FIVE BEST APPROACHES TO COLD EMAILING

Have you ever sent out a message on LinkedIn or a dm via Twitter, and you were met with silence? Or the person you reached out to sent back a message saying they were unavailable at the time (or forever) to attend to you or help out?

In all honesty, how did you feel? I would feel really bad, but then beyond that, the next question on my mind would be “Why did I receive this response?”

A failed cold email hurts, but what is worse is a bad approach to cold-emailing, because this would guarantee continuous bad responses or no responses.

So then, how do you go about it? What are the best and proven approaches to use, and do they work? Let’s answer the last question first, Yes, they do work! The rest of the article would answer the other two.

Best cold mailing approaches, let’s see them!

There are a number of proven approaches, but this article focuses on five of them with some examples at the end. So read till the end, and give this article some claps, if you find them useful.

1. Use polite and clear language
   You are most probably asking for a favor when you cold-email someone. They may choose to grant you an audience or not. However, the outcome, never sound like you are demanding that they come through for you. This comes off as rude, and might ruin your chances of them responding to you. Remain polite, and use clear and polite words. They would likely respond if you do this. From your intro to the end of your message, remain polite!
2. Introduce yourself
   This is the first time you are reaching out to the recipient, and they do not know you. The first thing after your heading is to introduce yourself. Also, a short introduction is preferred. Get to the point.
3. Use headings
   A short heading captures the attention of the recipient and keeps them interested in the remaining content of the letter or message. The heading should reflect the body of the message or email and should be short. It is akin to the subject of an email and should follow the rules for that. Find out some tips for crafting a great heading here.
4. Be concise with your request
   While there is no exact amount of words or characters your message should follow, you do not want to bore your audience or recipient. Be concise, and go straight to the point, after your brief introduction of course. Be clear with your request, don’t go beating about the bush, your recipient is not interested in all that. This gets their attention and gives them a swift understanding of what you want or are requesting.
5. Sell yourself and show how they may benefit from this opportunity
   Many people want to not only see what you want them to do for you. If they are going to offer you a position at their company like you are requesting, what would you contribute to that company with your skills? What skills do you have, and why is that position important to you and them? Sell yourself, but in the same breath, show them why they may need you.

Examples of cold-emails

Heading: Data analyst internship with your reputable organization

Introduction: Hello Mr./Miss/Mrs XYZ, trust you are having a great day. My name is Cynthia, and I am reaching out with respect to interning as a junior data analyst at your organization. I am a Microsoft-certified data analyst, skilled in PowerBi, SQL, and excel, and would love the opportunity to chat about the possibilities of interning at your organization.

Body: I am a self-learned data analyst, and began my learning journey a year ago. In that time, I have built my skills and knowledge of the subject matter through online courses and virtual internships, and believe transitioning to an internship where I can work on amazing real-life projects would help me improve my skills professionally. This is why I have reached out to you. I believe my skills would make a great addition to your organization as I have a background in Maritime technologies, which your company is currently focused on, and would greatly contribute to data-drive processes and insights to drive your company’s growth.

Conclusion: I am available via email at xyz@hotmail.org for further interaction and to answer any questions you might have. Thanks for your kind consideration, and I look forward to your favorable response.

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