Improving cold emails for B2B prospecting: People buy from people, not robots

by Laura Shewbridge on 28th January 2025

With my involvement in business development, I often send introductory emails to cold, GDPR-compliant data. Naturally, my main objective is to set meetings and find opportunities. However, when emailing on a small scale, it’s quite rare for your email to reach your prospect at exactly the right time. Therefore, I aim for good deliverability and craft content which is concise and personalised to start relationships with leads I can always nurture in the future. 

 

Here are some simple steps to help improve the effectiveness of your cold email campaigns:

 

1. Data

  • The foundation of any successful campaign lies in high-quality, GDPR-compliant data. Ensure your data is accurate, up to date and segmented effectively to target the right audience. 

 

2. Research and Personalise

  • Understand Your Prospect: Take some time to research their business and try to consider their pain points and goals. Tools like LinkedIn can be really useful, visit the company website, or search for industry news.
  • Personal Touch: Armed with this research, try to reference something specific about their company or role, for example, mention if they have recently started a new job or if their company has launched a new product. 

 

3. Strong Subject Line and preview text

  • Keep your subject line clear but intriguing. 
  • Try to avoid generic or salesy phrases as these can look like spam. No one likes clickbait! 
  • If you want to add preview text then briefly describe some of the pain points you can solve or the value you are adding. This snippet sets the tone and encourages the recipient to open the email. 

 

4. Compelling Opening

  • Start with relevance and use your research to include some relevant details which sound friendly and personal. ChatGPT may be useful for crafting content but this approach not only sounds more human but allows you to build rapport. People buy from people, not robots. 

 

5. Value Proposition

  • Keeping the content concise, explain how you can solve their problem or add value to their business. Highlight your company’s unique selling points, years of experience or industry expertise. 

 

6. Social Proof and relevant experience

  • Mention relevant successes or quote client examples or case studies. You could link to case studies on your website or provide details such as:
    “We recently worked with [similar company] to improve their client acquisition process, increasing engagement by 35% within 3 months.”

 

7. Clear Call-to-Action

  • Be clear and low-pressure, for example, “If you feel it might be useful to have a conversation perhaps we could arrange an informal online meeting?” 
  • Proposing a specific time for a call or meeting can also be advantageous. 

 

8. Brevity

  • Keep your email concise. Inboxes are busy and people are time-poor. For an email which is easy to read, aim for 125-150 words.

 

9. Polished Signature

  • Include a professional signature with your name, role, company and links to your website or LinkedIn profile.

 

By following these simple steps, you can create cold emails that stand out, build connections and lay the foundations for future opportunities. Personalisation can be key to nurturing leads and converting them into long-term business relationships. If you’d like to explore email marketing for your own business, then reach out to the Capsule team.

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Written by Laura Shewbridge

Marketing Manager

Laura joined our team in 2022 as Marketing Manager. She has worked within business development and marketing at a digital marketing agency, sports nutrition brand, private orthodontic practice and as a wedding planner!

Her diverse career has given her the chance to meet clients across a range of industries, and she loves listening to their marketing challenges and helping them find solutions. Laura has a particular interest in EV and the exciting developments in this sector.

Outside of work (and often during her lunch break) Laura loves running. She’s a member of a local running club and has completed 10 marathons, over 100 Parkruns and has been a guide to a blind runner.

Read more posts by Laura

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