Running an outsourcing business usually means convincing prospects that outsourcing is the way to go.
But, crafting a message that stands out in your leads' inboxes and makes them realize they need your solution often ends up in self-centerd or salesy pitches.
So, how do you ensure your cold email resonates with your target audience and actually gets replies?
Check out how Tristan, Co-Founder of Stepward outbound agency, turned a low-performing email into one that captivates and converts leads!
Here's a cold email targeting decision makers at SMBs in the UK to help them boost efficiency by outsourcing their efforts👇
Here's what stops prospects from replying to this cold email:
Mistake #1: It’s self-centered
If you want to trigger prospects’ attention and show your interest in them - you have to speak about them. Your prospects don't care about you but they can be interested in how they can benefit.
Mistake #2: Very vague personalization
Just by mentioning prospects’ location and company, you won’t truly differentiate from other generic emails. Instead, use personalization linked to the email topic and your prospects’ business.
Mistake #3: Negative tone
Avoid negative connotations, and don’t use triggers like “you find my voice annoying”. Even though it can be funny, focus on positive jokes.
Here’s how Tristan would rewrite this cold email to help you sign more deals with decision makers 👇
What tips can you replicate from this email for more replies?
Tip #1: Use an intriguing subject line
Mentioning your leads’ desired outcome in the subject line will push your target audience to open your email and read the rest of your email. Since they are looking for a new workforce, applying to a job offer with a twist can push your open rates.
Tip #2: Mention prospects’ pain points
If you show your prospects that you know their pain points, they will feel understood and will be more willing to answer with you. When there is a clear mutual agreement, it means it will be easy to move forward together down the sales funnel.
Tip #3: Add valuable personalization
Show a natural and human approach by adding personalization that isn’t just fluff, but adds a true value. This is how you prove you put time and effort into researching your prospects and, therefore, you care to help them.
Tip #4: Mention concise benefits specific to your reader
Present all key advantages for the specific target persona you’re talking to as the solution to the pain points from the intro line.
Tip #5: Add no-brainer CTA
Use easy-to-answer questions. In this example, the lead just needs to answer “yes” in order to start a conversation and get the value!
If you need some more inspo for CTAs, we've got you covered.
Subject line: Application - {{job title}}
Hello {{firstName}},
I noticed your {{job title}} position has been listed on Welcome to the Jungle for {{number of weeks}} now. Still searching for the right fit?
We recently helped {{same sector company}} place a {{job title}}, saving their CEO both time and money in the recruitment process for a hard-to-find role.
With outstaffing, you can easily delegate less critical tasks like {{tasks}} to specialized agents, handpicked by you. This approach is three times more cost-effective than traditional hiring, and we can make it happen in under two weeks.
I've already identified some profiles that align with your needs based on your offer. Would you like me to present them to you?
Best,
{{signature}}
Don't forget you can easily and quickly generate the perfect signature for all your cold emails.
Here are Tristan's key cold email strategies for sealing deals with SMB's decision-makers:
-> Focus on the prospect's needs and pain points, not your offer
-> Personalization should be meaningful and linked to the email's context
-> Maintain a positive tone and avoid negative connotations
-> Craft a clear CTA that requires minimal effort for a response
Check out Tristan's full cold email teardown!
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 |