesday; I’d love to discuss a potential partnership.
All the best
{{signature}}
Here are Mathieu's tips you can implement today and grow your business with cold outreach:
-> Address specific pain points unique to your lead
-> Ensure your CTA is clear and compelling
-> Add relevant metrics to build credibility and trust
-> Keep the email concise, typically 3-7 sentences
You can watch Mathieu's full cold email teardown here!
PS: Want more tips? Request outbound experts to review your cold emails here.
G2 Rating | Price | Best for | Standout feature | Con | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.9 star star star star star | $30/mo $75/mo $2,999/mo | Large, distributed sales teams | AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs | Lack of tracking system | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Sales operations and finance teams | Powerful configurability | Limited training resources and complex to navigate | |
4.4 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Mid-market and enterprise businesses | Comprehensive incentive management | Potentially high cost and steep learning curve | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | $15/user/mo $40/user/mo Enterprise: custom price | Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes | Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes | Steep learning curve | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Collaborative teams | Connected planning | Complexity and steep learning curve | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with complex sales structures | Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy | Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts | Simplicity and ease of use | Lack of features like redirection | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | $30/user/mo $35/user/mo Custom: upon request | Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software | Ease of use and adoption | Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs | |
4.8 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights | A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility | Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow | |
4.9 star star star star star | $30/user/mo $50/user/mo | Smaller sales teams | Powerful automation | Lesser user base and average user interface | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with scalable needs | Automated Commission Calculations | Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app |
PRM Tool | Rating | Feature | Pro | Con | Mobile App | Integrations | Free Plan | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.65 star star star star star-half | Org-wide alignment | User-friendly layout and database | Suboptimal as a personal CRM | square-check | Lack of tracking system | square-check | Team: $20/month Business: $45/month | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Social Media Integration | Easy contact data collection | No marketing/sales features | square-check | Lack of tracking system | square-xmark 7-day trial | $12/month | |
4.75 star star star star star-half | Block Functions | High customization capability | Not a dedicated CRM | square-check | Limited | square-check | Plus: €7.50/month Business: €14/month | |
N/A | Open-source | Open-source flexibility | Requires extensive manual input | square-xmark | Limited | square-check Self-hosted | $9/month or $90/year | |
3.1 star star star | Simple iOS app | Ideal for non-tech-savvy users | iPhone only | square-check iOS only | Limited | square-xmark 1-month trial | $1.49/month or $14.99/month | |
3.6 star star star star-half | Smart Contact Management | Feature-rich and flexible | Reported bugs | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 7-day trial | Premium: $13.99/month Teams: $17.99/month | |
4.4 star star star star star-half | Customizable Interface | Customizable for teamwork | Pricey for personal use | square-check | Rich | square-xmark | Standard: $24/member Premium: $39/member | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Integrated Calling | Integrated Calling | Too sales-oriented & pricey | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 14-day trial | Startup: $59/user/month Professional: $329/user/month | |
4.8 star star star star star | Business Card Scanning | Business Card Scanning | Mobile only | square-check | Limited | square-check | $9.99/month | |
4.45 star star star star star-half | 160+ app integrations | Comprehensive integrations | No free app version | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 14-day trial | $29.90/month or $24.90/month (billed annually) |
Capterra Rating | Free Trial | Free Plan | Starting Price (excluding the free plan) | Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan) | Best for | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.5 star star star star star-half | square-check 14-day | square-check | €15/month/seat billed annually | €792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat | Versatility and free plan | |
4.2 star star star star | square-check 30-day | square-xmark But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations | €25/user/month | €500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI) | Best overall operational CRM | |
4.3 star star star star star-half | square-xmark | square-check Limited to 3 users | Comprehensive incentive management | €52/user/month billed annually | Small-medium businesses and automation | |
4.5 star star star star star-half | square-check 14-day | square-xmark | €14/seat/month billed annually | €99/seat/month billed annually | Sales teams and ease of use | |
4.1 star star star star | square-xmark | square-check Limited 10 users | $9.99/user/month billed annually | $64.99/user/month billed annually | Free plan for very small teams up to 10 |
CRM goal | Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months. | ||||
SMART Breakdown | 1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation). | 2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking. | 3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements. | 4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives. | 5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date. |
Actions | Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation. | Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior. | Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads. | Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up. | Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization. |
Outcomes | Increased sales and revenue | Improved marketing automation ROI | Marketing and sales alignment | Data-driven marketing optimization |