How can I identify the pain points and desired outcomes of my target customer?

You can leverage tools like ChatGPT by providing specific details about your ideal client (e.g., 'online coaches doing over $20,000/month'). Ask the AI to generate pain points and desired outcomes using the customer's language to ensure your copy speaks directly to their struggles and aspirations.

What makes a good subject line for a cold email?

A good subject line should pique curiosity and interest without revealing it's a sales pitch. Aim for 1-3 words, simplicity, and a personal touch if possible. Avoid direct sales language; the goal is simply to get the recipient to open the email.

How can I personalize cold emails at scale?

Tools like Instantly.ai offer AI prompt generators that can create personalized lines by pulling data from lead lists (e.g., company name, industry, LinkedIn profile). This allows for efficient personalization that makes the email feel less like a mass outreach.

What email structure works best for cold outreach?

A recommended structure includes a personalized opening line, followed by a value proposition tailored to the niche that highlights the client's goal using your unique mechanism. Focus on the *outcome* the client will achieve, not the process.

What kind of call to action should I use in a cold email?

Instead of asking to book a call directly, offer value first. Effective CTAs include offering a personalized video, a free audit, or a case study. The goal is to get the prospect to 'raise their hand' and express interest, moving them from a cold to a warm lead.

How many follow-up emails should I send, and what should they say?

Typically, 3-4 follow-up emails are recommended. Each follow-up should gently remind them of the previous email's offer and desired outcome, potentially varying the call-to-action slightly. The final follow-up can be a 'breakup' email with predefined response options.

Key Moments

The Only Cold Email Copywriting Video You'll Ever Need

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Education6 min read38 min video

Nov 25, 2024|21,861 views|855|72

cold email cold email marketing cold email outreach cold emails how to cold email cold email lead generation cold email script lead generation lead gen cold emailing email marketing b2b sales

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Cold emails can secure clients, but using AI to craft hyper-personalized messages and multiple follow-ups is crucial for success, as generic outreach yields zero results.

Key Insights

Copywriting is identified as a highly underrated skill for salespeople and business owners, directly impacting lead generation and sales efficacy.

Understanding your target customer involves defining the 'who,' their 'pain points,' and their 'desired outcomes,' which can be accelerated using AI tools like ChatGPT.

Effective cold email subject lines should pique curiosity and feel personal (1-3 words) rather than overtly salesy to encourage opens.

Personalized lines, generated using AI with tools like Instantly, are critical for making cold emails feel less like spam and more targeted.

The recommended email structure focuses on the 'value proposition' and 'desired outcome,' rather than detailing the 'how,' to capture recipient interest.

A follow-up sequence of 3-4 emails, spaced a few days apart, is essential, with the final 'breakup' email used if no response is received.

Copywriting: The Underrated Engine for Business Growth

The video emphasizes that effective copywriting is one of the most crucial yet often neglected skills for business owners and salespeople. It's not just about sending more emails or spending more on ads; it's about the quality of the words used to influence and connect with potential clients. Poor copywriting is frequently the reason for low response rates, not a lack of lead generation or effort. Mastering this skill can significantly ease lead generation, sales, and marketing efforts by focusing on the art of persuasion through carefully crafted language. This foundational skill is paramount for anyone looking to improve their business outcomes across all facets.

Building a Solid Foundation: Understanding Your Ideal Customer

The most critical step before writing any cold email is understanding your target customer. This goes beyond broad segmentation; specificity is key. The process involves creating a 'copy doc' that details the 'who' (e.g., 'online coaches doing more than $20,000 a month'), their specific 'pain points' (what truly troubles them, not just generic issues), and their 'desired outcomes' (what they aspire to achieve). To expedite this, the video suggests using AI tools like ChatGPT, prompting it with details about your ideal client and service to generate realistic pain points and desired outcomes in their own language. Documenting these elements ensures your copy speaks directly to the recipient, making them feel understood and thus increasing the likelihood of engagement. For instance, instead of a vague pain point like 'needs more leads,' digging deeper might reveal something like 'invisible and competitors are still in my spotlight,' or 'burning through cash trying to get leads but are stuck in the cycle of running ads.'

Crafting Compelling Subject Lines That Drive Opens

Subject lines are the first impression of a cold email, akin to an ad's headline, and their primary goal is to pique curiosity and get the email opened without appearing overly salesy. The video advises against common pitfalls like selling in the subject line, which instantly signals a cold outreach attempt and leads to deletion or spam. Instead, simplicity and a personal touch are key. Effective subject lines are typically one to three words, don't sell, and aim to feel like a message from a colleague. Examples include 'Thoughts,' 'First Name?', or 'Ideas for [First Name]?' The success metric for a subject line is simply getting the recipient to open the email, allowing them to then engage with the well-structured content within.

