Cold Email Outreach and Funnel Mapping

Cold Email Outreach Overview

• Warm introductions (intros) significantly boost email response rates, yielding two to three times better conversion compared to cold emails.
• Leverage networks on LinkedIn, connections through friends, and alumni networks to facilitate warm introductions.
• Cold emails need to be highly effective and original to get noticed.
• The outlined approach to email communication is valuable in sales, recruitment, partnership development, gathering user feedback, and securing mentorship for founders.

Funnel Mapping

• Funnel creation should start with the end goal in mind, working backwards to define each step.
• For a B2B software company, acquiring a new customer is a typical goal.
• A sample conversion funnel involves these steps: Email sent, email open, response received, demo signup, and customer conversion.
• Sample conversion rates across the sales funnel are: 10% demo to customer, 25% response to demo, 10% open to response, and 50% sent to open.
• Achieving one customer might require sending 800 emails, based on the example conversion rates.
• Before automating, emails should be written manually and personalized to determine what works best.
• The primary goal of the initial email should be to secure the next step in the funnel.
• Tracking and measuring conversion rates helps in spotting areas needing improvement.
• Conversion rates tend to decline as efforts are scaled, often due to targeting less ideal customers.

Increasing Open Rates

• Target potential customers who are likely to be interested in the product or service.
• Send 100 highly targeted emails, rather than 1,000 generic ones.
• The "From" field should feature the sender’s personal name to add a human element.
• Craft short, relevant, and interesting subject lines which don’t sound too sales-oriented.
• Effective examples of subject lines include: "Hey," "Quick question," and "Can I get your advice?".
• Email is more effective than LinkedIn for outreach.
• Texting is perceived as intrusive unless explicit permission has been granted.
• Some industries view LinkedIn as overwhelming, while others appreciate receiving messages there.

Finding Email Addresses

• Request the recipient's email from someone who knows them, but a warm intro is preferable.
• Attempt to connect on LinkedIn or search for email addresses on blogs and websites.
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator can help identify relevant contacts and their information.
• If the company's email format is known, try guessing the email address.

Effective Email Strategies

• The email format of "[email protected]" is often accurate when trying to identify a contact's email.
• Tools like Apollo.io, Hunter.io, and Clearbit can aid in locating email addresses.
• A company's reputation matters less than the sender's individual reputation in the early stages when reaching out to contacts.
• Demonstrating personal dedication, like offering personal contact details, fosters trust with potential partners and customers.
• Improved email targeting leads to higher open rates.

Seven Principles of Effective Email Copy

• These principles can help emails stand out and receive responses.

Focused Goal

• Each email should pursue a single, specific objective, such as starting a conversation or encouraging a click.
• A singular focus avoids overwhelming the recipient with too many choices, preventing inaction.

Be Human

• Employ emotional language to establish a connection with the recipient.
• Using informal greetings and allowing occasional typos can give the email a more authentic and personal feel.
• Incorporating creative elements like personalized GIFs or videos can capture attention.
• Write as though addressing a friend to ensure a natural and engaging tone.
• To identify awkward or unnatural phrasing, read the drafted email aloud.

Personalize

• Personalization is crucial to avoid being perceived as spam and to encourage engagement.
• Using the recipient's name can make a significant difference.
• Reference specific details about the recipient's work or company to demonstrate genuine interest.
• Look for uncommon commonalities to create a unique connection.
• Discovering uncommon commonalities requires in-depth research and a clear understanding of the recipient's background and interests.

Keep it Short

• Emails should be brief to ensure they are read and responded to promptly.
• Shorter emails are easier to read on mobile devices and require less cognitive effort to process.

Establish Credibility

• Mention affiliations with well-known organizations like Y Combinator, schools, or companies.
• Share recognizable customer names as social proof.
• Publish industry-specific data or trends to establish expertise.
• Mentioning shared connections can create a basis of trust.

Reader-focused

• Center the email’s narrative around addressing the user's problems.
• Use the same language that users use to describe the company.
• Avoid making demands on the recipient's time or attention.

Call to Action

• End the email with a clear and direct next step.
• Emphasizing the call to action in its own paragraph increases the chances of a response.

Follow-Up

• It’s important to be persistent and plan multiple follow-ups.
• Creative follow-ups can help break through to the recipient.
• Avoid expressing frustration or anger if a response isn’t received.

Email Examples:

• Examples include before/after emails, and critique on why they were good or not.

Ineffective Email Examples

• Includes order processing for digital products
• Generic greeting, unclear request, and no signature.
• Self-centered by focusing on the sender's skills rather than the recipient's needs.

Effective Email Examples

• Mentions a shared alma mater connection combined with a clear and simple request.
• Makes the recipient feel valued using informal language, special offers, and exclusivity.
• A smoothie company changed their email subject to "Smoothie party," resulting in an increase of positive responses.

Final Advice

• Prioritize learning through manual outreach before automating.
• Track and measure key metrics to enhance conversion rates at each funnel stage.
• Founders should send emails to capitalize on their authority and dedication.
• Dedicate time each day to send dozens of personalized emails.
• Use a company's small size as an advantage for highly personalized communication.