The Power of Personalization in Standing Out

In today's crowded inbox, personalized lines are essential for making cold emails stand out and feel unique to the recipient. Generic personalization, or the lack thereof, can make an email feel like spam, increasing the chance of it being ignored or marked as spam. Effective personalization can be achieved through compliments based on LinkedIn profiles or websites, location-based mentions, acknowledging accolades, referencing industry changes, or even mentioning recent content the recipient has posted. To scale this process, the video endorses using AI tools integrated into platforms like Instantly. These tools can generate personalized lines at scale by leveraging data from lead lists, allowing for unique prompts such as finding pain points specific to an industry or company, or even creating a dad joke as an opening sentence. The key is to use the data available in your lead list columns to create creative and relevant personalized introductions.

Structuring Emails for Maximum Engagement

The structure of a cold email is critical for intriguing potential clients. The video emphasizes focusing on the 'desired outcome' and 'value proposition' rather than detailing the 'how' or the sender's process. Recipients care about what they will gain, not the mechanics of how they will get there. A recommended structure starts with a personalized line, followed by a value proposition relevant to the target niche and their goals, utilizing a 'unique mechanism.' For example, 'We help coaches consistently attract high-ticket clients and grow their visibility so they can scale their business and become the go-to authority in their Niche using our Authority Amplifier Blueprint.' This structure avoids overwhelming the reader with too much information and instead clearly communicates the benefit. Testing different value propositions and goals is encouraged to optimize this further. Alternative structures include a simple 'curious' one-liner, such as 'Curious, do you feel like you're putting out great content but no one's noticing?', or a value-driven approach that leads with actionable ideas.

Strategic Call-to-Actions Beyond 'Book a Call'

The call-to-action (CTA) in a cold email should not be about going 'for the kill' by immediately asking to book a call, especially when there's no established trust. The primary goal of cold email is to get prospects to 'raise their hand' and express interest, moving them from a 'cold' to a 'warm' state. This is achieved by offering value, not demanding commitment. Recommended CTAs include offering a personalized video explaining how the prospect can achieve their goals, proposing a 'free audit' related to their service, asking if they are the 'right person to chat with,' or offering to share a case study. The objective is to make it easy for the recipient to say 'yes' to receiving value or information, thereby building trust and opening the door for future conversations, rather than pushing for an immediate meeting.

The Essential Role of Follow-Up Sequences

The saying 'it takes seven touches to get a client' is highlighted as true, with 50-60% of business coming from follow-ups. Sending only one email is a pipe dream for securing clients. The video recommends a follow-up sequence of three to four emails, typically spaced two days apart. These follow-ups should not just repeat the initial message but should reference the previous email and reiterate the desired outcome, while also testing different CTA variations. A final 'breakup' email can be used if there's still no response, offering options like 'interested, send more info,' 'not interested,' or 'retired,' which can sometimes prompt a reply. Organizing these follow-ups within a CRM, like the one in Instantly, is crucial for managing leads and ensuring diligent communication across multiple channels (email, text, social media).

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●People Referenced

Cold Email Copywriting Cheat Sheet

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Understand your target customer deeply (who, pain points, desired outcomes).

Use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate foundational copy elements quickly.

Craft simple, curiosity-piquing subject lines (1-3 words, not salesy).

Incorporate personalized lines based on prospect's LinkedIn, website, or location.

Focus emails on the desired outcome/benefit for the client, not the 'how-to'.

Use value-driven or curiosity-based call-to-actions (personalized video, free audit, case study).

Implement 3-4 follow-up emails in a sequence.

Utilize a CRM to manage responses and follow up diligently across multiple channels (email, text, social).

Test different email structures and call-to-action variations.

Avoid This

Send generic, untargeted emails to a broad list.

Use salesy or overly catchy subject lines in cold emails.

Reveal everything you do for the client in the initial email.

Go for the hard sell or ask directly for a call in the first email.

Rely on a single email touchpoint for results.

Forget to follow up with interested prospects.

Common Questions

Copywriting is the art of influencing through words. It's crucial for cold email because effective copy ensures your message resonates with the recipient, making them feel understood and increasing the likelihood of a response, as opposed to just sending a high volume of generic emails.